Variance: Loose Hips

In Boston, we are entering week five of working remotely. For many of us, the sitting time is now epic.

That makes for really tight hips, enabled by equally tight hamstrings. Those two things have a direct line to inhibited breathing and associated voice disruptions. They are also generally terrible for your overall health, so important to address.

There are a lot of hip opening exercises available online so I’m not going to jump into teaching you a series in writing. I will recommend two exercises:

1. Seated Angle Bend: While sitting in a chair with good posture, bring one leg into a rotated bend by placing the outside of your ankle on the top of the knee of your opposite leg. Try to maintain your posture. If this is easy for you to bring your torso forward as if to bend over your legs. Release and repeat on the other side.
2. Child’s pose: Borrowed from yoga this stretch is done on the ground. Start on all fours with your knees in a wide stance. Slowly release backward to rest your hips between your legs. Let your torso remain elongated. If this is too difficult you may begin by resting your hips on your legs.

Give these or any hip openers a try today. Your body will thank you.

Gina Razón is the Founder and CEO at GROW Voice LLC, a full-service verbal communication studio in Boston’s Back Bay.  She has over two decades of experience as a teacher of voice and speech, is a communication and change facilitator, and is a voraciously curious voice user.  Gina has worked professionally as a classical singer for over a decade and more recently as a professional public speaker.  For more information on the studio or to book Gina visit www.growvoice.com.