Why hips get tight
Sitting at a desk all day inevitably takes a toll on the hips. Stretching and foam rolling routines can go a long way toward easing that tightness, but they have real limitations, which is where CAR stretches come in.
Controlled Articular Rotations, explained
CAR stands for Controlled Articular Rotation, a recovery technique that moves a joint through its full range of motion to help loosen it up. It's especially useful for hips, which suffer a lot from tightness caused by a sedentary lifestyle spent in a seated position. Physical therapists use CARs for a few different purposes: maintaining joint health, assessing the body on an ongoing basis, and maintaining current range of motion. Unlike a static stretch, where you lengthen a muscle and hold it to build flexibility, a CAR takes the joint through its largest range of motion with control and tension, adding an element of mobility on top of flexibility. CARs can also support resistance training and everyday movement, since the hips are such an important driver of daily life; many trainers suggest starting each day with a quick CARs session to keep the hips loose, and over time, range of motion improves, which helps you get stronger too.
Standing hip CARs
Stand with your feet flat on the floor, holding onto a wall or another stable surface. Brace your core and keep tension in your standing leg. Lift your knee to your chest and hold it at that height to open up the hip, then lift your heel to engage an internal rotation before kicking your foot back behind you into the air. Slowly return to the starting position, reset, and breathe with every rotation. Repeat for 30 to 60 seconds on each leg.
Tabletop CARs (quadruped hip circles)
Start in a quadruped position on all fours, and lift your knee up toward your chest while limiting how much your lower back rounds. Keeping your knee up, move it out to the side as far as possible while keeping your pelvis horizontal, then rotate the hip inward, attempting to lift the foot higher than the knee. Keep the leg up and bring it back behind you, taking care not to overarch the back. Slowly return to the starting position; this can also be reversed. Hold this pattern for 30 seconds or more for a bigger challenge.
CAR stretches can be part of a broader treatment plan when your condition calls for it, and as with any treatment, a thorough health assessment comes first.