One of the most common roadblocks to proper movement and just feeling well in general is tight hip flexors. The group of muscles that vertically connect your upper leg to your hips typically remain shortened and tight because we are in the sitting position so much! Prolonged sitting, whether it be at a desk, in the car, at school, on the couch, or in meetings all day forces the muscles of the hips to flex and when you stand, their tightness causes a tipping forward of the pelvic hip bone. We call this an anterior pelvic tit and it’s characterized by a sway back and often low back or knee pain.
Why don’t I want tight hip flexors?
Tight hip flexors send a message to the brain to inhibit or turn off the glute (butt) muscles. If you remember from our other Tuesday / Tip a few weeks ago, glute muscles that aren’t firing properly are no good! Enter: weakness, low back pain, knee issues, instability, and on and on.
For this reason, if you took a peek into the gym any given Semi-Private session, you’ll see our members beginning their session with 10 minutes or so of RAMP: Range of motion, Activation, Movement Prep – it’s the perfect way to prepare the muscles for good movement and part of the protocol almost always involves a hip flexor stretch.
How do I stretch my hip flexors?
Kneel on the floor with one leg in front of the other, knees bent 90 degrees. Feel free to gently hold onto the wall or other support for better balance. Keeping the front knee over the ankle with torso upright, squeeze the cheek (glute) of your back leg, simultaneously drawing belly button toward your spine to tip your pelvis slightly back. You should feel the front of the hip stretch…hold this cheek squeeze, pelvic tilt, and hip flexor stretch for at least 30 seconds and then switch sides.
Here’s how NOT to best stretch your hip flexors.
Tip: Don’t lean into it.
Here’s how to best stretch your hip flexors.
Tip: Stay upright and squeeze your glute and tummy.
Congrats, you are now successfully undoing the darn sitting position and a step closer to feeling and moving better. (This is an awesome exercise to do after a long car ride or day at your desk!)
*Stay tuned for our Tuesday / Tip next week where we’ll show you the 3 positions of this exercise for a superbly-thorough stretch.
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OUR MEMBERS ROCK!
Where do we begin? Leslie is practically as much a part of Valeo as we are as owners. She’s been with us since that first year and has put in countless reps in the gym all along providing us with valuable insight, encouragement, fun conversations, and reasons to keep coming up with new challenges. What started out as a pursuit to be fit for everyday tasks has turned into a series of amazing worldwide adventure trips that completely reflect her passion to soak in life to the fullest. She’s amazing! To say it’s an honor to be her fitness guide would be an understatement. Thanks for showing what the application of FUNctional fitness is all about, Leslie – your dedication and hard work mean the world to us.
“Your child will follow your example, not your advice.”
Charity is a mama leading by example. Her sidekick Andrew watches her each session and we love the healthy foundation Charity is building for her family!