Tight Hip Flexors seems to be today’s buzz word in gyms around the country. Yoga & pilates studios are busier than ever, filled with people just like you, trying to stretch their hip flexors to reduce pain … but with no lasting benefit.
And if you really don’t know what it means to have tight hip flexors, then you are wasting your time with the stretching you have been doing. Yes, stretching is good … it’s GREAT actually! But if you are not addressing all the muscles that are related to and that influence having tight hip flexors, then you will continue to suffer.
To really get to the root of stretching tight hip flexors and finally relieving yourself of the pain you are having, you will need to strengthen your core and your glutes as well. Your core muscles and your glutes are key muscle groups that can exacerbate tight hip flexor so if you are neglecting these muscles then you are still going to be “missing the mark.”
To truly stretch tight hip flexors and alleviate what is unnecessary pain in your life, all you need is a few new, simple stretches and exercise that will loosen your tight hip flexors once and for all!
How amazing would it be … how amazing would it feel, to have better mobility, less pain and less risk of injury just by simply including these simple stretches into your day?
What Are Tight Hip Flexors?
The hip flexors are an entire group of muscles in and around the hips that help to move your legs and trunk together. So when you lift your legs, or when you are bending over to pick something up, you are using your hip flexors.
Your Hip Flexors Include the following muscles:
Iliopsoas
Tensor Fasciae Latae
Rectus Femoris
Sartorius
Okay, so these are all really big words, however these all have a massive impact on your daily movements and ultimately your quality of life!
When these muscles are working together in a healthy way, they allow you to flex at your hip joint as well as stabilize your spine. And when any/ all of these muscles are tight … you end up living with pain that you shouldn’t have to!
Do I Have Tight Hip Flexors?
Obviously if your muscles just feel tight that is a clear indication that they are in fact, tight. So what do you do? You STRETCH them of course! And what is the result? Not a whole lot, or at least nothing that seems to have any real impact or lasting effect as far as improving things. Other signs that you have tight hip flexors can include any or all of these …
Tightness and aching in your lower back, particularly when standing
Poor posture; pain & difficulty standing up straight
Tightness and pain in your neck
Pain in your glutes
Do This Simple Test To See If You Have Tight Hip Flexors
Still not sure? Here is one simple test that can help you to determine if you have tight hip flexors …
Lying on your back on a table or bench, pull one knee up toward your chest and hold it there. Let the other leg relax downward over the edge of the table. It helps here to have someone hold that leg for you so you can do it slowly. If your hip flexors are fin you should be able to fully extend the thigh so it is parallel to the floor, and bend your knee to 90 degree without the thigh rising up.
Any difficulty with these movements indicates tight hip flexors!
This Is What Is Causing Your Tight Hip Flexors!
Honestly … sitting is the number one cause of tight hip flexors. Let’s be honest, we are a society that does more sitting now than ever before. Our jobs and much of our day can be spent sitting in front of a computer, in meetings and driving.
All this sitting is causing that iliopsoas muscle to shorten, creating very tight hip flexors with painful results. Add to this a weak core area and you really do have a recipe for disaster.
Even high calibre athletes suffer from tight hip flexors. Seriously! None of us are immune to having tight hip flexors however, there is something that we can do about it to correct this problem and live PAIN FREE and with GREATER MOBILITY and LESS RISK OF INJURY.
