Field notes · Mobility and back pain
Tight hips after 40: why they matter and what to do
If your lower back aches, your squat stops halfway and getting off the floor takes a hand on the couch, your hips are a good place to start looking.
Dai Manuel · Coach Moose · Vancouver
Why hips get tight
Sitting keeps the front of your hips short and your glutes switched off for most of the day. Over years, the hips lose the range to fully extend behind you or bend deep in front of you, and the lower back makes up the difference.
Three things that help
A deep squat hold: hold a doorframe or a post and sit into the bottom of a squat for thirty seconds, a few times a day. A half-kneeling hip flexor stretch with your glute squeezed on the kneeling side. Strength through range: slow goblet squats and split squats, as deep as you can control.
Do the first two daily, the third in your training. Most men feel a difference within a couple of weeks.
What not to do
Do not force it. Pain is not a sign it is working. Ease into positions and let the range come to you over weeks, not in one heroic session.
Common questions
- Can tight hips cause lower back pain?
- Limited hip movement often shifts load onto the lower back. Improving hip range and strength is a common part of managing everyday back discomfort.
- How often should I stretch tight hips?
- Short daily practice, a few minutes a day, tends to work better than long occasional sessions.
Sources
- Strength training versus stretching for improving range of motion. Afonso et al., Healthcare, 2021.