Hip Circles
Hip circles are a loosening exercise that will also strengthen your hips. Stand up straight with your knees slightly bent and arms at your sides. While keeping your right foot on the ground, begin rotating your right knee in a circular, clockwise direction, the ChiRunning website instructs. While doing this, move your left knee in the opposite direction. Keep both knees and hips going for 20 seconds before resting. Repeat with your knees going in the opposite direction of there original rotation.
Partial Squats
Partial squats will strengthen your hip and thigh muscles as well as loosen up your hips. Stand up straight with your knees slightly bent and arms at your sides. From here, extend your arms directly out in front of you. From this position, bend at the knees, lowering yourself toward the ground until your upper legs are parallel with the ground. Hold this position for a count of 10 seconds before standing back up. Repeat this exercise until fatigued.
Swimming Laps
Swimming is a low-impact exercise that you can perform after stretching to help loosen your hips. After 10 to 20 minutes of stretching, jump into the water, performing a freestyle stroke for 10 minutes. During your freestyle stroke, kick your legs at an even and accurate tempo, making sure that your hips are rotating slightly during each kick. As you improve, increase the speed with which you perform the exercise. Repeat this exercise for as long or short a time as you like.
Resistance-Band Strengthening
In addition to stretching, resistance-band exercises can help strengthen as well as stretch out your hips. Lie down on the ground, wrapping one end of a resistance band around a static object. Wrap the other end around your foot, bending your other leg while keeping this one extended. From this position, lift your leg up, working against the resistance and holding for 10 seconds. Bring it back down and repeat, alternating legs before completing your exercise.
