Yoga for hip flexors Virginia

MORE: The Best Move For Tight Hips

These 7 issues could be causing your hips to age faster than they should. How many of these sound familiar?

Mistake: Skipping lateral exercises

Walking, sitting, driving, and most other movements you do every day are linear, meaning you move along a straight line. Then you head to the gym and jump on the bike, treadmill, or elliptical—more linear motions. The problem? You're missing out on lateral, or side-to-side, movement. "Most people just don't think to do these moves, " says Sean De Wispelaere, a personal trainer with Thrive Personal Training and Fitness. "As a result, you're only putting your hips through 50% of the motion they're capable of performing and creating a muscular imbalance, including weakness in your adductors and abductors." You risk pulling any number of muscles in your hips, glutes, or low back if you suddenly do a lateral movement your body isn't prepared for, such as slipping on ice or taking an exercise class with lots of side-to-side exercises.
The fix: Incorporating rollerblading and slide boards into your routine are excellent (and fun!) ways to target those muscles, De Wispelaere says. Practicing this Mini-Band Circuit three days per week will also strengthen the muscles of your hips in every direction they were designed to move.