Did you know that tight hip flexors are one of the most common complaints I hear?!
Tight hip flexors creates numerous muscle imbalances, increases risk of injury and can cause pain in your low back, knees, hips & hamstrings.
Plus if you spend a lot of time sitting throughout your day then this increases the likelihood of having even more significant issues and stress on your body as a whole.
For example: if you sit all day at desk you are tightening and shortening the hip flexor muscles which will cause your shoulders to round forward and effect your low back and posture.
The more time your hip flexors remain in this shortened position the less likely they will return to their optimal length. And when your hip joint is in a constantly flexed position it causes your pelvis to go into an anterior pelvic tilt which creates a lot of instability on that spine and throws your pelvis out of alignment.
So before we go farther what does a hip flexor do exactly?!?
Hip flexors help bring your knee up towards your stomach. Therefore if you sit a lot during the day you are in a constant flexed position or if you’re an avid runner then your psoas muscle is most likely shortened and overactive from that repetitive movement.
How do you know if your hip flexor is tight?
•you may tension or pain in your groin, low back, hips, knees or glutes.
•You feel a popping during certain hip movements
•You have pain running down your leg
•You have an anterior pelvic tilt
•Functional leg length difference/uneven hips
•Poor posture and over-arching of lumbar spine
•Ankle, knee, neck pain
Important: Tight hip flexors often mean they are WEAK!
And I hate to break it to you, but stretching won’t help a weak, under-active muscle! We need to activate, strengthen, gain mobility & improve our core stabilization.
Note: Stretching might help temporarily, but we want that long-term fix!! So make sure you your are sticking to a well-rounded program for long-term results.
Reminder: EVERYONE needs proper core stabilization and proper flexion of the hip flexors! Don’t wait until you are in pain to start!
Strengthening those hip flexors will help keep your pelvis aligned. If you have improper pelvis alignment and improper positioning of the hips it can lead to those knee, hip or ankle injuries.
When we STRENGTHEN our hip flexors it will help enhance speed, improve stride length when we run, enhance our posture & reverse the negative effects if you sit most of the day!
When we gain MOBILITY it helps us move through full range of motion. And we move better we feel better!
When we have core STABILITY we can properly transfer energy to lower and upper body!
Important!! If you made it this far then you get some bonus information!!!
Because our body is that interconnected chain, if we focus all our attention on our hip flexors then we will throw our body even more out of balance.
We cannot to forget to work our posterior chain and our deep core muscles!!
• Core & glute strength promote stability for overall body coordination & mobility for improved everyday living and athletic performance.
• A well-functioning core & strong glutes enhance pelvic alignment, ideal body posture & lower back support.
• Glute strength helps prevent the risk of knee, hip, ankle & back injuries AND is essential for pelvic floor health since your glute muscles attach to the back and side of your pelvis.
• A strong core & glutes help regulate your intra-abdominal pressure, which will aid core and pelvic floor function, as well as, help prevent Diastasis Recti, back pain, prolapse and hernias.
•Plus who doesn’t want a lifted & sculpted booty!?
It’s essential to follow an integrated training program to feel and move your best!!
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