Why do hips get tight?
Prolonged sitting, repetitive movements i.e. running & cycling, poor posture, weak core and structural issues can cause tight hips.
Prolonged sitting is the worse as hip flexors shorten and hips spend a very long time in flexion.
I’ve found that running and cycling really effect the hips, especially the IIIOPSOAS (the muscle that attaches around the pelvis).
Diagnosis
Lay on your back and pull your knee into your chest. If the other leg lifts, you’re prone to tight hips.
What else can tight hips effect?
- Can cause back pain
- Groin pain and knee pain
- Create a pelvic tilt
- Difficulty in standing upright
- Digestive issues – Psoas being close to the vital stomach organs
- Breathing difficulties – Psoas attaches to the diaphragm
7 Top Hip Stretches
(please refer to my @jkpt82 instagram page for examples of these stretches)
Click each link to see a demonstration video:
Can you have tight and weak hips?
Yes, you can! Sounds conflicting, right?!
The two groups that have tight and weak hips are sedentary people and athletes that have imbalances in their workouts.
One example would be someone sitting much of the time would have tight hip flexors and weak gluteus. This is called Reciprocal Inhibition. When one muscle works harder that the opposing muscle. Another example would be someone who did Bicep curls and forgot Tricep extensions.
Need some help with this or any other exercises? Get in touch and see how I can help.