More than 20 muscles that are in the hips are responsible for stabilization of the pelvis, movement from side to side, flexion in the knees when you sit down, run, jump or pedal. Whatever sport you do, stretching, including the hip joints, is a necessary final element of any workout.
Huge pressure
Hip joints are always under great pressure. Short, tight thigh muscles can reduce the range of motion throughout the joint, weaken the buttocks and tilt the pelvis, causing curvature of the spine, as well as cause dull back pain, pain in the hip joint. After stretching, as a rule, the body increases its mobility, therefore, the performance of exercises improves and, perhaps, relief of annoying back pain even occurs.
Given the amount of time we sit every day and the stress that we put on our bodies in such an inactive way of life, stretching the hip joints should be a necessary part of our daily lives, both by itself and as the final element of training for this muscle group .
Frog pose
Need to stand in the pose of the table, hands and knees on the floor. Extend your knees slowly to the sides. Make sure that the legs are parallel to each other. Lean a little forward and put more emphasis on the forearms. If stretching your hip joint hurts too much, try putting your hands on some high ground, such as a hard pillow. Hold for 8-12 breaths. If you can last longer, try slowly moving your hips back and forth to bring the stretch to different parts of your hips.
Pose "Sitting Dove"
You need to sit on the floor with bended knees, legs in front of you. Place your right ankle over your left thigh and bend your right leg. Put your hands on your right knee. While stretching your hip joints, your fingertips facing away from your body begin to push your hips toward your heels. Keep your back and chest straight. Hold for six to eight breaths, then repeat on the other side.
Stretching with a strap
Hip joints are stretched while lying down by stretching the adductor muscles with a rubber strap. Lie on your back with your right knee bent and your left leg extended on the floor. Lift your left leg up and wrap the belt around the sole. Holding both ends with your left hand, extend your right hand straight to the side for balance. Slowly allow the left foot to tilt to the left, keeping the right side grounded. Hold for six to eight breaths, then repeat with the opposite side.
Hips
Hip joint stretching can be done as follows. Lie on your back with your right knee bent and your left foot extended parallel to the floor. When the left leg is fully extended, lift the right thigh slightly up, pushing the right heel. This is your starting position. Then squeeze the right buttock, pressing the left thigh to the floor until you feel a stretch, pause, and then return to the beginning. Perform six to eight repetitions, then repeat with the opposite side.
Side hips
There is another good hip stretch exercise. Sit on the floor with your knees bent so that the right lower leg is in front of you, the left lower leg is behind, and the left thigh is pressed to the floor. Inhale and try to move your left thigh forward until you feel a stretch in the front of the thigh. Exhale and put your left thigh back to the floor. Perform six to eight repetitions, increasing your range of motion. Repeat with the opposite side.
Exercises to Improve Hip Mobility
Our daily lives simply do not require a large range of motion. That is why the addition of physical activity is vital. The limited mobility of the hip joint causes problems such as lower back pain, knee problems, and this interferes with the squats and other things you would like to do.
Your hips are the working tools of your body, so it is not surprising that stagnation, inactivity cause a certain type of problem. What to do if after stretching the hip joint hurts? How to reduce discomfort and better performance in almost everything you do?
It is almost impossible to exaggerate how important your hips are in the movement of your body - just try walking without moving your hips. And for sports such as squats, jumping and running, your hips are a major source of strength and stability. But many people do not understand how consistent exercises help the hips remain mobile, strong and healthy. Even small restrictions can have unpleasant and painful consequences.
One of the important things to know when stretching your hip joint at home is that it is simply necessary after an intense workout. The stretch reflex that tightens muscles is protective. It is important that the stretch is slow and enjoyable. Here are some exercises:
- Hip rotation. Lying on your back with bent knees, you need to alternately put the ankle on the opposite knee.
- Pear-shaped stretch to improve the mobility of the hip joint. While sitting, move one leg completely over the opposite leg so that your knee is over the thigh of the other leg. Pull the crossed knee towards the opposite shoulder, stretching the piriformis muscle.
- "Butterfly". Sit with your legs bent at the knees, move the knees (right - to the right, left - to the left) down to the ground. Use your hands to push deeper and move your feet closer to the groin. This classic hip stretch in yoga is not only very beneficial for the groin muscles, but also for improving hip rotation to the side. Pay close attention to your back and keep it straight and upright.
- Lunges. Stand on your left knee. Place your right foot on the floor in front of you, bending your knee. Lean forward, stretching your left thigh toward the floor. Hold for 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Switch to the other side and repeat the exercise.
- Pretzel Stretch. Lie down on your left side, resting on your hand. Bend your right knee and thigh towards your chest as far as possible and let it fall to the floor. Bend your left knee and take your left leg (use a belt if you cannot reach it) with your right hand. Make sure your leg and torso remain in a straight line when you carefully bring your upper shoulder blade to the floor. For greater effect, turn your head to look over your right shoulder. Buttocks, oblique muscles, hips, back stretch.
The negative effects of a sedentary lifestyle
A sedentary lifestyle leads to muscle weakness. This can affect gait, posture, spinal stability, and movement patterns. Normal walking requires approximately 15 degrees of hip extension. If the hip flexors are tight, then in order to walk, the compensatory movement must go through the lower back, causing back pain and premature disc degeneration.
The thigh includes some of the largest muscles in the body, as well as some of the smallest. Most people do not have sufficient mobility of these muscles due to a relatively sedentary and inactive lifestyle. Periods of prolonged sitting position lead to tension in the muscles and ligaments and create favorable conditions for the development of arthritis, problems with posture, and mechanical back pain. Therefore, regular hip stretching will help you maintain good posture and reduce pain.
What is piriformis syndrome?
What does it mean if a hip cracked during stretching? It may be piriformis syndrome. It consists of symptoms that result from mechanical action or irritation of the sciatic nerve when it leaves the pelvis. It can be pain, tingling, burning or numbness, which gets worse with hip movement, internal rotation, and flexion.
Physical therapy is used to treat piriformis syndrome by releasing a nerve, increasing mobility, relaxing muscle tone, and increasing the duration of piriformis relaxation. If pain occurs during training and stretching, this is normal, but only as long as these pains are "pleasant." If you experience unpleasant sensations, acute pain and a crunch, and repeated, then you should contact a traumatologist.
As a rule, for local anesthesia, doctors prescribe ointments that have a warming effect on the muscles and help them relax properly. Often such ointments contain alcohol, mustard, red pepper. The doctor may also advise applying warming compresses. If a diagnosis of “osteoarthritis of the hip joint” was made, then special therapeutic joint gymnastics may be proposed as a treatment. It is important that it is not too intense and includes activities such as swimming, cycling, bending and unbending legs.
A little test of flexibility
An easy way to evaluate the flexibility of the flexor muscles of the hip joint is to use the Thomas test:
- Lie on your back on the floor, bench, or other stable flat surface.
- Press both knees to your chest.
- Leave the right knee at the chest, straighten the left leg.
- Lower your left foot as far as possible to the floor. Repeat with the other leg.
- The hip flexors are considered to be tight if none of the legs can completely lower to the surface on which you are lying.
A sedentary lifestyle can lead to tight hip flexors and hip flexor pain. They become weaker and shorter, sometimes causing a painful condition called adaptive shortening.
Tips & Tricks
What can you do to help prevent or reduce the risk for tight hips and reduce pain? Here are some useful things to help you:
- Get up and walk every hour or so if you are sitting at a table for extended periods of time.
- Warm up before any workout.
- Be sure to stretch at the end of each workout.
- Proper stretching and massage can also reduce the risk of muscle stiffness and pain.
- See your doctor if you have persistent pain in any part of your body. He can determine what exactly is the true cause of the pain.
However, not everyone can perform stretching of the hip joints. Among the contraindications, it is worth highlighting hypertension, a hernia in the abdomen or groin, severe diseases of the vessels and heart, late pregnancy and high fever.