Modern people must sit for a long time because of their living habits and daily work. Therefore, some vital muscle group training and stretching exercises will be neglected, especially the hip flexor muscles are most easily overlooked.
A hip flexor is a group of muscles in the pelvic region and upper thigh. It helps us raise our knees and keep the pelvis and legs aligned. If there is no hip flexor, we will not be able to sit or run. Therefore, the hip flexor is a talented muscle group that cannot be ignored by us. However, what is the benefit of stretching the hip flexor at the right time? After reading this article, you will know why you want to stretch and how important it is.
Hip Flexor Muscle: The most vital muscles in your body
• Psoas Main Muscle: psoas muscles are deep muscles that connect the spine and legs. It is the only muscle to do so. It passes through the pelvis in the waist that passes to the front of the waist attached to the top of your thigh bone, the femur.
• Iliac muscle: iliac is a flat triangular muscle that lies deep in the pelvis. It connects to the femur (femur) in the pelvis. Its essential action is to bend or rotate your thighs.
• Work femoral: This muscle is one of four quads and attaches the pelvis to the patella of the knee. Squares and femurs move around the rectus femoris.
• Sartorius Muscle: Sartorius Muscle is a muscle with long legs that penetrates from the pelvis to the knee through the thigh. It is the human body’s longest muscle and can bend your knees and legs.
What is hip stretching?
Hip stretching is involved in running, jumping, squatting, stepping, leaning, climbing, and the like. The hip connects the acetabulum of the femoral apex and pelvis, and the hip extension occurs on the sagittal plane, which straightens the forward-tilted (curved) hip.
The trick to understanding the hip extension is to pay attention to the angle of the spine and the femur (linear approximation), which constitutes the hip angle. In the anatomical position (upright position), the hip angle is a straight line or a180 degree angle.
The hip flexion reduces the hip angle, making the knee closer to the shoulder; the hip extension increases the hip angle, causing the knee to return to a 180-degree angle. If the angle is greater than 180 degrees, the action involved is called hyperextension because the hip extends beyond its anatomical position.
Why your hip flexors are key to your athletic performance?
According to athletes World, when your hip flexor muscles are not strong enough, it may result in slower performance during exercise. At the annual meeting of American colleges and universities, the American College of Sports Medicine presented a recent review of relaxing hip flexors to help prevent sports injuries and speed up movement.
Also, Gregory Holtzman, an associate professor of physical therapy at the University of Washington, said: “Our body can compensate for the weakness of the hip flexor muscles, but if it continues for a long time, it may cause an imbalance between the hip and hip muscles. Make up for sports injuries.” Therefore, it is recommended to perform 3 to 4 hip flexor training sessions per week.
What are the causes and effects of a shortened or strained hip flexor?
When you consider how much time we spend sitting in our everyday lives, it should come as no surprise that in many people, among other things, the muscles of the front hip are shortened. Over time, the hip flexor gets used to the shortening, and the condition is perceived as a new reasonable condition.
If the hip flexor is shortened, it merely pulls the upper body forward. In most cases, the abdominal muscles are weakened as well, which has the effect of tilting the pelvis forward. The body tries to straighten up the upper body. But as the shortened hip flexor works against it, the lumbar spine gives way.
The lumbar spine, however, is not suitable for such movements, which may cause pain in the lower back area. Running may have a shortened hip flexor in a sitting posture.
Introducing The Most Powerful Muscle Of Your Body: The Psoas Muscles
Psoas, also called lumbar muscle, is one of the most hidden muscles in our body. The muscle originates from the right and left in the lower part of the spine and runs through the lower abdomen as well as the pelvis and ends at the upper end of the thighbone. Thus, this muscle is the only connection between our spine and legs. From a functional point of view, this muscle is our most crucial hip flexor muscle.
In this particular situation, our psoas ensures an upright posture, for the balance of our skeleton and the mobility of the joints. Also, this muscle has an effect on blood circulation, organ function, and diaphragmatic breathing.
A normal, healthy psoas acts as a kind of tightrope between the lower and upper body so that it can respond to any movement of the spine. He serves as stabilization for our spine. With the help of the trunk, the vital organs are kept in the lower abdomen.
In our hectic and fast-paced everyday life – the constant and stress-related release of adrenaline – we often unconsciously and persistently stretch the psoas muscle. Over a more extended period, this can cause a chronic triggering of the psoas muscle. In this state, our body is always in “racing or fighting mode.” The power of the psoas muscle in this sense is intended to take action, which we seldom properly exploit in our modern lifestyle.
By constantly tensing, the psoas muscle can cause a large number of different painful symptoms. For example, Back pain, disc problems, sciatica, scoliosis, hip degeneration, knee pain, and digestive problems.
The surrounding organs are also affected by muscle tensing: organs are contracted, nerves are put under pressure, overall mobility, as well as diaphragmatic breathing, can be restricted.
Under continuous tension of the psoas muscle, the body has continuously transmitted the signals of danger, which can someday also lead to a depletion of the immune system and the adrenal glands. The condition described is often reinforced by too tight clothing, a lot of sitting, wrong shoes, lack of exercise, and so on.
To counteract these unnecessary tensions, it helps to reduce stress hormones and to provide relaxation, relaxation, and stretching of the psoas muscle. Because when our psoas muscle is free and functional, our energies in the body can flow better and easier.
Static stretching or dynamic stretching
Stretching gets the body going. It stimulates the lymphatic system, which allows waste to be transported out of the body faster, promotes blood circulation, and increases metabolic activity.
Stretching provides the skin and muscles with more nutrients and oxygen. This stimulates collagen production and tightens the skin. Stretching also provides better posture, reduces muscle spasms, and increases fat burning.
In principle, stretching can be done before and after training. Depending on which type of stretching is performed, it may be more useful before or after exercise.
Different types of strain at different times
2 types of stretching can be distinguished. Static and dynamic stretching.
Static stretching is the known stretching of the musculature where certain body positions are held for a more extended period. During dynamic stretching, movements are performed during stretching to warm the muscles and connective tissue.
Static stretching increases the flexibility of the muscles and connective tissue. Dynamic stretching is a great way to prepare your muscles for more significant physical effort and reduce the risk of injury. Both types of stretching are essential but should be done at different times.
First, warm up, then stretching
Both types of strain should always be performed after a warm-up. The warm-up increases blood circulation in the muscles, allowing the muscles and tissue to move, shape, and stretch better.
Dynamic stretching before training
Dynamic stretching prepares the muscles for strenuous activity and should be done before exercise. It activates the body, increases the mobility and flexibility of the joints. It also reduces the risk of injury and helps to improve performance during exercise. The dynamic stretching increases the core temperature of the muscles and can be performed as an extension during warm-up.
During dynamic stretching, the muscle is moved during stretching. The muscle can be moved in its full range of motion or with small back and forth movements.
Static stretching after exercise
Static stretching helps the body to relax and calm down, making it a great fit after training. During static stretching, the core temperature of the muscles tends to drop, causing the muscle to cool. The goal of a static stretch is to increase tissue mobility, muscle, and joint.
This should be done per position for about 30-60 seconds to increase flexibility in the tissue. Static stretching also reduces the strength of the muscle, reducing performance during subsequent training.
The different types of stretching can be used to promote the activity and mobility of the muscle. Depending on when they are performed, they can activate or relax the body.
10 Hip flexor stretches and exercises for healthy hips
Here are the four basic stretches for healthy hips:
Squat
Action: lie on your side, bend your feet, open the upper foot like a clamshell, hold it for 2 to 3 seconds, then slowly close it, don’t twist your body, do it 10 to 15 times per time, do 2 to 3 every day.
Effect: This enhances the strength of the abductor’s muscles and increases hip stability.
Hip flexor extension
Action: In a half-bow position, bend the foot to be stretched backward, turn the other foot 90 degrees to the front and step on it, and straighten the body. Then move the rear foot slowly away from the body. Flatten the ground, feel the tightness of the front of the hip, stop for 10 seconds, then return to the initial position, each time 10 to 15 times, 1 to 2 times a day.
Effect: The muscles near the hip joint are too tight or unbalanced, and it is easy to change the position of the pelvis, which in turn induces pain. The hip flexor muscle is the more common tightening muscle, which can be used to avoid hip discomfort.
Hip abduction
Action: In the side-lying position, bend the knees close to the ground to increase the stability; lift the upper feet while the pelvis, upper body, and lower limbs are maintained as a line, then put down, each time can do 20 times, do 2 to 3 times a day.
Effect: The hip abductor muscle is an important muscle that maintains pelvic stability while walking. This training can improve the balance of the pelvis.
Bridge
Action: Lie flat on the ground, bend your knees to maintain a comfortable angle, step on the field with your feet, and place your hands on both sides, then lift your hips and keep your body in line with your thighs for at least 5 seconds. Then return to the flat position, do 10 to 15 times per time, and do 1 to 2 times a day.
Effect: It can increase the muscle strength of the gluteus maximus and improve the stability of the pelvis. Also, you can place your feet on the ground away from the body, or you can straddle one foot on the other. Using a single-legged approach is a way to increase your training intensity.
Here are some yoga moves for healthy hips
Table-style yoga is also a beautiful leg-lifting action. The goddess is a longitudinal exercise and a table-style horizontal stretch, but the final effect is to make your hips more upright and the thighs more compact. During practice, we enter from the sitting position, push the ground with both hands. lift the buttocks up from the ground, the body is square, then lift the left foot to the left side of the waist. the left-hand palm supports the ground, and the left-hand arm presses the inside of the left leg knee joint. The left leg is pushed as close as possible to the left side of the waist, and finally, the left leg is kept straight, the right calf is perpendicular to the ankle, and the sole is compacted.
Standing one-legged head-on yoga
Standing one-legged head-on yoga, this action is more complicated, not only requires the body to have a certain degree of softness, but also requires a high degree of control over the balance. When practicing, stand up from the mountain style, stand straight and close your legs, straighten your back, then slowly raise your left foot, grab your left ankle with both hands and pull it to the torso.
Use your hands to pull the left thigh up and back. Stretch until the back of the left calf touches the end of the left shoulder, and finally lifts the neck and head, and the left ankle is straight. The one-legged practice not only exercises our leg muscles but also reduces the accumulation of fat on the buttocks and enhances our hip line.
Goddess style
Goddess style, as a kneeling movement, has a significant role in the upright buttocks, cannot consume the buttocks and fat, but also enhance the hip curve so that your hip type is more upright. Standing on the level ground during practice, the two feet move to the sides of the body, the distance is greater than the shoulder width.
The body is standing in the mountain, then the knees are bent, the hips are squatting down, the feet are not fixed. The heels are lifted, the knees are outward open. And finally, the left and right thighs are in a straight line. The upper body is straight, the arms are stretched straight up, and the two hands are placed on the top of the head.
Yoga V-shaped variant
Yoga V-shaped variant, this action can also exercise the waist and abdomen muscles, back muscles, and spine through twisting. And at the same time, through the twisting and stretching of the legs, the hip muscles can be effectively exercised. The fat accumulated on the buttocks can be eliminated, and the buttocks can be tightened. Practice from the sitting position, grasp the ankle with both hands, then lift the legs and straighten.
The right leg is about 45 degrees with the ground, and the left leg is as close as possible to the left waist, 90 degrees to the ground. The right hand is wound to the back of the head. The end of the left shoulder is against the knee of the left leg. The feet are straight, the toes are facing the sky, the legs are V-shaped, and the body and the head are twisted to the right.
One-Legged Down Dog
One-Legged Down Dog, enter during practice from downward dog. When you practice, separate the legs, keep the same width as the buttocks, keep the heel off the ground, and lift the buttocks to the best. Bend the right knee until the knee points to the right arm. And finally, straighten the instep. The one-legged dog-type exercise not only strengthens the abdominal muscles, enhances the strength of the body, but also effectively exercises the muscles of the buttocks, eliminates excess fat in the buttocks and waist, and is very beneficial to lift the hip line.
Wheeled yoga
Wheeled yoga, as a versatile body, wheeled exercises cannot only slim the waist, slender legs, but more importantly, eliminate excess fat on the buttocks and shape the firm, upturned buttocks. When you practice, sit on your back, bend your knees, and hold your palms at the same time. Then apply your hands and legs downwards, lift your hips, abdomen, and chest upwards, keep your back arched, and finally, your head recuses. Your limbs can absorb your body weight.
Benefit of hip flexor massage
Massage the psoas muscle to alleviate lower back pain. This muscle is located in the lower back and hip area, and sitting for long periods of time can cause it to become tight and sore. Find a comfortable position to massage the psoas muscle. You can either sit in a chair or lie down on a firm surface on your back.
Once you are in a comfortable position, you will need to locate the muscle. The psoas muscle is found on the lower back’s front side. Place your hand on your hip and feel for the muscle that runs from your hip to your lower spine to find it. You can begin massaging the muscle once you’ve located it. You can massage the muscle with your fingers or a tennis ball.
How to foam roll your hip flexors
If you are having joint pain or discomfort, it is important that you use hip flexor massage to relax your body. By using a special foam roller, you will be able to add a deep hip flexor massage to your routine body weight and joint pressure relief. You don’t even have to roll them yourself; you can find professional rollers at your local fitness store or gym. The benefit of hip flexor messages is that they can also help to relieve pain in other areas of your body that are not related to the hip joints.
The most common way that your hips will be injured is through overuse. If you sit in an office chair all day long, or if you are constantly driving, lifting heavy objects, or doing a lot of repetitive motion in front of a computer, then you could develop stress on the hip flexors. If you have ever tried to sit down for long periods of time and felt like you have no control of your hips, then this is one of the major reasons why you are having difficulty sitting or standing properly. The most common way that people treat this type of problem is by using a sit-to-stand hip flexor machine that allows them to sit and stand with the help of a wand to perform a specific series of motion. When using this type of machine, your muscles are forced to lengthen and then shorten while your hips remain relaxed.
A hip flexor massager is one of the best ways to reduce or prevent the discomfort that comes with overuse. Most people are uncomfortable when they are experiencing a certain level of discomfort for an extended period of time. It can also lead to pain in other areas of the body. Using your foam roller and massaging your hips daily can help to relieve pain and inflammation. You can add to your overall health by performing a hip-flexor massage to your daily routine. The benefits of hip flexor massage include the fact that they can also help to relieve neck, back, and shoulder pain, which often occurs when you have joint pain or arthritis.
Foam roller exercises to release hip pain
The back and knee pains can make you suffer from the hip. Consistent sitting causes the hip bending to shorten and limit your body’s movements. Regular massages and stretching make these muscles more flexible and decrease the risk of ache and injury.
Using a foam roller, you can add a profound hip flexor massage techniques to your body weight pressure, enhance the flexibility of your hip flexors and extender muscles — glutes, thighs, femoris biceps, iliopsoas, femoris rectus and sartorius. You only need rollers of foam.
- Place the foam roller below your hip area and lower your body. So on the right side of a hip-flexor, the front part on hips and thighs is the top of the foam roller. Your hip flexors are so targeted one side at a time outside the pelvic area that they provide the optimum massage and stretching. Roll your hip flexors over the roller for 30 to 60 seconds slowly. Use the left side to repeat.
- Lie on the right side and the foam roller position under the hip. Use the right arm to support the upper body. Slowly roll your hips from mid-thigh to just below the waist over the outer foam roller. Roll 30 to 60 seconds on the right side and repeat on the left side.
- Lie on the floor. Place the foam roller just below the waist under the back of the pelvis. Bring your right knee slowly to your chest and straight out your left leg. Grip your right knee for support with your hands. Try to touch your left foot’s heel to the ground. Hold for five to ten seconds this stretch. Bend your left knee slowly and hit the right one with your left leg. Extend straight out the right leg and hold the stretch for 5 to 10 seconds. It’s a repetition. Do 4 to 8 repetitions.
- Sit with the foam roller on the floor. Just under the thighs. Put your arms on the upper body. Roll your thighs slowly down – your legs – over the foam roller for 30 to 60 seconds. Roll, just over the end of the knee.
Sports massage: ideal for back pain and hip flexor massage
The psoas muscle is a flat, large muscle in the lower abdomen. It is connected to the lower spine and upper thighbone. The psoas muscle is in charge of hip flexion. We use it when we sit, stand, or walk. The psoas muscle can become tight or weak as a result of prolonged sitting, pregnancy, or other conditions. This can result in lower back, hip, and leg pain. A tense psoas muscle can also result in poor posture.
A sports massage can aid in the treatment of psoas muscle tightness or weakness. Massage can help to improve blood flow and muscle flexibility.
It can also help to alleviate pain and tension in the lower back, hips, and shoulders.
In scientific studies, especially in combination with workout exercises, a positive effect of the sports massage has been proven for the treatment of chronic back pain or hip. Often a massage alone can’t solve the problem, as patients quickly return to their usual bad postures without special training. On the other hand, physiotherapeutic exercises train the muscles that the massage has loosened and perfused better, thus achieving a long-term effect.
For specific tissue structures, different manipulations like strokes, rubbing, kneading, rolling or circles are used in the classic massage. Additionally, there are special massages such as deep muscle massage, meridian massage or segment massage that also reach and influence deeper tissue structures in addition to the direct local action.
Only trained medically trained therapists
It is not enough in case of annoying chronic back pain or hip pain so far, especially easy to knead especially tense areas of the back muscles and hope for the soothing effect. Exercise training (such as physiotherapy or special back exercises, as well as backstroke) is one of them – a combination that only the “healing hands” of a trained medical masseur or physical therapist can offer, and a dose of self-initiative is also part of getting rid of the chronic low back pain.
What are the most common hip flexor injuries and how to treat them
The hip flexor is the pelvic region and A group of muscles in the upper thigh that helps to raise the knee and keep the pelvis and thigh aligned. This helps prevent knee problems. It is not only athletes or runners who need a healthy and robust hip. Muscles, without healthy and strong iliopsoas, it is impossible to kick, run, sprint, or even sit. So we have to know more about the cause of the injury and how to deal with it!
Why is the hip flexor injured?
The buttocks are often referred to as ball and socket joints because the spherical top of the thigh bone moves within the cup-shaped space in the pelvis. When your hip muscles are fairly stable and healthy, it must be caused by considerable external force when you hurt it. This is why the common hip flexor injuries are engaged in martial arts, football, hockey and running, and related athletes.
Of course, certain factors can cause hip flexor injuries, such as muscle atrophy, lack of warm-up before exercise, muscle stiffness, overtraining, trauma, or falls, which can cause damage. Common hip injuries include bursitis, dislocation, and fracture.
Of course, in some diseases, it can cause hip harm or problems. For example, osteoarthritis can cause pain and exercise limitation. Hip osteoporosis can cause bones to break easily. These two conditions are often seen in the elderly. How to deal with hip flexor injuries
If you have a hip flexor strain, you will first feel a slight pain, sputum, or severe pain in the front area where the thigh and hip meet. Then you will walk and walk. If you delay the bruises and swelling of the injured area, it will become more visible.
You may need crutches or supports to slow the pressure between the muscles. If you are unfortunate enough to have the above symptoms due to exercise, please follow the steps below within a few days or weeks after the injury and see a doctor for treatment.
1. Take a break now.
2. Stop any activity that causes pain.
3. Apply the injured area for 20 minutes every 3-4 hours and continue treatment for 2-3 days.
4. If pain or swelling occurs, it does not improve after two weeks of the recommended method. Please consult your physiotherapist or specialist.
How to prevent hip flexor muscles from damage?
Keep the following tips in mind to avoid hip muscles from injury. You’re never going to get your hip flexor damage if you follow these following tips.
• Even in practice, always warm up before exercising or doing physical activity.
• Make sure after the activity you’ve cooled down. Stretch each muscle group slowly and continue to stretch for some seconds.
• Regular exercise can keep your muscles healthy. Exercises to help increase and strengthen the hip flexor include dove posture, bridges, moon holes, sitting butterfly stretch, straight leg lift, and cuff. Do not press too hard. These should not be harmful.
• Strengthen both the buttocks and the core muscles. These muscles collaboratively to provide balance and stability and help with activities related to daily life as well as exercise and sports. Pay equal attention to everyone as a set of these muscles can cause injury or pain to other muscles when they are weak or rigid.
• Before returning to regular exercise or outdoor, make sure that the damage is fully healed. So the muscles have recovered to the same power and flexibility as the ones they had before the injury (or more). If you do not have enough time to heal, you can sustain yourself again, which can reinvigorate you.
CONCLUSION
You need to know that hip flexor is one of the essential stabilizers in the lower body, so when your hip flexor muscles are not enough, your body will start to stabilize it by other means. Poor body posture, which in turn affects the problem of spinal deformity and high and low shoulders. In the end, it may even affect the issues of standing and walking difficult for a long time. Therefore, to avoid these serious problems, in addition to strengthening the hip joint flexion In addition to muscle training, stretch and relax it at the right time.
