Mobility
Hip Airplane
The hip airplane is a single-leg exercise that rotates your pelvis over your standing hip. It trains balance and hip control while you explore your available range of motion.
- Intermediate
- Compound
- Low injury risk
- No rest timer
How to do it
- Stand on one leg with your fingertips resting on a stable support.
- Hinge forward at your standing hip with your free leg extended behind you in line with your torso.
- Rotate your pelvis inward so your free-side hip moves toward the floor.
- Rotate your pelvis outward so your free-side hip lifts toward the ceiling.
- Return your pelvis to a level position facing the floor.
- Rise to an upright position on your standing leg to finish the rep.
Form cues
- Keep a soft bend in your knee.
- Keep your heel and toes grounded.
- Let your chest follow your pelvis.
Common mistakes
- Standing knee collapsing inwardKeep your kneecap pointing toward your middle toes throughout the rotation.
- Arching your lower backKeep your ribs drawn toward your pelvis rather than lifting your free leg higher.
- Swinging through the rotationUse a range you can pause and reverse without momentum.
Safety
Losing balance can cause a fall. Forcing the rotation while your foot stays planted can strain your standing hip or knee.
- Practice on a firm, nonslip surface with clear space around you.
- End the set when fatigue makes your balance unreliable.
- Stop if you feel sharp pain or pinching in your hip or knee.
If you have persistent hip or knee pain, recent lower-limb surgery, or significant balance difficulties, ask a physiotherapist for an appropriate modification.
Muscles worked
Primary muscles
Secondary muscles
Equipment
No equipment needed.
Sets and reps
- Sets
- 1–2
- Target
- 4–6 reps per side
- Rest
- No rest timer
Start with small rotations; a larger range is useful only if you can control it.