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Barbell Keeping your hip flexors healthy when you sit a lot

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krishnab75

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So for work I sit a lot, like so many other folks. While I do have a standing desk and can mix up some walking around during the day, it is hard to deny the impact of sitting on my tight hip flexors. And because of tight hip flexors, I get kind of worried about some exercises like squating and RDLs, etc., since the tight hip flexors kind of throw off my glutes and lower back, etc.

So I was wondering if anyone knows of routines to keep their hip flexors healthy? Also, how do you know when your hip flexors are healthy enough?

So here is what I do today.
1. I sleep on my back with a pillow under my knees. I found that this tip really helps.
2. The couch stretch every morning for a few rounds.
3. Going for a walk at lunch time.

Even with these things I still feel like my hip flexors are too tight. Like I can really tell when I go hiking and going uphill for a long time tends to bother my hips.

So either I am not doing the right things in my routine, or I need to add stuff. Any suggestions?
 
Couch stretches are good and tend to hit the rec femoris, psoas and iliacus but these aren't the only hip flexors (quite a few of the upper leg muscles are such as adductors etc)

When doing hip flexor stretch there's more than just hip extension which can help stretch out the muscles such as
*length through the spine
*spinal flexion
* rotation
* hip abduction

My suggestion when doing a right hip flexor stretch would be
*squeeze glutes hard (helps stop extension in lumbar region and also reciprocal inhibition of hip flexors)
* reach high with right hand overhead
*take left foot out wider to add adduction
*rotate chest to the left
*lean slightly to the left

In addition look at why the hip flexors are weak - sometimes it's due to repeated shortened resting position from too much sitting etc or it can be the hip flexor is weak and is tightening as a protective measure and get stronger through the trunk can help by not subjecting it to as much work
 
Kelly Starrett has a routine for this purpose, used throughout the day to do exactly what you're asking, it's in his book 'Ready to Run'

Good luck!
 
Great you are stretching, but the shortened unloaded position will also weaken them.

Try focused hip flexor strengthening work eg sitting in an upright position, bring one foot in towards bottom and (keeping other leg straight) perform straight leg lift offs. No jerking movements, no dropping foot onto the floor. This can be done back and forth over a yoga block.

This has the potential for some serious hip flexor cramping.

Richard
 
Sitting in a deep squat position for 30 minutes day while watching TV etc is recommanded by Ido Portal, and I have found it very useful. My tight hips also enjoy practicing slow kicking technique, but I know that some people considers it hazardious to the knee joint.
 
So for work I sit a lot, like so many other folks. While I do have a standing desk and can mix up some walking around during the day, it is hard to deny the impact of sitting on my tight hip flexors. And because of tight hip flexors, I get kind of worried about some exercises like squating and RDLs, etc., since the tight hip flexors kind of throw off my glutes and lower back, etc.

So I was wondering if anyone knows of routines to keep their hip flexors healthy? Also, how do you know when your hip flexors are healthy enough?

So here is what I do today.
1. I sleep on my back with a pillow under my knees. I found that this tip really helps.
2. The couch stretch every morning for a few rounds.
3. Going for a walk at lunch time.

Even with these things I still feel like my hip flexors are too tight. Like I can really tell when I go hiking and going uphill for a long time tends to bother my hips.

So either I am not doing the right things in my routine, or I need to add stuff. Any suggestions?

I've been having the same problem a lot lately as well. I wouldn't call it a routine, but what really works for me is just doing a few different stretches throughout the day.

A couple of the stretches I find that really helps prevent tightness in my hip flexors and keeps them healthy are the rectus femoris stretch and the butterfly stretch.

I recently found some more tight hip flexor stretches that seem to be working at http://hipflexorsinfo.com and https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/anatomy/hip-flexors.
 
“My healthspan and quality of life were reduced significantly because I paid no attention to my hip flexors”, said nobody, ever.
 
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