Exercises for tight or weak hip flexors
If you have tight hip flexors? Should you stretch or strengthen? What exercises for tight or weak hip flexors should you do?
Pain at the front of the hip? Pain through the lower back? The issue may actually lay in the tightness of your hip flexors! Desk workers, drivers and general couch potato’s will all have tight hip flexors. This is because when they are all seated for long periods, the hip flexors contract in weakened stationary state
These hip flexors connect to the lower back. So when they become tight they can cause discomfort not only at the front of the hips, but also the lower back. Weakened hip flexors can increase the risk of hamstring, gluteal, groin and quadricep injuries, as they are also forced to contract at higher loads to compensate
Studies now suggest that strengthening exercises provide longer term muscular lengthening effects than stretching. ‘STRENGTHEN to LENGTHEN!’
Here are 4 exercises for tight or weak hip flexors performed by Dr Jackson Redfern that may help improve your hip flexor tightness and weakness. For further information regarding Hip flexors, please read our article on tight and weak hip flexors in our blog here
- Standing Psoas March
- Seated Psoas Pulse Lifts
- Supine Psoas March
- Round the Clocks
An Osteopath or a Physiotherapist is able to properly assess and diagnose your concerns. Not all exercises are suitable for all people or all conditions. Please consult a healthcare professional before commencing these exercises to make sure that they are suitable for you.