The kneeling hip flexor stretch is a beginner level exercise that helps strengthen the pelvis joint.
Using hip flexor exercises helps your hips remain in tip-top shape. They work on your butt, thighs, and legs.
HOW TO DO THE KNEELING HIP FLEXOR STRETCH
This exercise doesn’t need any equipment except maybe a yoga mat or pillow.
To do this exercise:
-Kneel with your left knee only, making sure it’s directly under the left hip.
-Place the right foot in front of you with the right knee directly above the right foot, making a 90-degree angle.
-Place your hands gently on your right thigh to maintain balance and a straight back.
-Pull your shoulders down and back without arching your lower back.
-Engage your abs to stiffen your spine and keep your pelvis level.
-With your left knee pressed into the floor, lean forward into your right hip. Don’t allow your pelvis to rotate forward.
-For maximum effect, squeeze and contract the glutes of your left hip.
-Hold the stretch for about 45 seconds at a time for about five reps. Try to make the stretch deeper after every rep.
-Finish the reps for your left side before switching to your right side.
To get even more flexibility, you can do the kneeling hip flexor stretch against a wall.
-Place your mat about eight inches from the wall.
-Kneel and place your left knee on the towel with your toes against the wall.
-Place your right foot in front of you and lower your hips until you feel a stretch in the front of your left hip.
-Keep your back straight, hold for five breaths, then switch legs.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF TIGHT HIP FLEXORS?
If you feel tight around the hips is caused by tension in the hip flexors.
The hip flexors are a group of muscles at the top of the thigh that attaches the upper leg to the hip. They are the muscles that enable you to kick, swivel your hips, bend and raise your leg.
Tight hips are caused by standing after sitting for a long time, a tilted pelvis, poor posture when standing, sleeping all night on one side, and when one leg is shorter than the other.
They can increase the risk of injury because they increase demand on tissue that isn’t moving properly.
They can lead to the lower back, knees, and joints connecting the hip bones and the sacrum.
If you want to know whether you have tight hips, you can do a tight hip flexors test known as the Thomas Test.
To do this test:
-Lie on your back on a flat surface.
-Bring both knees to your chest.
-Hold your right knee against your chest.
-Straighten your left leg.
-Lower your left leg as far as it will go.
-Repeat with your right leg.
If you cannot completely lower your leg to the surface, you’re lying on. Your hip flexors are tight.
Tight hips can cause pain and discomfort in the upper groin area, lower back pain, and hamstring strain.
WHAT DOES THE HIP FLEXOR STRETCH DO?
Hip flexor stretches help keep your hip flexors loosen. This prevents injury.
The kneeling hip flexor stretch also reduces the risk of hip pain.
Here are the benefits of the kneeling hip flexor stretch.
1.INCREASED SPEED AND VERTICAL JUMP
Studies show that kneeling hip flexor stretch can improve sprint and agility performance ability in physically active but untrained individuals.
Thirteen men and eleven women were put in an 8-week hip flexion resistance training program. Eleven men and thirteen women were put in a control group.
Their 40-yard dash time, shuttle run time, and the vertical jump was evaluated at the beginning and end of the training program.
By the end of the study, the hip flexion resistance training program group showed improvement in their running times and their vertical jump.
2. REDUCE THE RISK OF INJURY
Ensuring your hips don’t become tight can help prevent injury.
Studies show that doing hip flexor stretches before a game reduces the chance of muscle strain. Further research is needed. However, research also shows that hip flexor stretch doesn’t reduce the risk of sustaining overuse injuries.
3. HELPS EASE BACK PAIN
This stretch can reduce back pain from sitting for too long or disability.
A limited study found that doing hip flexor stretches reduced a small reduction of lower back pain. The study observed the effects of hip flexor stretch over two weeks among patients with and without lower back pain.
The patients with lower back pain experienced reduced lower back pain after the two weeks.
4. HELP FIX TITLED PELVIS
The anterior pelvic tilt is a change in posture caused by sitting for too long or doing little physical activity.
The front of the pelvis rotates forward, and the back rises.
The kneeling hip flexor stretch can correct the tilted pelvis. If you add it to your workout and you have anterior pelvic tilt, the stretch helps your pelvis return to the neutral position.
5. IMPROVE SPRINT SPEED
Additionally, it can help you improve your sprinting speed.
Applying these stretches can help you improve your hip flexor muscles for explosive speed. Strength training techniques like jump squats help with muscle contractions.
But according to SpeedEndurance.com, it’s not the kind of contraction needed for speed rather for strength.
Adding hip flexor stretches can help athletes isolate the muscles need for explosive bursts of speed.
6. IMPROVED MOBILITY
Doing the kneeling hip flexor stretch as part of your warm-up routine can help improve your mobility.
This refers to a joint’s ability to move freely through its given range of motion without restriction from the surrounding tissues.
Tight hips can inhibit your ability to extend your hip. It can prevent you from doing your workouts or sports activities to their fullest extent.
7. INCREASED FLEXIBILITY
Flexibility is the ability of your muscles, tendons, and ligaments to lengthen correctly. This makes a joint move through its optimal range of movement.
This hip flexor stretch is perfect if you want to improve flexibility in your legs.
Studies show that hip flexor stretches improve the flexibility of the lower limbs.
8. REDUCE HIP PAIN
Tight hip flexors can lead to hip pain. The stretch can help reduce hip pain. It is also used to rehabilitate hip flexor strain.
However, if the hip pain persists, see a doctor.
9. MAINTAIN HIP STRENGTH
The kneeling lunge position of the stretch engages the hip flexors. When you squeeze your butt, you also engage your glutes.
The muscles in the leg that is kneeling are engaged. The stretch helps the hip flexor muscles get used to elongating. This helps the hips muscles maintain their muscle strength.
10. IMPROVED STRIDE LENGTH
Increased stride length helps athletes achieve better results.
Adding this stretch helps runners gain better running form. According to Kinetic Revolution, many runners run with reduced hip flexion. This means they have a low knee lift.
With reduced hip flexion, you can’t achieve the optimal stride length for the desired pace.
Adding hip flexor stretches to their warmup can help runners get a better swing phase. This means you have a better stride length and lighter impact against the heels as you run.
TAKEAWAY
Adding this exercise helps you stretch and strengthen your hips, which safeguards your health in the future.
Don’t forget your hips when working out. If you do, you may lose mobility and lower your quality of life.
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