Hips width alignment
How to get your feet into hips' width alignment.
When we start working with clients, one of the first things we teach is how to find true hip-width alignment. It’s something we ask for a lot in exercises, but many people get it wrong at first.
Most people assume hip-width means the width of the outer legs, or they stand with their feet turned out (what we sometimes call a duck-footed stance). But your actual hip joints are a bit narrower than that, and your feet should be straighter than you probably think.
Here’s the simple trick we teach to help find that alignment:
- Start with your feet all the way together
- Quarter turn your toes out
- Then quarter turn your heels out
This usually puts your feet about a fist to a fist-and-a-half apart. It might feel like your feet are unusually straight, maybe even slightly pigeon-toed, but that’s the position we’re looking for.
⚠️ Just remember: it’s not “heels first, then toes” or you’ll likely end up turned out again. Stick with the quarter turn each way, and you’ll land right where you need to be, without overthinking it.
At first, it might feel a little unfamiliar, but with practice, it becomes second nature. It’s a simple trick that makes a big difference.
Serving Colorado from our centrally located office in Westminster and seeing clients from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs, Denver and Boulder, we can also help globally via WebCam such as Zoom or FaceTime.
Anu Lawrence owned Egoscue Method clinics for over a decade before moving to private practice in 2022 and is a certified master instructor in the Egoscue Method, having learned the craft from Pete Egoscue directly.
