Hip Flexor Issues

[Davejlaw]

Can anyone recommend exercises to strengthen and limber up hip flexor muscles? I study HapKiDo and do pretty well with most of the kicking but my hip flexors have been killing me. I am not overweight and am in pretty good shape and try to stretch them but sometimes even stretching them can be painful. If anyone has a solution or a link where I can get more info. I'd really appreciate it.

 

[Lisa]

Hip Flexor exercises include sit ups, leg raises, and hanging leg raises.

Try this link here and see if it helps any.

Overdeveloped and tight hip flexors can cause lower back pain as well. It is important to stretch the hip flexor muscles and strengthen the abdominals.

Hope this helps.

 

[Davejlaw]

Thanks for the helpful link, I've been concentrating on stomach a lot at the gym and that hasn't seemed to have helped the flexors much. I will start doing the leg raises for a while and get back to you...Thanks again!

 

[Bigshadow]

I understand that to make the hip flexors more flexible is to squat with both feet flat on the floor to where you are actually sitting in the squat much like what you see people in many Asian countries do while they wash something in creek or are handling something on the ground. This is a VERY difficult sitting position but is a very natural position to be in and should be effortless and comfortable to sit in for an extended amount of time.

Try sitting like this for 1 minute (you must be totally relaxed and balanced). If you get to 1 minute consistently, go for 2 minutes and keep going until you can sit like that for maybe 5 minutes or so.

Like this....

 

[Davejlaw]

Good tip Shadow; I tried it last night and could see that it will help but my hips were still too sore from the other night's class to sit that way for even a minute.

 

[Lisa]

David,

A trip to the doctor and some physio might be in order if you are experiencing that kind of pain. That way they right diagnosis can be made and a plan set in action to get you pain free.

Just a thought.

 

[Bigshadow]

Good tip Shadow; I tried it last night and could see that it will help but my hips were still too sore from the other night's class to sit that way for even a minute.

It isn't easy. It doesn't feel good (even when not sore from class), but it does get more comfortable and easier. The key is keeping the feet flat on the floor. I can't sit like that for anymore than about a minute or so. It isn't excrutiating pain, just uncomfortable like doing stretches. Also, I don't do them on a regular basis like I should.

However, if your pain is more than that feeling you get when you stretch, you may want to see a doc as Lisa pointed out.