Many people are sitting down a little too much, whether it is at a desk job, in a car or on the sofa...which means their hip flexors are at a greater risk of becoming weak. Whether you are an amateur runner, a gym regular or a professional sprinter, being an athlete means it is even more important for you to reduce your sitting time and maximise movement in your day-to-day life, which will ultimately relax your hip flexors and aid athletic performance.

The hip flexors play a crucial role in lower body movement by driving your knees forward when you run to produce optimal leg stride and speed. The muscles responsible for this are called the Psoas and Iliacus, which are located near to the top of your thighs. When you run, your psoas muscle is contracted repetitively when you lift your knee, resulting in tight hips if the opposing muscles (predominantly the glutes) are not being stretched.

Tight hip flexors for gym goers and athletes can result in a lower back arch and upper back curve when undergoing various exercises, which means you will be more prone to injury. If you aren’t sure whether you have tight hip flexors or not, then the following symptoms may help you to decide.

• Tenderness when pressing into the hip flexors whilst lying down.

• Pain or tightness around the hip joint whilst in a high knee position or when you bring your knee to chest, lying down.

• Popping or clicking sounds when you move your hip through a variety of ranges of motions.

Stretching is a good start to combat tight hip flexors, however it is just as important to strengthen these weaker muscles. Luckily, you don’t have to drag yourself to the gym to perform these stretches and mobility exercises; they can be done at home with three pieces of Mirafit equipment; a resistance band, an aerobic step, and a yoga mat. For the resistance band exercises, you should double loop the band for tension if it is too long.

Standing Banded Knee Raises

• Wrap the Resistance Band around your feet, shoulder width apart.

• Keep your right foot pressed into the ground and lift your left knee up, keeping it dorsiflexed to prevent the bands from slipping off.

• With a brief pause at the top and with your core engaged, lower the left leg to the floor.

• Repeat as many times as needed and then switch legs.

Banded Lateral Walks

• With your feet shoulder width apart, wrap the band around your ankles.

• The band should be taut and not bunched; bend your knee and lower into a half squat.

• Keeping in this position, shift your weight over your right leg, followed by a step in the same direction with your left leg. Make sure your back is straight and not rounded.

• Repeat in this direction for 10 sideway steps and then do the same again in the other direction.

Banded Clamshells

• Lie on your side with the band positioned just above your bent knees.

• Keeping your feet together, lift the top knee up without rotating the hips and then lower it to the starting position.

• Do this for the required number of repetitions and then repeat on the other leg.

Fire Hydrants

• Using a yoga mat, get onto your hands and knees.

• Lift one leg off the ground, moving your knee out to the side while keeping it bent. Squeezing your glutes will help engage your core and keep a neutral spine.

• Hold this position for 2 seconds and bring your knee back to the starting position.

• Repeat for the required number of repetitions on both sides.

Single Leg Glute Bridges

• Lie on the floor with your hands by your side, knees bent and feet flat on the Exercise Step. Extend one leg fully so that it is at a 45-degree angle to the floor.

• In this position, raise your hips whilst you squeeze your glutes and engage your core so that your shoulders and knees remain in a straight line.

• Hold this for 2-3 seconds.

• Return to the starting position but remember to keep the movement controlled and steady in both directions.

• Repeat on each leg for the desired number of repetitions.

In conclusion, depending on your level of fitness and current hip flexor strength, undergoing the above exercises will be a vital starting point to strengthen your hip flexors in order to aid athletic performance, and will also make the everyday functional activities more manageable. As your hip flexor strength increases, you may decide to use a tighter resistance band or even apply ankle weights. Implementing these exercises into your day-to-day lives will definitely be a game changer.

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Tags: Equipment > Step