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2 Steps to Powerful Hip Flexors
Health | December 30, 2014
Having strong and flexible hip flexors is super important for our health and for any sport activities. Nowadays most of us spend so much time sitting at work, in the car, and on the couch, which makes our hip flexors passively contracted for majority of time. What that does is, that our hip flexors become shortened and weak at the same time. The problem with having short and weak hip flexors is that any sport or physical activity requires your hips to be powerhouse of your body. All of the movement whether its running, rollerblading, tennis, soccer, swimming, golf, or martial arts, comes from using the power of your hips. When other muscles start to compensate for weak hip flexors, you can develop all kinds of unpleasant imbalances in your body, resulting in pains and aches.
It’s really important that you not only work on the strength of your hip flexors but also on their flexibility. With a tight iliopsoas, you may be creating lordosis of your lumbar spine. What that means is that the deep muscle in your hip flexors pull your lower back and your pelvis forward, creating an unnatural arch in your lower back. That’s why shortened and weak hip flexors are often a cause of a horrible back pain even in people that work hard and regularly on strengthening their back.
Strengthen your hip flexors
There are many exercises that you can do to strengthen your hip flexors. One of them is my favorite kettlebell swing, but also deadliest, high knees, plank knee tucks, etc. I can really recommend the kettlebell swings, they will work your back, core, and butt as well which is a must in addition to strengthening and lengthening your hip flexors.
Stretch and lengthen your hip flexors
The best most effective stretching program is the one that is the most consistent. I suggest to do the following stretch as often as possible and hold it for at least a minute on each leg. This technique has helped me just a while ago to get rid of my lower back pain, that seemed to come out of nowhere.
Chair assisted Hip Flexor Stretch (watch the video to see proper form)
The best stretch that you can do to really open your hips and get to the end range of motion is the chair assisted stretch. Kneel in front of a chair (or a couch, coffee table) on which you can put your foot up. Flex your knee so that your heel is as close to your butt as possible. Make sure that your front knee is not leaning sideways, and is pointing straight forward tracking your front foot. Focus on squeezing your glutes and hamstrings of the back leg in order to push your hips forward and avoid hyperextending of your lower back. You should feel a deep stretch on the outer front part of your right hip, if your right leg is the one behind you.
Now that you the 2 steps to powerful hip flexors, go ahead and start working on your body’s powerhouse on a regular basis, so that you can enjoy your days without any unnecessary aches and pains.
xoxo and Power Motivation Strength to you 🙂
Zuzka.
P.S. If you are looking for an easy and quick way to keep yourself in shape, then join the Zgym and workout with me daily. You can simply follow my workout schedule or just pick any of the 50+ workouts in the library on a daily basis. My workouts are short, yet very effective, plus you don’t even need to leave your home!
Private Member |
Thank you Zuzka for this video! I can just encourage everyone to follow your advice and pay attention to the hip flexors. I experience pain in my lower back since I had a sports accident when I was 15. The only thing that really helps to ease the pain (and prevent new complications) is stretching every single day and working out on a regular basis.
I never was a big fan of working out and going to the gym until I found your ZWOWs on youtube in January. Ever since I’m working out with you 3-4 times a week and I’m feeling much better and fitter now. My new years resolution is to get more self confident and to work out 5 times a week with you in the ZGYM. And I finally have to learn how to do those freaking Pistol squats and improve my burpees (I’m really bad at those, too!).
Your such an inspirational and lovely person and I just wanted to say thanks for all your hard work!
Without your ZWOWs and pep talks I would still be that lazy person I was almost one year ago!
Happy new year 2014 Zuzka, may it be a good one for you!
Private Member |
Thank you Zuzka! I experienced a sharp back pain in my lower back today and I can’t wait to do these stretches! Right on time!:)
Have a Happy New Year 2014!!! I love your workouts! You inspire me every day!
Private Member |
Cool post. This is sooo true. Also some yoga helps (warrior I and Ii).
Private Member |
Having a bad back I know what you mean. Thanks for the video and post! –Chris
Private Member |
thank you Zuzka. Your video is very helpfull.
I had as a baby hip luxation and I still feel it more or less in my lower back. The hyperlordosis can be painfull.
Doing your workouts my abs and back muscles are strong what helps but I think I need to stretch more my hip flexor. 😀
Private Member |
hey, zuzka! i’ve been following you for a quite long time already, and I just wanted to say that I adore your videos and posts because I can learn so many things! thank you for your effort, kisses from Croatia
Private Member |
Happy New Year Zuzka!
Private Member |
This makes so much sense now! I had taken a break from working out consistently and doing my yoga (where I did a LOT of hip opening stretches) and randomly my lower back started to hurt, for no obvious reasons. Then my hip flexors felt very stiff, to where if I stood up too fast from a sitting position I would feel a sharp pain in my hips, they also started making crackly noises! Lol This has encouraged me to be more consistent! Thanks Zuzana. 🙂
Private Member |
yilan city, taiwan, taiwan
I will follow your advice and hold it longer, much longer and stretch several times a day (I have been doing it once several times a week). My hip flexors have been tight for a while (and also previous hip injury) and then I started working out with Zuzka since November, they seems to be tighter and painful, and I stretch them all the time (but obviously not enough). Thank God I don’t have back pain. I think I need to be more mindful in my warm ups and turn on my glutes before I start her WO, and try and use my abs only and not hip flexors at all, even if that means substituting some faves like prisoner get ups. I also have been doing loads of yoga and stretching the crap out of my hamstrings which I found out today, is terrible for tight hip flexors.