If you have pain in your hip flexors it means these muscles are too tight. Tight hip flexors usually occur when you stay in a seated position for too long. When you sit down for too long it shortens your hip flexor muscles, which is what causes tightness, pain, and soreness.
The best way to know for sure your hip flexor pain is due to tightness is to do The Thomas Test. This self test involves you laying flat on a bench and raising one leg in the air steadily. If you notice your other leg laying down bends it's a sign you have hip flexor tightness.
How to Treat Hip Flexor Pain
The best way to treat hip flexor pain is to loosen the muscles in your hip flexors. As you begin to loosen up the hip flexors they'll begin to get longer. Lengthening the hip flexors will gradually help reduce the pain you're experiencing.
One of the most effective ways to lengthen the hip flexor muscles and reduce tightness and pain is to do simple exercises. The exercises below will help you get rid of pain in your hip flexors by lengthening the muscles and increasing range of motion.
Lunges
Lunges are one of the best exercises to relieve hip flexor tightness, according to Hip Flexors Info. To do lunges effectively to reduce the pain in your hips begin with your legs shoulder width apart.
Now put one of your legs in front of you and bend it to a 90 degree angle. As you bend this knee in front of you try to keep your back as straight as possible. You also want to keep your head upright and facing forward.
When you lower your body down as far as you can hold that position for about 10 seconds and then return to the starting position. Repeat this exercise for about 10 reps and then switch to the other leg.
Iliopsoas Stretch
This stretch works the iliopsoas muscle inside your hip flexors. According to Wikipedia, this is the strongest and most important muscle that makes up your hip flexors. Without this muscle you wouldn't be able to walk, run, or even stand properly.
To do this hip flexors stretch simply lay down flat on your back and stretch your body completely out. Now raise one leg into the air slowly while keeping the opposite leg flat on the floor.
Now rock back and forth slowly putting most of your body's weight onto the outstretched leg. This back and forth motion will gently work your iliopsoas muscle as well as other important hip flexor muscles.
After about 5 to 10 seconds return the leg in the air back to the ground and repeat with the other leg that was still resting on the floor. You'll need to perform this stretching technique a few times daily to get the best results.
Step Ups
Step ups are one of the best exercises to unlock tight hip flexors and reduce the pain you're feeling. To perform this simple exercise just find a stool or step ladder that you can step up on. Now step up on the ladder with your right foot until your left leg is off the floor.
Once you've gone up as high as you can when you step up on the stool or step ladder lower yourself back down onto even ground. Do this simple exercise 10 to 15 times to reduce hip flexors pain and increase hip mobility. After the 10 to 15 reps do the same thing with your left leg.
Conclusion
If you have hip flexors pain chances are your muscles in this area of your body are too tight. Loosen them up by doing the exercises and stretches a few times each day.
The more you practice these simple yet effective exercises your hip flexor muscles will lengthen and you won't experience pain in your hips any longer.
The best way to know for sure your hip flexor pain is due to tightness is to do The Thomas Test. This self test involves you laying flat on a bench and raising one leg in the air steadily. If you notice your other leg laying down bends it's a sign you have hip flexor tightness.
How to Treat Hip Flexor Pain
The best way to treat hip flexor pain is to loosen the muscles in your hip flexors. As you begin to loosen up the hip flexors they'll begin to get longer. Lengthening the hip flexors will gradually help reduce the pain you're experiencing.
One of the most effective ways to lengthen the hip flexor muscles and reduce tightness and pain is to do simple exercises. The exercises below will help you get rid of pain in your hip flexors by lengthening the muscles and increasing range of motion.
Lunges
Lunges are one of the best exercises to relieve hip flexor tightness, according to Hip Flexors Info. To do lunges effectively to reduce the pain in your hips begin with your legs shoulder width apart.
Now put one of your legs in front of you and bend it to a 90 degree angle. As you bend this knee in front of you try to keep your back as straight as possible. You also want to keep your head upright and facing forward.
When you lower your body down as far as you can hold that position for about 10 seconds and then return to the starting position. Repeat this exercise for about 10 reps and then switch to the other leg.
Iliopsoas Stretch
This stretch works the iliopsoas muscle inside your hip flexors. According to Wikipedia, this is the strongest and most important muscle that makes up your hip flexors. Without this muscle you wouldn't be able to walk, run, or even stand properly.
To do this hip flexors stretch simply lay down flat on your back and stretch your body completely out. Now raise one leg into the air slowly while keeping the opposite leg flat on the floor.
Now rock back and forth slowly putting most of your body's weight onto the outstretched leg. This back and forth motion will gently work your iliopsoas muscle as well as other important hip flexor muscles.
After about 5 to 10 seconds return the leg in the air back to the ground and repeat with the other leg that was still resting on the floor. You'll need to perform this stretching technique a few times daily to get the best results.
Step Ups
Step ups are one of the best exercises to unlock tight hip flexors and reduce the pain you're feeling. To perform this simple exercise just find a stool or step ladder that you can step up on. Now step up on the ladder with your right foot until your left leg is off the floor.
Once you've gone up as high as you can when you step up on the stool or step ladder lower yourself back down onto even ground. Do this simple exercise 10 to 15 times to reduce hip flexors pain and increase hip mobility. After the 10 to 15 reps do the same thing with your left leg.
Conclusion
If you have hip flexors pain chances are your muscles in this area of your body are too tight. Loosen them up by doing the exercises and stretches a few times each day.
The more you practice these simple yet effective exercises your hip flexor muscles will lengthen and you won't experience pain in your hips any longer.