For stronger hip bones and muscles, take a lesson from tai chi
Healthy hips and the muscles that surround them are key to preventing falls, soothing arthritis, and keeping us upright as we age, according to Pia Leone, DPT, a physical therapist at Jefferson Health in Philadelphia. But that doctor’s order is often easier said than done––how exactly do you build strength in your hips?
Turns out, ancient Chinese martial arts might hold the key.
Tai chi is a form of self-defense that combines meditation and breathing with movements to create “forms.” These low-intensity workouts improve balance, reduce stress, and boost hip strength.
“A limber spine is the most important thing in tai chi, and a limber spine requires limber hips,” says John Turnbull, tai chi instructor at the Ed & Phyllis Davis Wellness Institute at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital in New York. “When you practice, the hips rotate through a range of motion that keeps the joints that connect your legs and spine lubricated and mobile.”
Three Forms for Beginners
Turnbull and fellow teacher Mary Boochever recommend doing the exercises below for a set period of time (30, 60, or 90 seconds). However, they also stress taking your time, breathing slowly, moving gently, and stopping if you have pain or feel off-balance.Always talk to your doctor before beginning a new exercise program.
Wave Hands Like Clouds
1: Relax and breathe slowly.
2: Begin with feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent. Keep your center of gravity low.
3: Place hands in front of you like you’re holding the top and bottom of a beach ball.
4: Turn your waist to rotate your body slowly to the left. With your hips moving gently, transfer your weight from side to side.
5: As you turn to the side, your hands should “float” along, rotating from the top to the bottom of the imaginary ball.
6: Repeat steps 1 through 5, but turn toward the right side this time.
Dragon Serves Tea
1: Begin with your feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, squatting slightly.
2: Rest both hands on your hips, palms up.
3: Turn out your right hand toward the back of your body, then coil it in a spiral, almost like twirling a lasso, while your body transfers its weight to the opposite leg, allowing your hip and back to gently rotate.
4: When your right hand completes its spiral, begin with the left hand.
Repulse the Monkey
1: Begin with feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, squatting slightly.
2: Lift both arms. Then, extend your left arm in front of you, as if pushing out. Raise your right arm to about shoulder height.
3: Change hand positions, pushing out with your right arm and letting your left arm flow back across your hip and up toward your shoulder. Move your hips gently forward and back.
Hip to tai chi and ready for more? If you’re signed up for a BCBSM Medicare Advantage plan, you get a membership to SilverSneakers––a program that can help you find free tai chi, yoga, or other group fitness classes near you.
