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The kneeling hip stretch opens the front of the hip. (Jocelyn Bong)
Tight hip flexor muscles can wreak havoc on the body. They inhibit basic movement patterns such as walking, sitting, and standing. If your muscles are too tight, they can even pull joints out of alignment.
Tight hip flexors often adversely affect the entire body. It is easy to look at the body in isolated parts, but oftentimes one section of the body that gets out of balance will change the balance of other areas.
For instance, tight hips may lead to tight calf muscles and even tight neck muscles. The pelvis is located at the center of the body, so it will refer to and share its issues with almost all other areas of the bodies.
One way to prevent imbalances from extending throughout the entire body is to keep up your mobility and flexibility. Keeping your body mobile and flexible will enable safe and effective movement patterns throughout your daily activities as well as your exercise routines.
Getting Started
Start kneeling. Step the left foot forward, keeping the knee behind the toes to prevent placing any pressure on the knee joint. Lean toward the front leg with the pelvis shifting forward. You’ll feel the difference if don’t tilt your pelvis forward. Place both hands on the floor on the inside of the left leg.
You want to feel a stretch up the front of your right leg. Due to the nature of the stretch, you may also feel the left inner thigh stretching as well.
If you want to deepen the stretch, lean down onto your elbows. This is a much deeper stretch so take care not to overdo it. Stretch to about 80 percent of your maximum so you don’t strain your muscles.
Remember to keep the breath flowing and deep. Your body will relax significantly when you stay connected to your breathing.
Emma-Kate Stampton certifies Pilates instructors and is a certified personal trainer. She is based in Brisbane, Australia.
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