Hip Flexor Stretch With A Difference

One of the common ailments suffered particularly by triathletes (because of the time spent on the bike) in particular, as well as athletes from a wide range of other sports, is tight and over-active hip flexors. This can mechanically restrict movement into extension of the hip and put extra stress on the lower back in response.

A less widely appreciated effect of having tight and over active hip flexors is that on a neural level, this overactivity can cause reciprocal inhibition of the gluteal muscles. When the glutes stop activating during functional movement, the risk of injury is significantly greater, as they have such an important stabilizing role in the overall movements of the body.

Try the stretching exercise in the video below on a regular basis and feel the movement in your hips improve.

About The Author James Dunne

James has an academic background in Sport Rehabilitation and a special interest in Applied Biomechanics. He currently coaches a large number of Runners and Triathletes across all levels of ability and performance. He's grown a strong reputation for enabling athletes to improve their running performance and overcome running injuries through improving their Running Technique and developing Running Specific Strength.

2 Comments

• 
  Andrew April 24, 2013 at 10:39 pm

  Excellent advice! This is a really good one which can be done while watching TV. Jay Dicharry also describes similar exercises in his excellent book “Anatomy for Runners”

  Reply
• 
  Charles Crevequer May 22, 2013 at 10:24 pm

  Great stretch…I hold stretch for a maximum of 2 seconds, then come out of stretch, then repeat, up to six or eight times.

  Reply