By Devin Hare.
Assessing how tight your hip flexors are
A lot of our time is spent in a flexed position at the hip, for example sitting down at your desk, in your car or at school; even squats at the gym.
A tight hip flexor can be a cause of lower back pain, groin pain and hip pain directly or indirectly, especially in runners and cyclists.
It is no wonder then that releasing your hip flexors can feel both painful and oh soo good at the same time!
Sometimes we don’t ever really know just how tight they actually are until we stretch them.
Below is a video highlighting how you can assess it for yourself:
- Lying down, bottom at the edge of a supporting surface
- Bring one leg and hold it close to you
- Try not to arch the back and lower the opposite leg
- Keep the hip and knee at 90 degrees always
We can see the difference some stretching has done to my hip flexor in just 5 minutes. Assess how tight your hip flexors are with this exercise.
How can I release my hip flexors?
See how these exercises can help you to stretch out those hip flexors
- Kettlebell hold and relax on the bench (remember, like in the assessment try not to arch the back) or;
- Foam roller release along the muscle (1-2 minutes), working gently through tender and tight areas or;
- Gentle movement stretch – bending at the knee, moving the heel towards your bottom.
If you are unsure whether these exercises are appropriate for you, or suspect your hip flexors are causing pain in other areas of your body, get in touch with your local Lifecare team today.