The Solution to Tight Or Weak Hip Flexors!
With the rise of the desk job, the hip flexors have been more neglected than ever in today's world.
Sitting has started to become more and more of a problem and a common cause for knee & lower back problems.
Surprisingly, the most common injuries and problems can be related to issues with the hip flexors. Therefore, we have created this tutorial on how to work against weak & tight hip flexors!
Strength Exercises
One of the most obvious tools to work against weaknesses is specific strength training. For the best results, we recommend working with bodyweight exercises that encourage a full range of motion.
It has been proven, that big spans of movement work similar to dynamic stretching which is a win-win situation if you struggle with tight hip flexors.
Let's get started straight away with the best hip flexion exercises!
Straight Leg Swings
One of the best exercises to strengthen up your hip flexors while increasing your mobility is the straight leg swing. If you're not sure about the difference between mobility & flexibility you should read this article!
The best part about the exercise is, that you can adjust it's the angle, making it easy to work on all parts of your hip flexors.
When performing straight leg swings your knees shouldn't be bent, while you use your arms to support yourself. Another important point to note is, that the eccentric phase (lowering your leg down) should be slow & controlled.
If the exercise is too easy, you do have the option to use ankle weights or a resistance band to increase the difficulty.
There are three types of leg swings, that you should do:
- Forwards & Backwards
Doing leg swings forwards and backward is self-explanatory. Stand on one foot, while using one or both hands for additional stability. Note that you should try to swing your leg as high up as possible.
- Side to Side
When doing sideways leg swings you want to be facing a box at hip height to support your weight with your hands. Remember to keep your swinging leg straight, while the other leg can be slightly bent. We recommend doing about 5-10 swings on each side before taking a small break.
- At a 45 degree angle
One possibility, that people tend to forget is doing straight leg swings at a 45 angle. When doing that you are going to swing your leg diagonally, which will put emphasis on a different hip flexor muscle.
Knee Raises
Another excellent exercise that benefits your psoas is knee raises. The exercise is as simple as it sounds; you are going to stand on one leg with a straight back, while you try to lift your knee up as high as possible.
It is important to stand flat on the floor, while you can support yourself with your right/left hand if necessary.
The best aspect of this exercise is that you have the option to use an elastic band. By wrapping the band around the foot you stand on, you are going to additionally challenge your hip openers.
By doing around 5-10 controlled repetitions, you will improve the strength & mobility around your hip joints.
Plank With Kicks
The plank is a widely known & very common exercise amongst fitness enthusiasts. Even without adding the kicks it is going to be an excellent exercise to improve your posture & hip flexor stability.
But for drastically increased results, we recommend you to do the plank on one leg, while the other leg is going to be raised towards the ceiling.
Thus will increase the strength of your left or right hip flexor while the other side is going to work on stability at the same time. This is probably the aspect, that makes the exercise so efficient, as you work both on stability & strength at the same time.
Stretches
Lunge
One of the most efficient stretches for your hip flexors & psoas is the lunge. When doing a lunge you want to step your right foot in front while the knee is bent at an angle of 90 degrees or more. The left foot on the back is going to be further back, while the knee should touch the floor.
You can do the exercise as a standing hip flexor stretch if you do not want to put your knee down.
It is important to push your hips forward as much as possible while keeping a straight spine to increase the range of motion. Hold the stretch for at least 20-40 seconds before changing sides.
Watch the video below by setforset
Glute Bridge - Yoga
This is an excellent yoga hip flexor stretch, which strengthens & stretches multiple muscles at the same time. To do a glute bridge you want to have your feet flat on the ground, while your upper back and head are the only other body parts touching the floor.
By pushing your hips as far up towards the ceiling while maintaining a straight back you are going to stretch your hip flexors while working on your stabilizing muscles in your entire body.
It is best to have your arms flat & parallel to your body while pushing against the floor to increase the range of motion of the stretch.
If you want to learn more yoga poses without taking classes, you can browse through yogajournal, as they have a dedicated site to hip engaging poses.
Massage Your Hip Flexors
Although massage usually seems to be an expensive option for most people, you can get it for free if you learn how to do self-massage! Especially foam rollers & balls can be used to target those muscles while enhancing your blood flow. Another excellent aspect of hip flexor massage is that it helps you to identify the symptoms of tight hip flexors.
Especially if you have a lot of tight & stiff points around you hip flexors it means that you have either tight or weak hip flexors!
Watch the video below to find out more about massaging your hip flexors!
Final Words
If you feel like having tight hip flexors it is vital to do both strengthening & stretching. Often your hip flexors feel stiff while the actual problem is weakness, but it can be the other way around as well.
Please share this tutorial if it helped you & feel free to leave a comment below if you have any questions!
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