Modern people must sit long 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, which are most easily overlooked.
A hip flexor is a group of pelvic and upper thigh muscles. It helps us raise our knees and keep the pelvis and legs aligned. If there is no hip flexor, we cannot sit or run. Therefore, the hip flexor is a talented muscle group that we cannot ignore. 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 its importance.
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 to the front of the waist, attached to the top of your thigh bone, the femur.
• Iliac muscle: The iliac is a flat triangular muscle 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 knee’s patella. Squares and femurs move around the rectus femoris.
• Sartorius Muscle: The Sartorius Muscle has long legs that penetrate 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 involves running, jumping, squatting, stepping, leaning, climbing, etc. The hip connects the acetabulum of the femoral apex and pelvis, and the hip extension occurs on the sagittal plane, straightening 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 180-degree angle.
Hip flexion reduces the hip angle, bringing the knee closer to the shoulder; hip extension increases the hip angle, causing the knee to return to a 180-degree angle. If the angle is more significant than 180 degrees, the action involved is hyperextension because the hip extends beyond its anatomical position.
Why are your hip flexors 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?
Considering how much time we spend sitting in our everyday lives, it should be no surprise that many people, among other things, have shortened front hip muscles. 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 also weakened, tilting the pelvis forward. The body tries to straighten up the upper body, but the shortened hip flexor works against it, giving way to the lumbar spine.
However, the lumbar spine is unsuitable for such movements, which may cause pain in the lower back. Running may cause a shortened hip flexor in a sitting posture.
Introducing The Most Powerful Muscle Of Your Body: The Psoas Muscles
The psoas, also called the lumbar muscle, is one of the most hidden muscles in our body. It originates from the right and left in the lower part of the spine, runs through the lower abdomen and 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, it is our most crucial hip flexor muscle.
In this particular situation, our psoas ensure an upright posture, which is necessary for the balance of our skeleton and the mobility of the joints. This muscle also affects blood circulation, organ function, and diaphragmatic breathing.
A normal, healthy psoas is a tightrope between the lower and upper body, responding to any spine movement. It stabilizes the 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.” In this sense, the power of the psoas muscle is intended to take action, which we seldom properly exploit in our modern lifestyle.
By constantly tensing, the psoas muscle can cause many painful symptoms, such as Back pain, disc problems, sciatica, scoliosis, hip degeneration, knee pain, and digestive issues.
Muscle tensing also affects the surrounding organs: organs contract, nerves are put under pressure, and overall mobility and diaphragmatic breathing can be restricted.
Under continuous tension of the psoas muscle, the body continuously transmits signals of danger, which can eventually lead to a depletion of the immune system and the adrenal glands. The condition described is often reinforced by clothing that is too tight, a lot of sitting, wrong shoes, lack of exercise, etc.
It helps to reduce stress hormones and relax and stretch the psoas muscle to counteract these unnecessary tensions. When the psoas muscle is free and functional, our energies in the body can flow better and more manageable.
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 improves posture, reduces muscle spasms, and increases fat burning.
In principle, stretching can be done before and after training. It may be more beneficial before or after exercise, depending on which stretching is performed.
Different types of strain at different times
Two types of stretching can be distinguished—static and dynamic stretching.
Static stretching is a known musculature stretching in which certain body positions are held for longer periods. During dynamic stretching, movements are performed 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, 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 and increases the mobility and flexibility of the joints. It also reduces the risk of injury and helps to improve performance during exercise. 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. The muscle can be moved in full motion or with small back-and-forth movements.
Static stretching after exercise
Static stretching helps the body relax and calm down, making it a great exercise after training. During static stretching, the core temperature of the muscles tends to drop, causing the muscles to cool. A static stretch aims to increase tissue mobility, muscle strength, and joint flexibility.
This should be done per position for 30-60 seconds to increase the tissue’s flexibility. Static stretching also reduces muscle strength, reducing performance during subsequent training.
Different types of stretching can promote muscle activity and mobility. 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, 2 to 3 times daily.
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 backwards, turn the other foot 90 degrees to the front step, 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 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 essential for maintaining pelvic stability while walking. This training can improve pelvic balance.
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 daily.
Effect: It can increase the gluteus maximus muscle strength and improve the pelvis’s stability. You can also place your feet on the ground away from the body or straddle one foot on the other. Using a single-legged approach can 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 and push the ground with both hands. Lift the buttocks from the ground so 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 is more complicated. It requires the body to be a certain degree soft and to have a high degree of control over balance. When practising, stand up from the mountain style, stand straight and close your legs, straighten your back, 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. Finally, lift the neck and head, and the left ankle is straight. The one-legged practice not only exercises our leg muscles but also reduces fat accumulation on the buttocks and enhances our hip line.
Goddess style
As a kneeling movement, the Goddess style has a significant role in upright buttocks. It can consume the buttocks and fat and enhance the hip curve so your hip type is more upright. Standing on level ground during practice, the two feet move to the sides of the body, the distance being more significant than the shoulder width.
The body is standing in the mountain. The knees are bent, the hips squat down, and the feet are not fixed. The heels are lifted, and the knees are outward open. 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 head.
Yoga V-shaped variant
Yoga V-shaped variant: Twisting can also exercise the waist, abdomen, back, and spine muscles. At the same time, twisting and stretching the legs effectively exercises the hip muscles. 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, lift the legs, and straighten.
The right leg is about 45 degrees to 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 face the sky, the legs are V-shaped, and the body and 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 and 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 lifting the hip line.
Wheeled yoga
Wheeled yoga, as a versatile body, wheeled exercises cannot only slim the waist and 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 simultaneously. 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.
The 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 can cause it to become tight and sore. Find a comfortable position to massage the psoas muscle. You can sit in a chair or lie on a firm surface on your back.
Once you are in a comfortable position, you must 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 from your hip to your lower spine to see it. Once you’ve located the muscle, you can begin massaging it. You can massage the muscles with your fingers or a tennis ball.
How to foam roll your hip flexors
If you have joint pain or discomfort, use a hip flexor massage to relax your body. An exceptional foam roller can add a deep hip flexor massage to your routine body weight and joint pressure relief. You don’t 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 relieve pain in other areas of your body unrelated 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, or if you are constantly driving, lifting heavy objects, or doing a lot of repetitive motion in front of a computer, you could develop stress on the hip flexors. If you have ever tried to sit down for long periods and felt like you have no control of your hips, this is one of the significant reasons you have difficulty sitting or standing correctly. The most common way 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 motions. When using this machine, your muscles must 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 experiencing a certain level of discomfort for an extended period. 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 that it can also help relieve neck, back, and shoulder pain, often 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 profound hip flexor massage techniques to your body weight pressure and enhance the flexibility of your hip flexors and extender muscles—glutes, thighs, femoris biceps, iliopsoas, femoris rectus, and sartorius. You only need foam rollers.
- Place the foam roller below your hip area and lower your body. So, on the right side of a hip flexor, the front part of the hips and thighs is the top of the foam roller. Your hip flexors are targeted one side at a time outside the pelvic area so 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.
- 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 your 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 and is in charge of hip flexion. We use it when we sit, stand, or walk. The psoas muscle can become tight or weak due to 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 help treat psoas muscle tightness or weakness, improve blood flow, and increase muscle flexibility.
It can also help to alleviate pain and tension in the lower back, hips, and shoulders.
Scientific studies, especially in combination with workout exercises, have proven that sports massage has a positive effect on the treatment of chronic back pain or hip pain. 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.
Classic massage uses different manipulations, such as strokes, rubbing, kneading, rolling, or circles, to reach and influence specific tissue structures. Additionally, special massages, such as deep muscle, meridian, or segment massage, reach and influence deeper tissue structures in addition to direct local action.
Only medically trained therapists
It is not enough in case of annoying chronic back pain or hip pain, especially since it is easy to knead agitated areas of the back muscles and hope for a 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 can they be treated?
The hip flexor is the pelvic region, a group of muscles in the upper thigh that helps raise the knee and keep the pelvis and thigh aligned, helping prevent knee problems. A healthy and robust hip is essential not only for athletes but also for runners. Without healthy and strong iliopsoas, muscles cannot 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 called 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 relatively 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, 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, some diseases can cause hip harm or problems. For example, osteoarthritis can cause pain and limitations in exercise. 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 slight, 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 can hip flexor muscles be protected from damage?
Keep the following tips in mind to avoid hip muscles from injury. You’ll never get your hip flexor damage if you follow these following tips.
• Even in practice, always warm up before exercising or physical activity.
• After the activity, make sure 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 the buttocks and core muscles. These muscles collaborate to provide balance and stability and help with activities related to daily life, exercise, and sports. Pay equal attention to everyone, as a weak or rigid set of these muscles can cause injury or pain to other muscles.
• Before returning to regular exercise or outdoors, ensure 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 the 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. Ultimately, it may even affect the issues of standing and walking, which may be difficult for a long time. Therefore, to avoid these serious problems, the hip joint flexion must be strengthened. In addition to muscle training, stretch and relax at the right time.
