05/26/2026
If you have time for a single hip exercise, the one in the video above is what I recommend. It is called a hip controlled articular rotation, or CAR. A healthy joint should be able to rotate in both directions, and doing hip and shoulder CARs regularly is a great way to prevent injury and stay mobile as we get older.
These hip rotations are harder than they look! Do lift the knee as high as you comfortably can, but don’t worry if it isn’t far. Breathe into any spots of tightness, and back off if you experience pain. The slower the motion the better. (I’m going a bit faster than I normally would in the video since online attention spans are short!)
CARs are not, of course, traditional yoga poses, but through the years I’ve drawn a lot from fitness to establish basic mobility as well as stability in my body, and I believe that any movement practiced mindfully with the breath qualifies as yoga.
Hold onto a wall or furniture if needed, but over time, if you can practice your balance, that’s great. Lessen the intensity by putting your foot down between each repetition, or ramp it up by holding the balance the entire time.
Try one to five reps per side. If you do this daily for a couple of weeks, I bet you’ll notice a difference in how you feel.
Comment BACK for a link to a playlist of feel good low back exercises from my Substack The Overwhelmed Yogi.
