I’ll come right out and say it. Stop automatically assuming you have to stretch your “tight” hip flexors. I have tight in quotations as there are different reasons why your hip flexor muscles might feel this way.
While this might surprise some people, “tight” hip flexors often need to get stronger! Strengthening can help address weakness AND tightness.
Here are 5 exercises that strengthen the hip flexors and improve lumbo-pelvic stability. All of these exercises require minimal equipment so they can be done anywhere.
#1) Double Straight Leg Pike V-Lift Combo
This exercise strengthens the hip flexors, improves hip mobility, and lumbo-pelvic stability. You may use any items you have at home. I used two tubs of laundry detergent and two tubs of Lysol wipes.
Coaching Tips:
- Sit on the floor. Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.
- Fully extend both of your legs, and plantarflex your feet (point them away from you).
- While keeping your legs fully extended, ankles in a fixed position, and feet plantarflexed, lift your legs over the objects in a lateral direction, and then back to the starting position.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your legs or feet to strike the objects, or for your legs or feet to touch the floor.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine, or hips to rotate, or weight to shift from hip to hip. Some minor spinal flexion is ok.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 brace around your spine).
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
#2) Straddle Hold
This exercise strengthens the hip flexors, improves hip mobility, and lumbo-pelvic stability.
Coaching Tips:
- Sit on the floor, fully extend both of your legs, and point your feet away from you (plantarflex).
- Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.
- Place one object on the outside of each lower leg. Place your hands so they are on the inside of your thighs, and lightly rest your fingers on the floor.
- While keeping your legs fully extended and feet plantarflexed, lift your legs so they are above the objects and hold.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your legs or feet to strike the objects or the floor.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine, or hips to rotate, or weight to shift from hip to hip. Some minor spinal flexion is ok.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine).
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
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#3) Prone Psoas Marches From Long Lever Plank (and feet elevated)
This exercise strengthens the hip flexors, improves lumbo-pelvic stability, and shoulder and scapular stability.
Coaching Tips:
- Place a resistance band around your feet.
- Get into a plank position from your hands and feet, and elevate your feet on a wall or other surface. Your body should be roughly parallel to the floor.
- Place your hands so they are well ahead of your shoulders. This hand positioning is intentional as it allows you to press your body back against the wall, and to generate more full body tension. Otherwise your feet will slide down the wall.
- While remaining in the plank position, lift one foot off the wall and bring your knee in towards your torso. Return your leg and foot to the starting position with control, and repeat using the other side.
- For the duration of the exercise, press your body away from the floor and protract your shoulder blades (spread them apart and move them away from your spine and around your ribcage).
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine, or hips to rotate, or hips to pike or collapse.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine).
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
#4) Hollow Body Hold + Band Resisted Hip Flexor ‘’Cycles’’
This exercise, which combines a hollow body and hip flexor ‘’cycles,’’ strengthens the hip flexors, and improves lumbo-pelvic stability.
Coaching Tips:
- Attach a long band around a secure surface, and loop the band around your ankle (you can also use a cable machine). The resistance here is coming medially versus straight ahead. The band placement also makes this exercise more anti-rotational.
- Lie on the floor. Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.
- Lift up your legs so they are in a vertical position, fully extend your legs, and point your feet away from you (plantarflex).
- Now slowly lower your legs towards the floor, and to a range where you are able to maintain proper form.
- While maintaining the hollow body position, perform a cycling movement on the side where the band is attached. Make sure your hip, knee, and foot remain in line.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine, or hips to rotate, or hips to leave the floor.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine), and tuck your ribs towards your hips (think about wrinkling the front of your shirt).
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
#5) Hip Mobility + Hip Flexor/Extensor Strengthener
This exercise improves hip mobility, and strengthens the hip flexors and glutes.
Do this exercise without the yoga block/object first.
Coaching Tips:
- Sit on the floor, and place a yoga block or other object so it’s on one side of your body, and is ahead of you.
- Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.
- Extend both of your arms so they are chest height, make fists, and generate tension in your upper body.
- On one side, bring your leg ahead of you, and bend it to about a 45-90 degree angle. For the duration of the exercise, keep this leg in this position, and flat on the floor.
- On the other side, fully extend your leg, and plantarflex your foot (point it away from you).
- Now hinge your hips, bend your knee of the extended leg to about 90 degrees, and use your glutes to bring your leg backwards.
- Then lift your torso, extend your leg, plantarflex your foot, and lift your leg and foot over the yoga block/object.
- Repeat for the target number of reps.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not let your foot or leg strike the floor or yoga block/object.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine, or hips to rotate.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine).
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
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