90/90 Hip Switch with Hand Support

Also known as: Supported 90/90 Switch, Assisted 90/90 Hip Switch, 90/90 Switch with Hands Behind

MobilityStretchingWarm-up

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Body Part: Glutes

Description

Sit on the floor in a 90/90 with your hands planted behind your hips and swing both knees from one side to the other. With your hands handling balance, the whole set goes into hip internal and external rotation, so this is where most people with stiff hips start their 90/90 work. You feel it in the glute of the front leg and at the front of the back hip as the knees settle. Next to the hands-free 90/90 Hip Switch your trunk works far less and you may lean back a little; unlike the static 90/90 stretch, you keep switching sides instead of holding one.

How to Perform

Sit on the floor with your feet wider than your hips, knees bent about 90 degrees and heels on the floor.
Place your hands on the floor behind your hips, arms straight, and lean back just enough to feel balanced.
Lower both knees to the right: right shin across the front of your body, left shin out to the side and pointing back.
Lift your chest so your lower back stays long even with the slight lean.
Pivot on your heels and raise both knees until they point up and both feet are flat.
Carry on turning and lower the knees to the left into the opposite 90/90, left shin in front.
Pause briefly on each side, then switch back, alternating to the end of the set.

What Muscles Work

Primary Muscle:

Secondary Muscles:

Tips

Do 2-3 sets of 8-10 switches per side at a slow pace, about 3 seconds from side to side. It fits the warm-up before squats and deadlifts, the start of a hip mobility session, or a few minutes on a rest day.
Plant your hands about a forearm's length behind your hips: close enough to sit up, far enough to take weight off the hips.
Make it harder over the weeks: walk your hands closer to your hips, then switch with one hand down, then move on to the hands-free 90/90 Hip Switch.
Stay 3-5 seconds at the bottom of each side and breathe out to sink a little deeper. Give the stiffer side a few extra reps.
If tight hips or hamstrings round your back, sit on a folded towel or a thin cushion. Raising the hips makes sitting tall much easier.

Common Mistakes

Bending the elbows and sinking between the shoulders. Straighten your arms and push the floor away so your chest stays lifted.
Leaning back so far that the knees just tip over and the hips barely turn. Bring your hands closer and sit more upright.
Lifting the hips and shoving through the hands to throw the legs over. Both sit bones stay on the floor; let the knees stop higher instead.
Dropping the knees onto the floor. Slow down for the last few centimetres of each side.
Letting the feet slide or lift off the floor. Pivot on the heels so the feet stay planted and only the knees travel.
Front shin sliding forward so the front knee opens far past 90 degrees. Set the shin back across your body after each switch.