Hip hip hip .... flexors!

How to release tight hip flexors

Do you feel a tightness around your hips? Do you experience pain when bending your hip, when walking or squatting? Are you limping a bit? Of course there might be various reasons for these. But it might be that your hip flexors are a bit tight. The hip flexors are a group of muscles around the top of the thighs that connect the upper leg to the hip. These muscles allow you to bend at the waist and raise your leg.

To find out if yours are tight, here is a little test.

Thomas test

To do the test, lie flat on your back on the edge your bed and draw your right knee to the chest, interlacing your fingers around the knee, and keep your lower back flat on the bed.

Now check your left leg and your lower back. Is your left leg flat on the bed? Could you keep your lower back flat on the bed? If you answer ‘no’ to either of the two questions, then your hip flexors are most likely tight.

Having tight hip flexors is actually quite common, especially if you work at a desk or always sleep on the same side of the body or if like me one of your legs is stronger than the other.

How to release tight hip flexors

Yoga offers lots of options to release tight hip flexors like the low lunges - I love adding a pelvic tilt while in a low lunge -, the low bridge, the butterfly… depending on which of the hip flexors is particularly tight.

My favourite at the moment is a modified Pigeon pose as described in the following video. To do it, you just need a rolled blanket or towel. Try it! It feels really good afterwards.

Finally, as any muscles in the body, hip flexors need to be flexible and strong too. So strengthening them is also essential.

I hope you enjoy this short practice. Don’t hesitate to share your feedback.

See you on the mat

Véronique