FIXX Hip Flexor Tightness
FIXX Hip Flexor Tightness
Dr. Ariel Edwards, PT, DPT, CSCS
Are you attempting every stretch in the book to alleviate your tight hip flexors and still wondering why nothing has changed? Well, your hip flexors may not just be “tight”. Hip flexor tightness that won’t go away, despite how hard you dig a lacrosse ball into it, might mean that there’s more to the story.
The hip flexors and diaphragm are very closely related! So if you are constantly holding your breath or have poor diaphragmatic movement, tightness in your hip flexors will consistently come back no matter how hard you stretch. A chronically tight muscle is often also weak, because it’s living in a shortened position - aka not optimal for firing.
So what do we do about it? When focusing on alleviating tightness within the hip flexors, here at FIXXED, we take the lengthen and strengthen approach! We want to take the hip flexor out of its shortened position by unloading the tendon. Once our muscle is in optimal position, it’s time to build back the strength we lost due to chronic tightness!
Try it for yourself:
Lengthen:
Here our goal is to unload the hip flexor tendon! Start by laying back over a yoga block which should be placed directly under your hips. Bring one leg up into a tucked position with your opposite leg extended outward. Take deep belly breaths to allow proper diaphragm movement, bring the tucked knee towards your chest, and allow your hip flexor in the extended leg to actually relax. Perform this stretch on both sides!
Strengthen:
Now we want to strengthen our hip flexor! Grab yourself a mini band and find a free space against a wall. Start by standing with the mini band around your feet, and lean your body forward by placing both hands on the wall. Once in a stable position, exhale while gradually driving your knee towards the ceiling. On the way down, you want to think about slow and controlled movements. During the entire exercise, it is important to focus on maintaining a neutral pelvis. Start by performing 8-10 reps on each side!
When identifying aches, pains, and tightness within our body, it is important to remember that stretching may not be the only answer. Although implementing recovery and stretching within our day to day lives is vital, we may need to take different approaches, such as strengthening, when healing from injuries or navigating areas of pain! Here at FIXXED, we want to make sure we get to the route of your problem and implement recovery measures that guarantee results! If you are experiencing any chronic aches, pains, or tightness we recommend reaching out to a clinician to see what the best treatment plan is for you, and how we can get you back to feeling your best as soon as possible! Click HERE to contact a clinician today!
FIXXED is a first of its kind recovery studio offering bodywork techniques to help you move and feel your best. We offer quick and effective hands-on services in a one on one setting performed by a licensed physical therapist or athletic trainer. Click HERE to book a free discovery call with FIXXED!
