There are different reasons as to why you might have tight hips. And some of us are more prone to tightness than others. It is also usually the case that one hip is tighter than the other.
Okay… Let us begin by locating the hips.
The hip is made up of two bones the pelvis and the head of the femur (the thighbone)- the pelvis attaches the upper body to the legs and helps to protect the internal pelvic organs.
The hip is a ball and socket joint. This wonderful design along with all the powerful muscles of the hip allow us to do things like walking, squating and climbing stairs.
The muscles which control the movement of the hip are the glutes (your bum muscles), adductor muscles (on the inside of the thigh), iliopsoas muscle, Rectus femoris muscle (one of your 4 thigh muscles)
So why do they become tight?
If you spend a lot of time sitting during your day this might cause tightness.
Running, cycling and gym time can also cause hips to become tight.
Some more serious causes of hip pain include: Muscle strain, bone fracture, bursitis (inflammation of the bursae), tendinitis (inflammation of the tendon)
Some signs that indicate that your hips might be tight
If you feel pain and discomfort in the upper groin area.
If you are experiencing low back pain or hamstring strain.
Tight hips can sometimes lead to issues in the knees, and sacroiliac joint. This is why it is important to get to know your body so that you can notice imbalances before they become an issue.
Lunge (standing or knealing) – Helps stretch tight hip flexors, which many of us have from sitting too much.
*Come to knealing on one knee. You will be stretching the hip flexor of the leg that is behind you. If you have sensitivity in the knee you can place a blanket underneath it.
*Hold for 30-40 secs on each side.
Supine twist
Twist– Outer hip
*Begin lying on your back. Bring one leg in towards your chest and then direct it over to the opposite side.
*If it’s comfortable turn your head in the opposite direction of your knee.
*Stay for any where from 1-2 mins
Figure of four
*From seated position with souls of the feet on the ground bring your right ankle to cross over the left knee. Place the hands behind you to support the body.
*Allow the right knee to move forward and keep the right toes flexed, you may experience this as an opening into the outer right hip.
*You can shift your bum closer or further away from the ankle of the grounded foot to explore deeper or leser sensation.
Baddha Konasana
Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana) -This will release tension in the inner thigh muscle.
*Pull your heals toward your pelvis , then drop your knees out to the sides and press the soles of your feet together.
*Think about bringing the head of your thigh bone towards you hip socket rather than trying to draw your knees to the ground.
*Sit onto a blanket and perhaps support the knees if you experience have any groin or knee injuries.
If you have any questions or if there is anything you would like to see me discuss feel free to drop me a message, I love hearing from you.
Feel at ease.
Ana Maria
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