If you are a patient of mine who has presented with a lower limb injury or one of my high-level athletes looking to prevent injury, you might know my favourite exercise.
It is a simple yet powerful exercise that everyone—athletes, weekend warriors, those recovering from injury, and anyone looking for a quick exercise that addresses the core and entire lower limb in one movement—should incorporate into their routine: Hip Airplanes!
What Are Hip Airplanes?
Hip Airplanes are a dynamic balance exercise that targets the entire lower half of the body. They mimic the motion of balancing while engaging multiple muscle groups, making them an excellent addition to your workout/rehab/injury prevention regimen.
Benefits of Hip Airplanes:
- Improves Hip Stability: Strengthens the muscles around the hip joint, helping to prevent injuries and improve force transfer for sports performance.
- Enhances Balance: Improves proprioception in your ankle/foot, which helps with overall balance and coordination (think fall prevention and also lowering the risk of ankle sprains and knee injuries in sport, so get your kids who are youth athletes doing these!)
- Increases Flexibility/Mobility: Promotes a greater range of motion in the hips, which is crucial for athletic performance and helps with back/hip/knee/leg/ankle pain.
- Core Activation: Engages the core, gluteus, leg, and foot muscles, contributing to better posture and stability in other movements.
How to Perform Hip Airplanes: A Modified “Dr. Joe” Version
The hip airplanes I describe below are different from those you will find online, as I have tweaked them to be more effective.
While balancing on one leg, slowly do three movements simultaneously: do a one-leg squat as you bend over from your hips (think straight spine, not rounded) and rotate or twist your spine to the left. If you are doing it right, you should feel the activation outside your hip on the balancing leg. Then, return to the original position and repeat on the same leg but twist to the right. Try to do 1 minute per leg, 3-5x/wk.
Note: you may lose your balance quite often… keep at it, and this will improve!
Here’s a video on how to perform the exercise:
Tips for Success:
- Start Slow: If you’re new to this exercise, begin with a support (like a wall or chair) until you feel stable. This is an advanced exercise and NOT for everyone! Do NOT do this exercise if you have balance/vertigo issues or trouble balancing on one foot.
- Is it too advanced? Start with an easier exercise to activate your glute muscles: Monster walks- walk sideways as a shuffle with your toes pointed slightly inwards for a minute. To make it harder, you can add a resistance band around your ankles! You should feel this in your outer hips. Progress to 1 minute total time, 3-5x/wk.
