How often do you find yourself struggling with a tight hip that makes it difficult for you to move freely? The problem might be with flexor muscles that are a bundle of several muscles binding your legs and trunk together. Working together, these muscles make the flexion movement possible. These muscles allow you to move your leg or knee up towards your torso. When you move your torso forward at the hip, you use these muscles, and when you jump, you use these muscles.
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Flexion Movement-What Is It
Flexion movement means pulling closer together that draws two bones, typically bending at a joint. Your hip flexors bring together the bone of the leg and the hip and spine together which is typically seen when you are walking, jumping or running. When you are sitting, your hip is already flexed, and you are not using these muscles.
Do you think it’s a good choice to keep these muscles flexed?
NO.
A sedentary lifestyle can lead to weak flexor muscles that can further result in tight hips. As we are moving towards more a digitally connected world, we are also restricting our movement. If your hip flexors become tight, you have a limited range of motion in your lower back, causing poor posture, hip pain and even injuries.
This is why you need to keep your hip flexors to be in shape at all times. When you walk or climb stairs, run, swim or ride a bicycle, you exercise these muscles.
How many Hip Flexor Muscles are there?
Now, this article aims to help you understand how to unlock your hip flexors; to achieve this, you need to know what muscles make the hip flexors.
Psoas major muscle-The deep muscle that connects your spine to your leg is the Psoas major muscle. It’s the only muscle to do so, which is why it is the most important. Running from the lower back through the pelvis, down to the femur (thigh bone), this muscle covers the entire hip region.
Rectus femoris muscle-One of the four quadriceps muscles, this one attaches your pelvis to the patellar tendon of your knee. To exercise the rectus femoris, muscle squats and lunges are the best.
Iliacus muscle-Located deep within the pelvis is the Iliacus muscle which is a flat, triangular muscle attaching pelvis to the thigh bone (femur). This muscle is primarily responsible for rotating and flexing the thigh.
Sartorius muscle-The sartorius muscle is a long thin muscle running down from the pelvis to the knees along the length of the thigh. The longest muscle in the human body, this muscle helps flex the knee and the leg.
Pectineus muscle-Located at the top of the inner thigh, the flat, quadrangular muscle is also known as the groin muscle. The pectineus muscle is responsible for hip flexion, but it also rotates your adducts and thigh.
What happens when your hip flexor muscles are tight?
Flexor muscles in the hip area are important; you know that already, isn’t it? But what happens when you do not put in efforts to keep them exercised.
You end up having tight hips that are just a sudden move away from injuries. When your hip flexors are not strong, you can easily tear or strain one or more of them with sudden movements such as changing directions like kicking or running or in case you slip. Accidental slips and falls are the most common reasons for hip flexor injuries, but in sports like football, martial arts, hockey and dancing, these injuries are more likely to happen.
The hip flexor injuries are graded on three levels depending on the severity of the damage caused. For the right treatment, you need to know what kind of injury you are dealing with. Here’s how the hip flexor injuries are graded:
Grade I or Mild Hip Flexor Injuries-A minor tear in the flexor muscles which is mildly painful and causes tenderness and swelling. Still, you can continue doing most of the regular activities, and it might take up to 14 days to fully recover.
Grade II or Moderate Hip Flexor Injuries-When there is a larger tear in the muscles causing moderate pain, it is difficult to move in such a situation. The affected muscle is also swelled, and tender and many have 5% to 50% loss of function causing limping. Grade II injuries make it impossible to do sporting activities unless fully healed. It can take anywhere between a couple of weeks to a few months for such hip flexor injuries to heal.
Grade III or Severe Hip Flexor Injuries– This is a complete tear in the muscle that causes severe pain and swelling, making you unable to bear the weight of your leg. Grade III injuries make it difficult to walk and cause more than 50% loss of function in the affected muscle. Such injuries might need surgery to repair the torn muscle and can take up to several months to heal fully.
Best exercises to unlock the hip flexor muscles
Prevention is always better than cure. You can easily avoid injuring the hip flexors if you keep them strong and lose with workouts. While the regular stretches can keep your flexor muscles in the hip region loose, you still need to know what kind of stretches can help relax all the hip flexor muscles.
1. Standing Stretch
Stand with your toes forward and feet hip-width apart
Bend your left knee and bring your left heel up towards the butt so that it touches it
Now hold your left foot with the left hand and pull the left knee towards the floor. If you are finding it difficult to maintain the balance, you can use a chair.
Hold the position for 30 seconds then repeat with the other leg.
2. Skating squat
Standing with your legs hip-width apart, lower into a squat position.
Shift the body weight to the right leg as you rise to the standing position, extending your left leg straight backwards.
Hold the position for 60 seconds and return to the squat position.
Repeat with the other leg.
3. Active Stretch
Stand on your left foot with the toes turned inward and put your right foot on the seat of a chair.
Hold your arms out straight parallel to the floor
Gently push your pelvis forward as you slowly raise your arm and squeeze your butt. This movement is going to deepen the bend in the right knee and straighten your left leg. The stretch will be felt in the front of the left hip.
After holding for about 30 seconds, return to the starting positing and repeat with the other leg.
4. Low-lunge variation
Keeping your right foot planted to the ground, bend your right knee, touching the floor with the left knee. This is a low lunge position.
Place each of your palms flat on the floor on each side of your right foot.
Lift your left arm straight above your head while you lean towards the right.
Hold the position for five breaths, and repeat on the opposite side.
5. Kneeling Stretch
Kneel on the floor with the left knee touching the floor and your right leg at a 90-degree angle.
Put your hands on the right knee and keep your back strictly straight.
Now keeping the left knee pressed to the ground, lean forward squeezing the left buttock muscles into the right hip.
Hold the position for 30 seconds, then repeat with the other side.
6. One-legged bridge lift and lower
Lie on the ground with face-up, back straight and kneed bent.
Lift your arms and engage your glutes to left hips.
Transfer your body weight to the right leg, extending your left leg straight for five breaths.
Lower your leg and relax for five breaths before lifting back up.
Do eight repetitions with one leg before switching to another.
7. Supine Stretch
Lie down on your back on the floor with your legs straight and toes pointing towards the ceiling.
Keeping your right leg straight on the floor, bend your left knee such that your left foot is flat on the floor.
Lace your fingers behind your left knee. Now push your left knees towards your chest, keeping your right leg, hips and back on the floor.
Exhale and pull your left knee as close to your chest as possible.
Hold the position for 30 seconds then repeat with the right leg.
8. Crescent lunge knee-up
Take a huge lunge position with right foot forward, and right knee bent at 90 degrees.
Lift your arm upwards in standing position and bring your left knee closer to the chest.
Return to the starting position.
Repeat ten times and then switch to the left leg.
9. Seated Stretch
Sit on the edge of a bench or firm chair with your both feet on the floor, knees bent and back straight.
Slide the left foot back, lowering the left knee close to the floor. The left leg must be the best at a 90-degree angle with your left knee just below the left hip. Keep your right foot on the floor at all times.
Now tighten your butt and hold the position for 30 seconds.
Repeat with the other leg.
10. Full-range figure four
Sit upright, hands on the floor behind you and knees bent.
Cross your left ankle over your right knee.
Move the left knee to the left and then back to the centre.
Slowly go through the full range of motion.
Hold for five breaths and repeat with the other leg.
These stretch exercises might seem to be just ordinary, but they are extremely effective workouts to keep your hip flexors in good shape and relaxed. The listed stretching workouts not only open hip joints and strengthens and stretches the glutes but also help to lengthen the hip flexors that makes them more flexible and strong.
You do not need a fancy piece of equipment to keep your hip flexors in shape and strong. Just make these exercises your morning routine or a warm-up session before every physical activity.
Please note that if you suffer from back problems or any hip injury, then it is essential to take the guidance of a physiologist before taking up any of these exercises.
How can you prevent hip flexor muscle injuries?
It is not difficult to keep your hip flexors from getting injured if you keep a few things in mind.
Warm-up is necessary before any physical activity. Even if you are practising any dance move or taking up a new exercise, it is important to stretch those flexors before starting.
After any strenuous activity, it is important to cool down with slow stretch exercises, giving them hip flexor muscles enough time to adjust.
Exercise regularly to keep the flexor muscles in good shape. This is a no brainer; there is no better way to unlock the hip flexors than regular workouts. Apart from the above listed stretching exercises, you can also try pigeon pose, lunges, and squats.
Work on all core muscles and glutes to keep them strengthened. These muscles work together to allow the body to carry out daily activities and movements including sports and exercises. Just focusing on hip flexors won’t help as you need to keep other muscles in good shape as well to avoid injuries and pain.
If you ever get injured, make sure you are fully healed before you can continue with the regular sports or exercise. The injury has to fully heal so that muscle regains their strength and flexibility the same as before the injury. If you push yourself through the injury without getting healed, it can lead to reinjury.
Conclusion
Hip flexors are an important bundle of muscles that work together to provide you with a full range of motion necessary for everyday activities.If you do not keep the flexor muscles in good shape through regular exercise, it leads to a tight hip that is prone to injuries. We have explained in detail how you can unlock your hip flexors through simple routine workouts and prevent injuries.
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