I’m sure you’ve been in an exercise class, or on the internet to find a good stretch video, then the instructor says it’s time to stretch the hip flexors. What happens? Generally, you are cued into a lunge and told to lean forwards. Well, that won’t stretch your hip flexors friends, that’ll stretch your quads.
The action of leaning forwards in a lunge (with an anterior pelvic tilt) will stretch your quadriceps, which feels great, but leaves your hip flexors on the wayside, and you feeling tight and unsatisfied with your stretch.
What are the hip flexors?
The hip flexors are a group of muscles around the front of the hip, connecting to the legs and low back. Some of these muscles include the rectus femoris, sartorius, psoas, iliacus, and TFL. There are also a lot of secondary muscles involved.
How do I properly stretch my hip flexors?
Come into that lunge we were just talking about. Right foot forwards, left leg back, left knee down (right knee over your mid-foot or heel). While you are in the position, instead of leaning forwards, find a posterior tilt with your pelvis. What does this mean? Use your core to gently “tuck” your tail (without over-doing it!). There should be a little bit of activity/engagement at your glutes, then lean slightly forwards. You should feel the difference immediately.
If you lose the posterior pelvic tilt and go slack in your core and glutes, you’ll come far forwards again and get right back into your quads!
Change the tilt of your pelvis to feel the different stretches as you move forwards and back in your lunge, feel the difference for yourself.
You can even try this while in a standing quad stretch! Balance on one leg while you catch the top of your other foot in your hand close to your glutes. Stretch normally, then, gently “tuck” your tail and feel the light activity in your glutes. You should, again, immediately feel the difference in stretch at your hip flexor area.
Happy stretching!
