Windshield Wipers

Flexopedia > Hip Internal Rotation, Hip External Rotation

Windshield Wipers

Muscle Group Strengthened: Hip Internal Rotation, Hip External Rotation

Type of Stretch: “Passive” Dynamic

* while this isn’t literally a passive stretch (because we need to move our hip muscles to move our legs), it’s not much of a strengthening drill so I’m considering it “passive” compared to the other drills in the Flexopedia

Difficulty: All Levels

Suggested Prerequisites: none

“Windshield wipers” are one of my go-to hip mobilizers as part of my warm up, or as a “reset” movement I do whenever I need to give my hips a break from more challenging stretches. This gentle movement allows our hips to work through a comfortable range of hip internal and external rotation. If you’re looking for a more active/strengthening hip rotation exercise, you can add a resistance band.

How To

Step 1

Start sitting on the floor, with knees bent, feet splayed wider than hip-width apart (feel free to experiment taking the feet wider, narrower, closer to your butt, father away from your butt…).

Step 2

Keeping both feet on the floor and both butt cheeks on the floor, flop your knees over to one side. Just let them fall as far as is comfortable, you don’t have to push it and they don’t have to touch the floor.

Then flop your knees over to the other side.

Continue “windshield wiper-ing” your knees side to side for 5-10 reps.

Modifications

Need to make it easier?

Lean back slightly.

Want to make it harder?

Add a resistance band to turn this into banded windshield wipers.

Related Content

• Flexopedia: Banded Windshield Wipers

• Flexopedia: Pendulum Leg Swings

• Blog Post: 6 Exercises for Hip Internal and External Rotation

• Blog Post: Gentle (Passive) Stretches for Internal Hip Rotation

• Blog Post: Strengthen While You Stretch: 6 Drills for Active Hip Internal Rotation