After running suicide sprints at the park, my running buddy complained that sprinting often leaves her lower back tight. I had a notion that her psoas might be tight. This muscle is a major hip flexor (it draws the thigh toward the abdomen) and attaches to the five lowest vertebrae, the lumbar spine. When the psoas shortens and tighten from activities like sprinting or biking, it can yank on the Read more

I don't think I've ever met a runner who doesn't suffer from tight hips, hamstrings, or a lower back. The receptive movements and strengthening aspect of running can cause tight muscles that need extra attention. Of course you should never skip the stretching session after a run, but here are three lower-body stretches you should do every day — even on the days you don't run. Open Lizard What Read more

After your run, your legs are probably in need of a good stretch. But it's not all quads, hamstrings, and glutes. Don't forget these areas when stretching after your jog. Hip flexors: Combat all that forward propelling (and desk sitting) with stretches that open up and loosen those all-important hip flexors. Tight hip flexors can lead to back pain and a limited range of motion, so make sure you Read more

If you practice yoga, you've probably spent a decent amount of time holding the majestic standing pose Warrior 1. The pose tones the legs and tush, opens tight hip flexors, and strengthens the shoulders. The next time you step onto your mat, make sure you're avoiding these Warrior 1 mistakes that could lead to pain or injury. Short Stance Why it's bad: Doing Warrior 1 with a short stance places Read more

No matter your fitness passion, from snowboarding to CrossFit, you likely do squats in your sweat sessions — they're a fitness staple. Sometimes, the more simple the move, the more careless we become when doing it, and before you know it you have sloppy squats. Here are four common mistakes that plague the standard squat. Next time you head to the gym, take a little time to get back to basics Read more

Whether you suffer from tight hips because you run, sit at a desk all day, are pregnant, or were just born with oh-so-tight hips, here are three yoga poses you can do every day to increase flexibility and reduce tension in this commonly stiff area. Mix up the sequence each time you do it to keep your muscles guessing. One of my favorite stretches after a run, Lizard will target your hips and hip Read more

When stretching out the lower body, the hips often get passed over in favor of the calves, quads, and hamstrings. Bad idea! Hip flexors are what help lift the legs while running, which means they are prone to tightness. Even if you don't run, but you sit a lot during the day, you're probably tight in your hips, so get a stretching! There's also an added bonus to incorporating some Pigeon Pose Read more

There's nothing like a good multitasking stretch to get your muscles ready for a workout. My trainer at Crunch has me do this stretch sequence to combat muscle tightness I have from sitting at a desk all day, but it's easily as useful for runners, cyclists, and anyone else who needs to stretch the lower body muscles. And if you like yoga, you'll love this sequence; each stretch uses the Read more

Wouldn't it be nice to end every active week with an intense deep-tissue massage to help ease your muscles? But since we can't always spring for a trip to the spa, here's what we can do — use the foam roll at the gym. You may have seen people in the gym foam rolling and think it's just for serious athletes or gym rats, but that's not the case. But there are many reasons why massaging out the Read more

You might be avoiding the essential Pilates exercise the Hundred because it strains your lower back. But don't give up! We might be able to help you fix this problem possibly caused by tight hamstrings. Or you could be overextending your lower back by forcing your legs to straighten. Weak ab muscles and tight hip flexors could also be the culprit. It's difficult but crucial to constantly pull Read more