I despise stretching. I only have so much time to workout, and the last thing I want to do is sit in a yoga pose and prove to myself just how inflexible I am. Plus, I’m a firm believer that proper exercise technique and range of motion, along with intelligent exercise selection will give the majority of us the flexibility we need to prevent injury, feel better, and most importantly, move better.
However, there are certain stretches that most of us MUST do. The kneeling hip flexor stretch is at the top of the list. Why?
- Too much sitting: Most people sit far more than they stand. Sitting for long periods of time tends to shorten and stiffen the hip flexors. Short, stiff hip flexors pull us forward. Over time, that forward leaning posture causes problems.
- Low back problems: Short, stiff hip flexors can cause lower back pain because it pulls us out of neutrality, and forces our lumbar spine to do work that the hips should be doing.
- No butts: Short, stiff hip flexors can cause our glutes to shut off. If we can’t turn our glutes on, how can we ever look good in jeans?
- No power: For athletes, short, stiff hip flexors prevent the powerful glutes from turning on. Strength, power, and performance will suffer. One of the quickest ways to increase an athlete’s vertical jump is to loosen up tight hip flexors.
See it in action
Mike Boyle, strength coach for the Boston Red Sox, demonstrates the best hip flexor stretch we’ve found below:
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