Do you spend most of your day sitting? These hip flexor stretches are for you
- Reviewed by Robert H. Shmerling, MD, Senior Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
If you spend most of your day sitting at a desk, you may notice that your hips feel stiff or sore when you stand up and walk around. Most likely, this discomfort is caused by tight hip flexor muscles, a common side effect of sitting for long periods of time.
Here's what to know about the hip flexor muscles, and how adding some simple stretches to your day can keep them supple and functional.
What are hip flexors?
Hip flexors are a group of muscles that work together to help you bend and lift your legs smoothly when you walk, run, climb stairs, sit, and bend over.
The two primary muscles involved in hip flexion (bending) are the psoas, which starts at your lower back and connects to the top of your thigh bone, and the iliacus, which runs from your pelvis and hip to your thigh.
The rectus femoris, which runs down the length of your thigh, helps will hip flexion and extending the knee. The sartorius muscle runs diagonally across the thigh from the hip to the inside of the knee, helping to rotate the hip and flex the knee.
What prolonged sitting does to your hip flexors
Sitting for long periods of time causes the hip flexors to tighten and shorten, and that can lead to stiffness and discomfort. Because these muscles attach to the pelvis and lower back, tight hip flexors can make it harder to rotate the pelvis, and may contribute to other problems such as low back pain.
What are hip flexor stretches and how do they help?
Hip flexor stretches are simple exercises that stretch and lengthen the muscles in the front of the hip. Doing them regularly will relieve tightness, increase flexibility, and improve range of motion in your hips.
How to perform a hip flexor stretch
Try these two stretches to relieve tightness and discomfort in your hip flexors.
Kneeling hip flexor stretch
Starting position: Kneel with your hands at your sides.
Movement: Put your right leg in front of you with the knee bent at a 90° angle and foot flat on the floor. Place your hands on your right thigh for support. Lean forward, pressing your left hip forward while keeping your right foot on the floor. Feel the stretch in the front of your left thigh and hip. Hold. Return to the starting position. Repeat one or more times to reach a total of 60 seconds in the "hold" position. Then repeat with your left leg forward.
Floor hip flexor stretch
Starting position: Lie down flat on your back on the floor, hands resting at your sides.
Movement: Bend your right leg, placing your hands behind your knee and gently pulling your leg in towards your chest. The closer your leg is to your chest, the greater the stretch. Hold the stretch for 10 to 30 seconds. While holding the stretch with your right leg, flex your left foot up and gently press your left calf and thigh into the floor to stretch your left hip flexor. Repeat on the other side.
About the Author
Christina Frank, Health Writer
About the Reviewer
Robert H. Shmerling, MD, Senior Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
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