TIGHT HIP FLEXORS?
The Hip Flexors are a group of muscles (made up of the Iliacus and Psoas) found deep at the front of the hip. They connect the lumbar vertebrae and the pelvis to the top of the upper leg bone (the femur). Their action is to flex the hip joint.
These muscles can often become tight and weak when we assume a seated position for long periods of time and for weeks/months/years on end (did someone say 'desk job' or even 'car job'?).
Tight hip flexors can lead to compromised movement, impaired lifting technique when doing weights and can even be associated with back pain. To offset your long periods in a seated position; get in the habit of stretching your hip flexors regularly to help avoid these issues.
This stretch below can be done either kneeling or standing. It might not look like much is being stretched in these photos but the key is in the positioning of the pelvis.
With one leg forward, aim to tip your pelvis backwards slightly to increase the stretch you feel deep at the front of the hip. It might help to imagine you have a long tail growing off your tailbone and to try and tuck that tail in between your legs and touch the tip of it to your nose.
Aim to slightly increase the intensity of the stretch with every exhale as you hold the stretch for 60sec each side.
As with any habit; it's what you do daily that will have the greatest effect on your health, not what you do just sometimes.
;)
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