Stretch It: Hip Flexor Lunge
You know I am a big advocate of stretching, even before I learned that it can give you strength too. I thought I would show you all one of my favorite stretches for the hip flexors.
The hip flexors are the four muscles that attach to the front of the pelvis that bring your thigh bone (femur) up toward your torso. These muscles get worked a lot in running and any variation thereof, like the stair stepper or cross country skiing. It is important to keep these muscles flexible because if they get tight they can pull your pelvis out of alignment and give you back pain. Something we should all be working to avoid.
Hip Flexor Lunge
- Keep your front knee at a 90 degree angle (don't let your knee go beyond your ankle)
- Place the top of your back foot on the ground
- Rest your hands on your front knee
- Use your abs to keep the weight out of your back knee, or pad it with a pillow or a yoga mat
Hold stretch for 30 seconds, then repeat on the other side
Looking to get more flexible? Check out these stretches – there's something for every part of your body.
