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You are here: Home / Health & Fitness Tips / Hip Flexor Stretch

Hip Flexor Stretch

7 Marby Amy6

The Hip Flexor Stretch is one stretch we should all do everyday.  Especially those who sit for long periods of time.

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3 minute stretch to feel better and sleep better | 52 Tips for Health and Fitness Success Tip #10

52 Tips for Health and Fitness Success Tip #10; Hip Flexor Stretch with A Healthy Life For Me.

For week ten of my 52 Tips for Health and Fitness Success Tip #10  where each week I write a post sharing health or fitness tip or tips that I find useful in my daily life; today I want to introduce you to a hip flexor stretch.

I know this is going to be shocking but my husband doesn’t listen to me.  He complains about lower back pain all the time and I tell him again and again he needs to stretch out his hips everyday.  He has went to the doctor and they have told him his spine is in good health, he has went to a chiropractor who told him to stretch, his trainer has told him to stretch and yes, his wife has told him to stretch.  His answer to us all is “I do”.   He doesn’t, stretching for five minutes a few days a week after your back is killing you is not stretching.  In order to stretch a muscle, you have to lengthen the muscle and this takes time and commitment.  The rewards are you move better, and you feel better.

Much of our lower back pain is caused from the muscles in the hip area.  It really doesn’t matter if you are athletic, sedentary or somewhere in between when it comes to tight hip flexor muscles and back pain.

The reason the hips can cause lower back pain is mostly because of the Psoas major muscle (iliopsoas) which is the deepest hip flexor muscle and it is attached to your femur on the inside of your upper leg and then wraps around the inside of your pelvis and attaches to your vertebrae of the lumbar spine in the lower back.

 Psoas Muscle Diagram | 52 Tips for Health and Fitness Success Tip #10

What happens is this muscle becomes tight and gets into a shortened state, known as ‘locked short’.  The shorten state can be caused by sitting for long periods of time (like bloggers working on their computer) or over exercising and not stretching properly, and almost everyone falls into one of these categories.  Doing this stretch will also allow you to get a more restful sleep because the hip will be open and release the tightness in your lower back while laying down, letting your body open up and complete relax without shifting in your sleep to relieve the tightness.  If you are a runner, having this muscle lengthen allows you better movement when picking up your leg to take a step, lengthening your stride.

So what does all that mean, we need to get up move around and stretch our hips and lengthen them everyday (yes, that means you my dear husband) EVERY DAY, before we feel uncomfortable and in pain.

How do we do it?  There are several ways, but the basic, easiest stretch is Hip Flexor Stretch.

Hip Flexor Stretch Diagram | 52 Tips for Health and Fitness Success Tip #10

 Kneeling, bring one leg forward, with your foot in front of your knee.

Slowly lean forward and push your pelvis down placing your hand on your leg for stability and lean forward shifting your body weight onto your front leg until you feel a stretch in the front of your hip.  Keep your back straight and abdominal muscles tight.  Hold for thirty seconds. Repeat sequence 3 times on each leg.

I promise if you do this daily or even on a regular basis BEFORE you are tight you will move better, sleep better and feel better.   It is only three minutes out of your day, you can do it.

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Under: Health & Fitness Tips 6 Comments

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Comments

  1. Amandah says

    March 7, 2014 at 6:35 am

    Thanks for the stretching exercises!

    I started doing yoga, again, and like how I feel after I’ve finished a session. Stretching does your body good.

    Reply
    • Amy Stafford says

      March 7, 2014 at 6:58 am

      Amandah,
      I am a big Hot Yoga Fan, and every time I go I feel soooo much better. You are so right, stretching does do the body good.
      Amy

      Reply
  2. Laura H says

    March 12, 2014 at 10:47 pm

    Thank you for this post. I am like your husband and I just need to do it.

    Reply
    • Amy Stafford says

      March 13, 2014 at 8:32 pm

      You will feel so much better Laura, that is all our motto “I just need to do it”!
      Amy

      Reply
  3. Edie KLK says

    June 18, 2015 at 3:43 pm

    For the past umpteen years, I’ve wakened about every four hours during the night w/ excruciating hip pain. It honestly feels like my hips are in a HUGE vice that is squeezing them together. I figured it was arthritis and I’d just have to live w/ it for the rest of my born days. However, I also just had a R total knee replacement and am in physical therapy for about six weeks. One of the therapists started working on my psoas major/iliopsoas muscles, then told me they were major hip flexor muscles. I’m a retired nurse and had totally forgotten about these muscles, but I came home afterward and started checking for sites online. Two days ago I found your site and immediately started doing the hip flexor stretch that day and yesterday and for the past two nights have slept straight through the night w/o that horrible hip pain. So simple and easy. I can also cut back on my pain medication now which is nice for my liver and kidneys. Thank you so much for posting this one. I plan on keeping on w/ this EVERY day and seeing if it will keep on keeping me pain-free during the night. What a relief to know!!! Thanks again; it’s probably changed my life for the better! 🙂

    Reply
    • Amy Stafford says

      June 21, 2015 at 7:46 pm

      Thank you SO much Edie for stopping by and letting me know! What a wonderful comment to read. I hope the stretch continues to help. Sometimes, if we just do the simplest things consistently our bodies are much happier places to live in. Best of luck in your recovery, and keep stretching!

      Reply

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Hi, I am Amy, food photographer, recipe developer, food lover, organic garden maven, fitness nut and lover of Airedales. Please stay a while and explore. More >>

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