90/90 Hip Switch
What Is the 90/90 Hip Switch?
90/90 Hip Switch is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the hips and groin and also engages the glutes and the obliques. It is a beginner-level movement in which you sit on the floor leaning back on your hands with your knees bent and your feet wide, then rotate both legs from one side to the other so that each hip turns in and out on every rep.
The name comes from the position you pass through on each side. The front thigh points straight ahead with the knee bent to about 90 degrees, and the back thigh points out to the side with its knee also bent to about 90 degrees. That puts the front hip in external rotation and the back hip in internal rotation, and switching sides reverses both, so one set works both directions of rotation on both hips. Coaches use it as a warm-up drill before squats, lunges, running and field or court sports, and as a quick look at hip rotation, since a knee that will not lower toward the floor on one side points to a restriction there.
For most people the back leg is the hard part. Turning the thigh inward uses the tensor fasciae latae and the front fibers of the gluteus medius and minimus, while the front leg's glutes and deep hip rotators take the stretch and the thighs spread enough to give the inner thighs a milder pull. The sartorius and the other hip flexors lift the knees back through the center, and the obliques and abdominals hold the leaned-back trunk steady. Leaning on your hands takes weight off the hips and makes the switch easier, and sitting taller with less support on the hands, or lifting them off the floor altogether, makes the hips and trunk do more of the work.
The drill suits anyone whose hips feel stiff from sitting, lifters who want more comfortable hip rotation in the squat, and runners and field athletes who cut and turn. Because it is done slowly and without load, it also fits well into a daily mobility routine. If the seated switch is too much at first, start with Lying Windshield Wipers, which move the knees side to side while lying on your back, and once the hands-free version feels easy, the Shin Box Switch adds a rise to tall kneeling between sides.
Muscles Worked
- Sartorius
- Primary
- Tensor Fasciae Latae
- Primary
- Gluteus Maximus
- High
- Gluteus Medius
- High
- Gluteus Minimus
- High
- Adductor Longus
- Medium
- Adductor Magnus
- Medium
- External Oblique
- Medium
Instructions
- Sit on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat, set wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Place your hands on the floor behind your hips with your arms straight, and lean back slightly with your chest lifted.
- Keeping your heels in place, lower both knees to your right so the outside of your right leg and the inside of your left knee move toward the floor.
- Settle into the 90/90 position, with your right thigh pointing forward, your left thigh out to the side and both knees bent to about 90 degrees.
- Keep your chest facing forward and pause for a breath, letting the knees stop where your hips allow.
- Lift both knees back up through the center, moving from the hips rather than swinging your upper body.
- Lower both knees to your left into the opposite 90/90 position and pause again.
- Keep switching slowly from side to side for 8 to 10 switches to each side.
Common Mistakes
Twisting from the spine
Swinging the shoulders and ribs from side to side to throw the knees over moves the rotation into the lower back, so keep the chest facing forward and turn from the hips.
Slumping onto the hands
Sinking back onto the hands with a rounded lower back tips the pelvis back and takes the work out of the hips, so press the floor away and keep the chest lifted.
Forcing the knees down
Pushing the back knee toward the floor with a hand or with momentum twists the knee instead of the hip, so lower each knee only as far as it goes on its own.
Rushing the switch
Dropping the legs quickly from side to side lets momentum carry the hips past a range they can control, so lift and lower the knees slowly and pause briefly on each side.
Losing the 90-degree angles
Setting the feet too close together or too far apart changes the knee angles and turns the drill into a different stretch, so place the feet so both knees land bent to about 90 degrees.
Injuries
90/90 Hip Switch is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. It uses no load beyond body weight and you control the range at every point, but it takes both hips toward the end of their rotation. When a hip runs out of rotation the twist tends to move into the knee, which is built to rotate very little, or into the lower back. The knees, especially the back knee as it turns inward, and the front of the hip are the main strain points, with the wrists and shoulders taking a little load from leaning on the hands.
Move slowly and lower the knees only as far as the hips allow, letting them hover above the floor rather than pushing them down with your hands or with momentum. Keep the chest facing forward so the rotation comes from the hips, not the spine. If the switch feels cramped or pinches, set the feet a little wider, lean back further onto your hands or sit on a folded blanket to reduce the range.
To regress, work through Lying Windshield Wipers or switch through only part of the range. To progress, take weight off your hands until you can switch with your arms reaching forward, pause for a few breaths in each 90/90 position, or move on to the Shin Box Switch.
Stop if you feel sharp or twisting pain in either knee, a pinch in the front of the hip or groin that gets worse with each rep, or numbness or tingling down the leg. Anyone with hip impingement, a knee meniscus injury or knee arthritis should keep the range small and pain-free, and anyone who has had a hip or knee replacement should clear the movement with their surgeon or physical therapist before trying it.
- Primary Focus
- Hips & groin
- Equipment
- Body weight
- Modality
- Stretching
- Difficulty
- Beginner
Alternative Exercises
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: What is the difference between the 90/90 Hip Switch and the Shin Box Switch?
The 90/90 Hip Switch stays seated, usually leaning back on the hands, and only the legs move from side to side. In the Shin Box Switch you also rise up onto your knees to tall kneeling between sides, which adds a strong glute and balance demand.
- Q: Why is one side harder than the other?
Most people have less internal rotation than external rotation, and it often differs from one hip to the other, so the knee that turns inward on the tighter side stops higher off the floor. Work within the range you have and let that side improve over time rather than forcing it to match.
- Q: When should I do the 90/90 Hip Switch?
It works well as part of a warm-up before squats, lunges, running or sport, and as a short mobility routine on its own on any day. Aim for 8 to 10 slow switches to each side, done for one to three sets.
- Q: What if my knees do not reach the floor?
That is normal when the hips are stiff, so lower the knees only as far as they go without pain or pinching and let them hover. Leaning back further on your hands or sitting on a folded blanket makes the position easier while your range improves.
- Q: Can I do the 90/90 Hip Switch without using my hands?
Yes, once you can switch slowly with a tall chest while leaning on your hands. Lifting the hands off the floor, with the arms crossed or reaching forward, makes the hips and trunk hold you up and is noticeably harder, so reduce the range at first if you tip back.