How to Keep Hips Squared in Gymnastics

Keeping hips square is a common challenge for gymnasts. Square hips display proper form in many men's and women's gymnastics events and skills. A tendency to turn the hips to back foot occurs specifically when stepping out of a skill and when one leg is in front of the other. Squaring the hips aligns the upper body, stabilizes the gymnast and enables a gymnast to face the right direction.

  1. Squeezing the Thighs

    • Squeezing the thighs together helps you gain control of your movement and squares the hips. This is particularly helpful on the beam, which requires balance and coordination for the female gymnast. The squeezing technique is also useful in stepping out of many tumbling passes.

    Engaging Your Core and Upper Body

    • For landing out of aerial skills or maintaining balance on the beam, engaging the abdomen will help you find your center of gravity. Squaring your shoulders will also help to keep your hips squared because of the muscles connecting the two. In this technique, the hips are reminded to follow the upper body and not the trailing leg.

    Correcting Form

    • Shifting your hips in the opposite direction of the pull can help realign your body. The hips often turn toward the back leg and adjust to the most comfortable position between your legs. On the balance beam, keeping your eyes and your toes facing forward can be visual reminders to square your hips.

    Stretching

    • Stretching helps prevent injury when correcting hip form. Hip flexor exercises such as a deep lunge will extend the range of motion. Practicing splits -- taking turns leading with each leg -- will warm up your muscles and joints to practice squaring your hips without tightness.