Tight hips = Wasted Energy. Here’s How to Fix That.
You train your legs, core, lungs, and heart, but how often are you training your hips!?
Hip mobility is one of the most important factors for athletic performance. Improving your joint strength and range of motion improves your overall movement capacity, which means you get to do more, with less wasted energy.
Weak, or tight hips, limit your hip extension, the push-off phase in your stride, and restrict access to your glutes, which decreases your power and wastes energy. Limited hip mobility can also shift stress to other joints like the knees, lower back, and ankles, which is a direct route to potential overuse injuries.
Mobility isn’t just about flexibility, it’s about how well your body moves through space. When your hips, ankles, and spine have a healthy range of motion, your stride becomes smoother, your power transfer improves, and every mile and rep feels more efficient.
Why Mobility Matters for Runners
Running is repetitive by nature. Thousands of steps reinforce the same muscle patterns, leading to tight hips, stiff ankles, and overworked joints. That’s when energy gets wasted, and injuries creep in.
Improving mobility helps you:
Increase range of motion for more fluid strides and reps
Activate stabilizing muscles (especially glutes and core) that prevent overuse injuries
Enhance posture and balance for stronger, more efficient running mechanics
Reduce tightness and soreness from training volume or long runs
How to Incorporate It:
You don’t need hours - just 10–15 minutes, 2-3 times a week. I prefer to do quick mobility workouts like hip circles and leg swings prior to running, and post-run, I do more dedicated, slower paced exercises, like 90/90 leg lifts, frog pose variations, and hip CARS.
Inside the Movement & Miles App, you’ll find the Ultimate Mobility Plan: 4 weeks of 3 guided mobility workouts per week, with focus on flexibility, hip range of motion, and overall joint strength. All you’ll need are resistance bands, foam roller, yoga block, and a mat
Each session blends dynamic drills, controlled movement, and breathwork to help your body move the way it’s designed to: fluid, stable, and strong.
It’s the perfect complement to any running or strength plan, whether you’re training for your next race or just want to move pain-free.
