A Brief Analysis of Hip Flexors

Whether you realize it or not, your hip flexors play an essential role in your day to day life. This muscle group includes the iliopsoas, the rectus femoris, the tensor fasciae latae, and the sartorius. They allow you to move your leg and knee towards your torso and your torso to bend forward at the hip. Your hip flexors work hard to make sure the joints in your legs, hips, and spine function properly in daily life.

While understanding the importance of healthy hip flexors, we need to keep in mind that our lifestyles can harm the effectiveness of our hip flexors. For example, if we tend to spend most of the day sitting, our hip flexors can become weak and tight from being in a shortened position so regularly.

This leads to several problems, including poor posture, a limited range of motion, pain in the hips and back, and it can even lead to strains or tears. That doesn’t mean that active people don’t suffer from tight hips too. Many athletes suffer tears and other related injuries due to overly tight hip flexors.

How can tight hip flexors be relieved, or preferably, be avoided altogether? The most common way to relieve tight hips is through stretching and simple exercises.

If you spend a lot of time sitting, make it a habit to get up out of your chair every 30 minutes for about 30 seconds. Use those 30 seconds to do a half-kneeling hip flexor stretch. Start in a lunge position with your back knee rested on the ground then extend both arms overhead and lean back, putting your shoulders and arms to your back foot and your hips forward. For other simple hip flexor stretches ask your chiropractor which would be the safest and most effective for your muscles and joints.

Along with stretching these muscles, it is essential to strengthen them. Focusing on exercises that strengthen the core will get you on the right track. Try starting with a simple plank. As you hold yourself up, focus on bracing your abs and squeezing your glutes for the entire exercise. Again, your chiropractor will be able to suggest the best practices to strengthen the appropriate muscles. Regular chiropractic adjustments will also help ensure that all your joints and muscles are functioning, including those important hip flexors.