The hip flexors are a group of muscles consisting of the hip and groin muscles. The hip flexors are the muscles that allow you to move your knees closer to your chest, move your legs from front to back, or swing sideways from side to side. Because people generally work in a sitting position, their hip flexor muscles can become stiff and can be injured easily. Those who enjoy running should pay special attention to these muscles.
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Method 1 of 2: Doing Yoga Poses for Hip Flexor Muscle Stretch
Step 1. Perform camel pose in yoga
When you stretch your hip flexors, camel pose can lengthen your chest muscles and increase spine flexibility. This exercise is also useful for toning the waist and strengthening the arms and shoulders. Yogis believe that this posture will improve the ability of the respiratory system so that your lungs can absorb more oxygen each time you breathe. They also believe that this practice will make your heart chakra more active so you feel more connected to the earth and make you more forgiving in your daily life.
Step 2. Do the squat pose in yoga
The squat pose will stretch your hips and improve your balance. This pose will also increase the flexibility of your thighs and ankles while strengthening your abs. If it's too hard to get down to do this squat pose, you can sit on a chair and lower your chest between your thighs. If you practice using a chair to sit on, make sure that your feet are flat on the floor and your thighs are at a 90-degree angle with your calves.
Step 3. Do the butterfly pose in yoga while lying down
This simple pose will stretch your groin and inner thighs while lengthening your chest muscles. Make sure that your spine is not arched when you do this pose. If you want to use an assistive device, you can place a pillow under your ankles to make it easier to stretch your lower body or use a pillow to support your head to prevent pressure on your neck. This pose can also make you free from fatigue, difficulty sleeping and mild depression.
Step 4. Perform the perfect sitting pose in yoga
The perfect sitting pose will flex your hip muscles while stretching your ankles and back. This pose is often used for meditation, and you can do this pose according to your need for centering yourself. Yogis believe that this posture will release the energy of anxiety and help heal those suffering from ailments such as asthma. Long ago, yogis believed that this pose could help people who wished to gain supernatural powers.
Step 5. Do the frog pose while on your stomach
This prone frog pose will flex your hip muscles as you lower your body closer to the floor. To make this pose easier, place a small pillow or towel under your knees or ankles. If you feel your ankles tense, bring your feet together again and don't keep them open to the sides.
Method 2 of 2: Doing Other Stretches for the Hip Flexor Muscles
Step 1. Perform a motion to push your hips forward while standing
This movement is very good to do when starting a warm-up exercise to stretch the hip flexor muscles. Use your hands to support your back as you stretch your groin muscles. To make it more challenging, you can kneel on the floor and arch your back. You will feel a stretch not only in your hip flexor muscles, but also in your quadriceps muscles.
Step 2. Perform the 3D hip flexor muscle stretch
You will need a bench to do this exercise. When you twist your body, you stretch not only your hip flexor muscles but also your thighs and chest. You should tighten your abs during this exercise so that you don't stretch your back too much. If you sit a lot throughout the day, this stretching exercise will keep your hip flexor muscles from becoming shorter and stiffer.
Step 3. Stretch your hip flexors using a table
If you don't have a suitable table for this exercise, you can use a bench to exercise or you can do it on the floor. If you can lift your pelvis so it's not supported by a table, you'll be able to tighten your abdominal muscles. In addition to stretching the hip flexor muscles, this exercise will relax you and make your lower back stronger.
Step 4. Do the frog pose while lying on your back
In addition to stretching the hip flexor muscles, this exercise can also lengthen and strengthen the muscles in your arms and shoulders. You may also feel a light stretch in the sides of your upper body as you lift and lower your arms above your head. To increase the stretch in your hips, start by doing frog pose while lying on your back. Get up slowly and then bring your chest to your feet to stretch your groin.
Step 5. Stretch by rotating your hips
Apart from sticking your feet against the wall, you can take a 90/90 position with a neutral back and let one foot be supported by the bench. This exercise is primarily done by pressing one leg against the wall using the other bent leg. You can also pull your knees toward your chest to stretch the hip flexor muscles of the bent leg.
