Do the front of your hips, thighs or groin feel tight? Does the tightness get more aggravated after sitting for long periods of time or after some workout moves?
You’re not alone!
Hip muscles known as the Psoas muscles and the groin become tight due to prolonged sitting.
Then add in the repetitive leg exercises you do such as walking, lunges, or knee highs and these forward motions aggravate your already tight hips further.
So, not only is it important to alleviate hip pain and tightness by stretching,
But in order to feel strong, and to increase lean muscle, we also need alternative leg strengthening exercises that allow your hip flexors some time to relax.
That’s why today’s hip stretches double as leg exercises that strengthen too.
So, you’ll stretch and strengthen all at once.
It’s a win, win!
Strengthening Your Legs Can Alleviate Hip Tightness Too:
It may sound strange, but strong legs can do more than make running up stairs feel effortless, or enhance calorie burn in your body.
They can help reduce hip tightness too.
Tight hips mean certain muscles in the front of your leg are overused, while the bottom and the back of the legs may be weak.
So, by strengthening the weaker muscles, such as your bottom (the glutes and piriformis) and the backs of your legs (the hamstrings) you stabilize hip movements.
This may help balance the muscles that keep your hips in proper alignment, and helps hip mobility too.
It may also help alleviate back pain.
Why Hip Stretches May Relieve Back Pain Too:
The Psoas muscles, otherwise known as the hip flexors, do exactly what the name implies:
They flex your hips.
While you may feel these muscles in the front of your hip, they actually attach to your spine in your back.
They then wrap around to the front of your leg where you may feel tightest.
If the hip flexors are tight, it is literally arching your low back.
This may be pulling your spine into improper alignment.
If you hold on to your stiff low back when you rise from standing, or you constantly feel tight not only in your hips, but in your low back too,
Then stretching your hips may be exactly what you need to alleviate your sore back, as you alleviate hip pain.
You may even prevent a back injury too.
For this workout all you need is body weight. And the back of your couch or a chair.
Let’s get started!
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