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Writer's pictureSarah Court

A little known method to bend down or lift correctly: Do the Hip Hinge!


The Hip Hinge technique has been used for centuries.. well, that is it seems, up until recent times.

Professional weight lifters are perhaps amongst the few nowadays to adopt this method, although sometimes they can get it wrong when learning the sport.

Many of us have since been taught to focus just on 'lifting with the legs'. Although good advice, this can lead to confusion and possibly causing knee joint overload and straining of the lower back or hamstrings.

Instead, think of using the upper body a bit more like a lifting crane, or a lever with a fulcrum/pivot, i.e. our hip joints.


Do the hip hinge

Would you design a crane with a flexible or segmented lifting arm (such as is our spine?)

The reasons you wouldn't are simple:

1. The flexible arm is likely to develop points of strain or weakness

2. More effort is required to lift when compared with a rigid structure which uses a hinge or a pulley system. After all, a lever amplifies the input force to provide a greater output force.

Using the Hip Hinge technique is one of the most important things we should be doing when it comes to muscle and joint care. Apart from protecting the back, it also strengthens the gluteus muscles in the buttocks. These often become squashed and weak in today's society from sitting for much of the day, whereas they should be the powerhouse of the body!

Do the Hip Hinge

1. First, practise keeping your back straight and bend from the hip - not from the waist.

For example, try this when:

- lowering into a hamstring stretch before you flex your spine to touch your toes

- vacuuming/mowing the lawn

2. Then, bend your knees

when:

- lowering or bending down to talk to a child

- bending to pick up an object

- heavy lifting or lowering

3. Just before you lift

- Bring your head up so you are looking forward, not down. This will help you to keep your back straight. You will notice professional weight lifters always do this.

4. As you lift

- Push down into the legs to begin to straighten them

- Push forwards with your pelvis so the pivoting action naturally brings your back into the upright position

- Fully straighten the legs

5. Remember to do this in reverse order for lowering a heavy object to the ground.


Avoid the following:

1. Your back being too low = No hip hinge

Your back will need to put in sufficient effort first in order to lift - i.e. the angle of the pivot point is too great, so the effort in would exceed the output. You therefore instinctively move the fulcrum further up the body and into your back.

2. Too much knee bend = too much strain on the legs and knee joints

If an object is heavy and requires you to get this low, you should leave it! Use equipment or

enough people to help lift to decrease everyone's share of the input appropriately!

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