Down Dog Hip Circles AKA a drill I really love.
One reason I love them is that it’s a multi-tasking kind of drill. We’ve got a shoulder warmup, hamstring stretch, and hip strength/mobility all in one. I’ve been doing this in pretty much every warm-up these days.
- Start in a downdog/a-frame position. You may need to be on tiptoe for this if your hamstrings are tight.
- Lift one leg out and up to make as big a circle as you can, keeping it straight throughout. Be sure to do both directions on both legs.
- Shift your weight forward and back and side to side to minimize hip clunking.
- Watch out for sickling–feet tend to try to point in the direction your leg is going. Keep them pointed and slightly everted (turned out).
- Breathe and see if you can find a rhythm. Don’t move too fast (this second part of this video is sped up x3).
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Give it a try and let me know how it goes! If you’re looking for full workouts you can do at home, Fit4Flight is a series of 5 aerial-specific floor workouts that don’t require any special equipment. Learn more about that here!
