It’s quiet surprising how many people I talk to in the gym who suffer from poor hip mobility. This can be caused by a number of environmental factors such as driving in the car for long distances, sitting at a desk for an extended period of time and sitting down watching TV at night. With all this inactive movement no wonder our hips are constantly tight and stiff.
When we sit down for too long this puts our hips into flexion which shortens the hip flexor muscle. As a result we are unable to recruit our gluteal muscle properly and rely on our knees and lower back for stability. (For example: during a squat movement) This increases strain on the lower back and knee joints possibly resulting in injury.
Tips and Tricks to Improve Hip Mobility
- Reverse Bridges – This increases the activation of the gluteus maximus and provides an active stretch to the hip flexor muscles
- Walking Lunges – To provide a dynamic stretch to the hip flexor
- Foam Rolling – In general foam rolling is a fantastic self tool to use on the lower extremities post workout
- Deep Tissue Massage – To iliopsoas (hip flexor muscle) to lengthen the muscle
- Trigger Point/ Dry Needling – Restored blood circulation to the area to relieve pain and dysfunction
We can help!
Hip mobility is essential to our overall movement. Lack of it can affect our lower back, knees and even shoulders. We hope our easy tips and tricks have proved to be helpful to reduce your stiffness and pain. If your symptoms continue or your hip mobility has not improved Book an Appointment Today to see our Senior Physio Cameron Heise who can assist you with your movement patterns in and out of the gym!
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