If you sit at a desk all day (and let’s face it, isn’t that most of us?), chances are your hip flexors scream at you every now and then. Spending a lot of time sitting—whether it’s at a desk, in a car or even on the couch—puts your hip flexors in a compressed position, causing them to shorten and tighten up.
On the flip side, certain athletes are prone to tight hip flexors—particularly runners and bikers, who repeatedly use the hip flexors to lift their legs, which shortens the hip flexor muscles, says Kimberly Baptiste-Mbadiwe, a physical therapist at the HSS Orthopedic Physical Therapy Center.
To add to that, if certain muscles are weak, including the core, glutes, or piriformis (a deep gluteal muscle that helps external rotation of the hip), it forces the hip flexors to take over some of the job of stabilizing the spine and pelvis, leading the already overworked hip flexors to stiffen.
What are the hip flexors?
Your hip flexors are a group of muscles along the front of your upper thigh. They include the iliacus, psoas major, rectus femoris and sartorius.
The iliacus and psoas major are the primary hip flexors, which work together to flex and stabilize your hip and pull your thigh and torso together when you walk, run, sit or stand. The rectus femoris helps with hip flexion and knee extension, while the sartorius helps flex and externally rotate the hip and flex the knee.
Since the hips connect the lower back to the legs, tight hip flexors make it harder for your pelvis to rotate properly, which can impact several other areas of your body. Signs of tight hip flexors include pain or discomfort in the front of your hip that typically gets worse with prolonged sitting or repetitive hip-flexion movements like running and cycling.
Stretches for tight hip flexors
Glute bridges, planks, crunches and clamshells can help keep your glutes, core and piriformis strong, which will help improve strength and mobility in the hips.
To keep your hip flexors supple, make sure to get up and move more throughout the day. “I recommend changing position every 30 to 45 minutes—or even sooner if needed—to avoid tightness,” says Kimberly Baptiste-Mbadiwe, a physical therapist at HSS. “Stand up, walk around, or perform a quick stretch, if necessary.”
Here are four stretches you can sprinkle into your day to help increase flexibility and mobility in the hip flexors. Hold each stretch for 30 seconds on each side, and repeat for three sets total, at least twice a day.
Half-Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch
- Begin by kneeling on the floor.
- Bring your right leg in front of you so that your right thigh is parallel to the floor, with your knee bent at a 90-degree angle and your foot flat on the floor.
- Leave your left knee on the floor, making sure that your shin is pointing straight back (not toward the left or right).
- Put your hands on your hips, then bring your thumbs downward, contract your glutes, and feel your pelvis tuck under you.
- With your back straight, shift your weight forward until you feel a stretch through the front of the left thigh and groin.
- For an even deeper stretch, reach your left arm up overhead and slightly toward the right.
- Repeat on the other side.
90/90 Stretch
- Sit on the floor with your right leg in front of you and your knee bent at a 90-degree angle, so the bottom of your foot is facing the left wall.
- Extend your left leg out to the side and bend your knee at a 90-degree angle, so the bottom of your foot is facing the back wall.
- Square your shoulders to the front. To check that your back remains straight, extend your arms straight out in front of you. Your fingertips should face the front wall.
- Place your fingertips on either side of your right shin for balance. Think about sinking both hips into the floor.
- For an even deeper stretch, lean your chest as far forward as you can go without collapsing your upper body or losing the connection between your hips and the floor.
- Repeat on the other side.
Supine Hip Flexor Stretch
- Lie on your back on the right edge of your bed with both legs extended on the bed.
- Bend your left leg, with your knee pointing toward the ceiling and your foot flat on the bed. Make sure your back is pressed flat against the bed.
- Let your right leg fall off the side of the bed, keeping your back flat.
- Bend your knee back as far as you can, keepingyour back flat and right leg hanging off the bed.
- For an even deeper stretch, grab your left knee and pull it toward your chest.
- Repeat on the other side.
Side-Lying Hip Flexor Stretch
FAQs
Stretches for tight hip flexors
How do you loosen a tight hip flexor? ›
Hip flexor stretch (kneeling)
- Kneel on your affected leg and bend your other leg out in front of you, with that foot flat on the floor. ...
- Keeping your back straight, slowly push your hips forward. ...
- Hold the stretch for at least 15 to 30 seconds.
- Repeat 2 to 4 times.
The hip flexor muscles are a group of muscles situated near the top of your thighs that allow you to lift your knee toward your chest and bend forward at the hip. This includes the iliacus, pectineus, psoas major, rectus femoris, and sartorius muscles that work together to enable hip flexion.
Which of the following exercises is used to stretch the hip flexors? ›
Lunges work the lead glute and quad muscles (including the rectus femoris, which is also a hip flexor). They also stretch the hip flexors on the rear leg, which have to lengthen, depending on how far you step forward. From a standing position, look straight ahead and take a generous step forward with your right foot.
How do you release tightness in the hip? ›
90/90 Hip Stretches
Sit on the floor and place one leg in front of you and the other behind, with both your knees bent at 90-degree angles. Lean forward slightly and hold the position for at least 30 seconds—you will most definitely feel your hips stretching and loosening.
Does walking loosen tight hip flexors? ›
Prolonged periods of not moving, such as sitting, may cause the hip flexors to tighten, so finding even small ways to move your hips throughout the day — whether that's a dedicated 20 minutes of walking or doing one minute of walking as a “movement snack” — will help keep your hip flexors supple.
What is the figure 4 stretch after hip replacement? ›
The figure 4 stretch
Lying on your back with your unaffected leg straightened, bend your affected knee. Allow the affected knee to fall out to the side, without letting your pelvis rotate. You may feel the stretch in the front, back or side of the hip. This stretch should not be painful.
What is the figure 4 technique? ›
The climbing figure four is the ice climbing technique where you wrap one leg over the opposite arm.
What are 4 quadrant stretches? ›
The 4 quadrant stretching program is made to stretch all parts of the shoulder. These parts include: 1) the front part by the arm pit (anterior inferior) 2) the back part by the arm pit (posterior inferior) 3) the upper part in the back (posterior superior) and 4) the upper part in the front (anterior superior).
How do you get rid of hip flexor pain fast? ›
Applying ice or heat to the affected area of the hip or groin. This can be done with ice cubes or frozen vegetables (in plastic bags) wrapped in a towel, or a hot water bottle. Compressing the affected hip with an elastic bandage to reduce any swelling. The elastic bandage can be wrapped around the hip and pelvis.
The iliopsoas muscle is the strongest flexor of the hip joint. Simultaneous contraction of the psoas major and iliacus muscles produces a powerful flexion of the thigh at the hip joint.
What is the best position to sleep in with hip flexor pain? ›
Try sleeping on your back
Try adding a pillow or bolster under your knees. Not only does this further ease strain on your hip flexors, but it can also help you stay on your back through the night. That added bit of extra support might be what you need to wake up without pain that's worse than the night before.
How should I sit to relieve hip flexor pain? ›
Maintain Proper Posture: Sit with your feet flat on the ground and your knees at a 90-degree angle. Keep your back straight, shoulders relaxed, and head in a neutral position. Sitting Positions: Avoid crossing your legs or leaning over to one side, as it can exacerbate hip tightness.
What exercises to avoid with hip flexor strain? ›
Avoid exercises involving repetitive hip flexion, the motion involving bringing your hip or leg up toward your chest. If doing squats, keep them shallow and hold off on lunges entirely, until you receive a diagnosis from your doctor. Do not work through pain. When walking or running, pay attention to pain.
What causes hip flexors to be tight? ›
The most common cause of hip tightness – your desk job.
If you work at a desk, your hips spend more time in flexion, with your knees closer to your chest. Your hip flexor muscles have to work to maintain this position, causing issues over time.
Why are my hip flexors super tight? ›
How Do Tight Hip Flexors Occur? Any time you draw your knees toward your torso, your hip flexors are working. Repetition of this motion can result in strain; common sources include: Sports that regularly engage the hip flexors in training, without any counteracting movement, including martial arts, dancing and running.
Why won't my hip flexors loosen up? ›
Your hip flexors may feel tight because they are working overtime to help provide stability – not because they need to be stretched! The same thing goes for your hamstrings and quadriceps. Overuse of these large muscle groups may lead to strain in the muscles themselves, or at their attachments to bone.
