Swivel Hips Alternative

Hello,

Sometimes I feel pain in my knee after doing Swivel Hips. I now take it slower and don't push it that much.

At one side my internal rotation at the hips really is tight. I wondered if people could tell me an additional exercise I could do (daily?) to improve this.

On the Forum I found the recommendation to do a stretch that you have particular difficulty with every day. Thats when I started doing Swivel Hips more often. But then pain in my left knee makes me think I shouldn't do that.

Any good alternatives?

Hi Michael,

I have a couple of suggestions for you:

1. Try to consult with a physio about your knee pain. If you can't completely avoid the pain, hold off on training these until you can get the injury sorted out. 

2. If you can perform these without pain, the modification shown in the 'Technique Tip & Scaling' video from your course library. That static modification along with the Middle Split Stretch Series will help you to loosen your tight hip. Again, work to solve the knee pain before all else. 

H MIchael, the amount of legs distance could play a role in the pain on the knee, for an additional stretch simply assume the swivel hips position with your upper body supported by the wall instead of the hands, put the tight leg in the internal rotation position and hold the position for 2-4 minutes.

@Everett Carroll well I have some knee things since many years. There was a time when I had big problems and the doctor told me to never to sports again.

Stuff got a lot worse when I did that. So for the last 10 years I continued with sports and I dont have many problems. I only feel pretty fast when I do something wrong.

From what the doctor wrote when I was there some years ago (i'll try to translate it properly):

1. Suspicion of damage of inner meniscus
2. Chondropathia patellae
3. small friction of patella

I fear that 1 probably is wrong. This is also where I feel the uncomfortable feeling/pain during swivel hips. 2, 3 might have gone away? I didnt feel this kind of pain the last year, only the one at the inner side.

@Alessandro Mainente should my back be straight on the wall? Or doesnt matter, its only for better support?

straight it is better but more important it is a fixed surface so that you cannot compensate by leaning backward.

Just to be sure:

What is the angle I should have between lower and upper legs? At what distance should I place my foot?

Still uncomfortable at the one knee.

Hi Michael,

90 degrees at the knee. That angle will automatically find the correct distance for your feet since you are using a wall for support, as Alex suggested. Again, if your knee hurts, my number one suggestion is to not train through pain and see a physio. I hope Alex's suggestion helps you so you don't have to but if the discomfort persists, schedule an appointment. 

Hi Everett,

yeah thank you I already made an appointment, just to be sure.

Its often not a big pain but still an annoying/uncomfortable feeling. We'll see.

A follow up question: the move is correct if I have this angle and be able to touch the knee on the floor while keeping the glutes on the floor too and sitting upright. Is that right?

Please let us know what your doc says, Michael. Once you go back to training it, please submit a follow-up video so we can ensure your position and angles are correct.

11 minutes ago, Michael Vetter said:

is correct if I have this angle and be able to touch the knee on the floor while keeping the glutes on the floor too and sitting upright. Is that right?

 

This sounds right, yes. Looking forward to the follow-up. 

So I have been at a doctor. Seems there is no damage. My bodies structure is like it leans more to one side and has a twist in the spine. He sais maybe generally I have more pressure on this side for this reason.

(Anybody knows what one can do about that? I suppose the stretch series, especially thoracic bridge, will help over time?)

He also said maybe I just did the exercise to often.

Here are some pictures of swivel hips, with butt staying on the ground and with lifting it a bit. As I understand it, it should not lift at all right?

First two with no lifting:

Then with lifitng:

So just to be clear. The second two are wrong? Butt should stay totally on the floor?

Hi @Michael Vetter,

Glad to hear there is no damage. Tightness in the lower back affects your swivel hips. Yes you can work on the Stretch Series. Working on your Front Splits, Middle Splits and Thoracic Bridge will help with your mobility. (if you don't have the stretch courses please get them) Also make sure that you keep on working on your SLS progressions on Foundation One. Keep refining them. In the photos you sent, the one with no lifting is the correct one but what helped me when I was working on it was training both. (lifting and no lifting) 

Hi Leo,

Thanks for replying.

Yep, I am working on all the stretch series.

SLS I will start this week with SLS PE3. So far I didnt have any problems with that exercise. Even before starting I could do a single leg squat but I understand that doing all the progressions will help me do a better one, and also prepare my body a lot better in general. I will keep working on it.

27 minutes ago, Leo Trinidad said:

what helped me when I was working on it was training both. (lifting and no lifting) 

Thats good to know! I'll do the same then.

Just as a follow up: got this one now

Took quite some time.

Congratulations @Michael Vetter  make sure to include it in your warmup now.

Definitely will, this stretch is really something I need

Nice @Michael Vetter ! Good work. I have a similar issue with the knees that you had. Some kind of tightness that makes movements like the swivel hips a bit uncomfortable.

What would you say helped you the most to finally get it?

I'm currently doing the FS and TB stretch series and I'm guessing that MS is what's missing here.

Hey @Thomas Nordman I like MS a lot, definitely can recommend it.

As to what exactly helped, is hard to say for me.

What I did was:

• MS
• Do swivel hips in warmup, very soft and light
• Hold position at the end
• Sometimes focus in keeping my butt on the ground and pressing my knees down, sometimes allowing by butt to come off a bit but having more focus on pressing the knees all the way to the floor

Ok, I'll make sure to get that stretch series as well. 

So when doing swivel hips and similar movements, did you avoid all discomfort in the knee area or did you push it to some degree?

For me it was really a kind of pain, that I also felt for the rest of the day, event he days after. So I avoided pushing so far that I feel that pain in the knee.

I think I was too tight inside the hip, and because I forced myself down a lot of pressure was on the knee, maybe more than it could handle, so it hurt. But like this I actually didnt improve the inward rotation of the hip better than if I would just go as far as is comfortable. And like this I wouldnt hurt my knee.

Just  my theory

Sounds reasonable. I will go with your approach.

Thanks!

8 hours ago, Thomas Nordman said:

did you avoid all discomfort in the knee area or did you push it to some degree?

Avoid all discomfort in the knees. Never push through joint pain. 

Got it @Everett Carroll !