Movement · Hips
Hip hinge
Reviewed by Dr. Ryan Rietz, D.P.T. and Dr. John Breyman, D.C.
Bending forward by folding at the hips while the spine stays where it is. The pelvis rotates over the femurs, the backside travels backward as a counterweight, and the knees soften but do not do the work. Good looks like: a long neutral spine from head to tailbone, shins near vertical, weight through the mid-foot, and a strong stretch felt in the hamstrings — not the lower back. It is the single most transferable movement in the body, used every time you pick something up, and losing it is the classic pattern behind load-related lower back pain: the hips stop moving, so the lumbar spine bends instead.
Also known as
- hinge
- hip hinging
- bending from the hips