Hip Controlled Articular Rotations for Range of Motion

Enhance hip joint health and expand your active range of motion with precise, intentional rotations.

mobility / joint CARs · Functional Range Conditioning (Dr. Andreo Spina) · This meets the need state of restricted hip mobility, often experienced as stiffness during daily activities or compromised performance in movement practices. · 2 repetitions per side, 30 seconds per repetition.

Why it works

Controlled Articular Rotations (CARs) work on the nervous system by actively signaling to the brain the accessible range of motion of a joint. By taking the hip joint slowly and deliberately through its maximum pain-free range, the nervous system downregulates protective mechanisms, allowing for greater perceived and actual control. On a tissue level, CARs actively load the joint capsule and surrounding connective tissues through their full available range. This promotes synovial fluid distribution, nourishes articular cartilage, and maintains the elasticity and strength of the ligaments and fascia around the hip, resisting stiffness and improving joint resilience.

How to practice

Begin in a half-kneeling position (one knee down, one foot flat on the floor) or seated upright in a chair with good posture.
Without moving your torso, lift your working knee (the one on the floor if half-kneeling, or the one you're rotating if seated) slightly off the ground, engaging the muscles around your hip.
Slowly rotate your femur internally, bringing your knee inwards towards your midline while simultaneously opening your foot outwards.
Continue to rotate your hip, moving your knee outwards and upwards into external rotation, drawing a large, controlled circle with your knee.
Keep your hip capsule "packed" – a sense of tension around the joint – throughout the entire movement. Breathe in as you lift and rotate outwards; breathe out as you bring the knee back inwards and down.
Reverse the direction, slowly moving your knee inwards from the top, then down and outwards, completing a controlled circle. Focus on articulating only at the hip joint, minimizing movement elsewhere.
Repeat for the prescribed duration or repetitions, then switch sides.
Begin in a half-kneeling position (one knee down, one foot flat on the floor) or seated upright in a chair with good posture.
Without moving your torso, lift your working knee (the one on the floor if half-kneeling, or the one you're rotating if seated) slightly off the ground, engaging the muscles around your hip.
Slowly rotate your femur internally, bringing your knee inwards towards your midline while simultaneously opening your foot outwards.
Continue to rotate your hip, moving your knee outwards and upwards into external rotation, drawing a large, controlled circle with your knee.
Keep your hip capsule "packed" – a sense of tension around the joint – throughout the entire movement. Breathe in as you lift and rotate outwards; breathe out as you bring the knee back inwards and down.
Reverse the direction, slowly moving your knee inwards from the top, then down and outwards, completing a controlled circle. Focus on articulating only at the hip joint, minimizing movement elsewhere.
Repeat for the prescribed duration or repetitions, then switch sides.