How to Screen Hip Mobility

Posted on by ahorschig

For the past few weeks, we have discussed in detail on how the mobile ankle is crucial for the perfect squat technique. Today, we’re going to skip the knees for now and move onto the hips. This is another area of the body that tends to develop stiffness. A sedentary lifestyle and excessive sitting are a couple reasons for why we develop stiff hips. Limited range-of-motion at the hips can limit our ability to squat to full depth. Most of us could benefit from working on our hip mobility issues.

When the hips lack adequate mobility a few things can happen. First the knees will lose stability and start to bow inward. Second, the lower back will fail to remain stable and collapse into a rounded position. Each of these movement problems wreaks havoc on our power and increases our risk for injury.

Adequate hip flexion and hip internal rotation is needed to reach a full depth squat (hips below parallel). You can measure flexion of the hip by drawing a line with the torso and another line with the outside of the upper leg. The smaller or more closed the angle is, the more hip flexion the athlete has. Internal rotation is a little harder to judge on your own and will be a topic of a later lecture.

HipRangeofMotion.png

If you are unable to squat to full depth with toes relatively straightforward, hip mobility is likely a limiting factor. Today I want to introduce one of my favorite tools for assessing hip mobility. It is called the Thomas test (1).

This test is performed while lying on your back. The Thomas test’s main purpose is to look for either Iliopsoas (hip flexor muscle), Rectus Femoris (quad muscle) or Iliotibial band tightness. All of these soft tissue structure can contribute to hip mobility issues.

Start by standing next to a bed or a bench. Your hips should be in contact with the edge. Grab one of your knees and pull it towards your chest as you gently fall backwards. The knee you grab should be pulled as close to your chest as possible. As you lie on your back while holding onto your knee, allow your other leg to relax completely.

What position does your body end up? Having a friend help you with this screen is extremely beneficial. Once you screen one leg, perform the same movement on the opposite leg and see what you find.

ThomasTest

Did you have checks in every box of the ‘pass’ column? If so you show adequate hip flexion mobility. However if you had any checks in the ‘fail’ column for this screen, you have a hip mobility restriction.

If you were unable to pull your knee fully to your chest, we are dealing with a possible hip flexion mobility issue. This could be caused by a number of factors including tight or restricted soft tissues, or even hip capsule restrictions.

If you were unable to pull one of your legs as far towards your chest as the other, you have a possible asymmetry in hip mobility. This is a red flag. Asymmetries are very important to take care of as they can negatively influence barbell squats. Often these small side-to-side differences go undiagnosed. Left untreated, asymmetries can lead to over-use injuries.

The Thomas test also allows us to screen for mobility restrictions in the opposite hip. An inability to keep your opposite leg flat on the bed and in a straight line can also point towards hip stiffness. These types of restrictions can often be due to soft tissue tightness and will be a part of the discussion in next weeks lecture.

Next week we will learn how to decipher between soft tissue issues and joint mobility issues of our hips. In addition, we will talk about a few ways to improve hip mobility with the goal of improving our squats.

Always assess movement first. If you found a problem in your single or double leg squat, we can then use different tools (like the Thomas test) to find out the cause of the breakdown the movement.

Until next time,

Dr. Aaron Horschig

With

Dr. Kevin Sonthana

References

1) Harvey D. Assessment of the flexibility of elite athletes using the modified Thomas test. Br J Sports Med 1998 32: 68-70.

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247 thoughts on “How to Screen Hip Mobility”

  2. Limited range-of-motion at the hips can indeed limit our ability to squat to full depth, as mentioned in the article. It’s interesting how this can also affect knee stability and lower back health. For students trying to optimize their physical performance, understanding these mobility issues is key. Check out the Final Grade Calculator at Final Grade Calculator to plan your academic goals effectively.

  4. Limited range-of-motion at the hips can indeed limit our ability to squat to full depth, and it’s interesting how this can lead to issues like knees bowing inward or lower back collapsing. Working on hip mobility seems essential for overall movement health, and maybe incorporating some playful self-talk could make the process more enjoyable. Check out https://daily-affirmations.app/funny-daily-affirmations/ for some light-hearted affirmations to boost your mood.

  6. Ah, the glorious dance of hip mobility! I mean, who doesn’t love discovering they’re a stiff, immobile pretzel? 😂 If you’re into assessing your flexibility without turning into a yoga instructor, you might find some insights here: Unikoo Glass & Hardware.

  7. Great breakdown of hip mobility screening — the movement assessments are really practical. I’ve been recording my own mobility sessions and using AI to create more detailed video guides. video-extend.com is awesome for extending and enhancing workout video clips with AI, making it easier to create comprehensive movement tutorials. Really helpful for coaches and athletes who want to share their mobility work visually!

  8. Great breakdown of hip mobility screening — the movement assessments are really practical. I’ve been recording my own mobility sessions and using AI to create more detailed video guides. video-extend.com is awesome for extending and enhancing workout video clips with AI, making it easier to create comprehensive movement tutorials. Really helpful for coaches and athletes who want to share their mobility work visually!

  9. After reading this, I finally understand why my squats always feel so restricted — turns out my hips have been the culprit this whole time, not my legs!

  10. This was such a thorough and helpful breakdown of hip mobility screening! It’s really eye-opening how much impact these seemingly simple movements have on complex lifts like squats. I appreciate you detailing the Thomas test so clearly for anyone who wants to assess their own range of motion at home.

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  12. Freemake Video Converter Gratis 2026 no es simplemente otro programa de conversión de videos; es una solución integral, potente y sorprendentemente fácil de manejar. Compatible con más de 500 formatos de audio y video como MP4, AVI, MKV, MP3 o DVD, permite convertir archivos sin límites, sin marcas de agua y sin períodos de prueba ocultos.

  13. Stiff hips got me squatting like a T-Rex! This screen is clutch. Created Gemini AI images of perfect hip ROM for practice, cleared the watermarks with free watermark remover – free and fast. Mobility unlocked! Who’s joining?

  14. This hip mobility screen is gold for squatters battling stiff hips! Clean your AI squat refs first – zap pesky Gemini watermarks free online with free watermark remover. Crystal-clear form to roast mobility fails. Deeper squats incoming?

  16. Great breakdown of the Thomas test! It’s fascinating how small asymmetries can signal bigger issues down the road. It reminds me that identifying the root cause is crucial, whether in physical therapy or business. For tricky situations like appealing a suspended account, having a precise diagnosis from https://www.unbanai.org/ can really save the day.

  19. I noticed the Thomas test mainly focuses on hip flexors and quads, but what about the role of glute tightness in hip mobility? It’s been a big factor in my squat depth issues. Also, ever tried combining it with foam rolling for better results? I’ve been using square face icon generator for some quick visual guides on mobility drills.

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  29. Great article! I’ve been feeling stiff lately, so these hip mobility tips are super helpful. Speaking of fun, have you ever tried that anime guessing game? It’s called R34dle. It’s a blast and keeps your mind sharp, just like these exercises!

  30. This post is a great reminder to take care of my hips! I’ve been feeling pretty stiff lately. Speaking of things I enjoy, have you guys ever tried the R34dle game? It’s a fun way to relax after a workout and test your anime knowledge.

  31. The Thomas test explanation was really helpful here. It’s easy to assume a squat issue is just about strength, but seeing hip flexion and side-to-side differences laid out makes the problem much clearer. If someone is sharing form checks or before-and-after mobility photos, a simple visual editor like an image overlay tool could also help mark the differences more clearly. Nice breakdown.

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