Running trainer claims that performing these seven stretches can alleviate tight hips and enhance your running technique
Tightness in the hip flexors can negatively impact running performance, limiting hip range of motion, reducing stride efficiency, and potentially causing compensations such as overstriding. When hip flexors are tight, they restrict leg lift and extension during running, leading to a stiffer, less fluid gait and increasing injury risk.
In addition to this, tight hip flexors can cause runners to overstride, which is inefficient and increases injury risk, and reduce smooth hip joint mobility needed for fast, powerful strides.
To address this issue, athlete and running coach Yana Strese recommends incorporating hip stretches into your fitness routine. Here are seven exercises, requiring no equipment, that can help stretch hip flexor muscles and mobilize joints:
- Dynamic mobility drills: Warm up hip joints, increase range of motion, and prepare muscles for running. Examples include hip circles, leg swings, and the 90-90 stretch.
- Strengthening exercises: Improve hip flexor strength and stability to support running propulsion. High plank with band-resisted hip flexion, for instance, strengthens hips and core simultaneously.
- Stretching and yoga: Lengthen tight hip flexors to reduce muscle stiffness and improve flexibility. Yoga stretches targeting the psoas major, iliacus, and rectus femoris, such as lunges and pigeon pose, are beneficial.
- Mobility routines: Short full-body mobility flows focusing on hips and spine to increase joint fluidity and reduce stiffness. Examples include a 5-minute mobility routine including cobra push-up and down dog.
Incorporating these exercises regularly can help runners maintain proper hip function, optimize stride mechanics, and reduce injury risk. Additionally, a hip mobility yoga routine can provide additional routines to address tight hip flexors, while everyday hip stretches can help undo the damage of sitting on the hip flexors.
If you spend a lot of time at a desk or driving, your hip muscles may become tight, which can negatively impact running performance. Strengthening the muscles in the hip area is also beneficial. Regular hip-strengthening exercises are recommended to keep the muscles healthy.
If you're aiming to improve your running speed, you'll need to improve your running stride and increase your cadence. Tight hips can shorten your stride, so focusing on stretching and strengthening your hip flexors can help achieve a longer stride and potentially improve running speed.
However, it is important to remember that every individual is unique, and what works for one runner may not work for another. It is always a good idea to consult with a healthcare professional or a running coach before starting any new exercise regimen.
References
[1] Strese, Y. (2020). The Ultimate Guide to Hip Flexor Exercises. Retrieved from https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/training/a29797551/hip-flexor-exercises/
[2] Hackney, A. C., & Reid, D. L. (2010). The biomechanics of running. Clinics in Sports Medicine, 29(3), 341-360.
[3] Kraemer, W. J., Ratamess, N. A., Volek, J. S., French, D. N., Faigenbaum, A. D., & Maresh, C. M. (2002). Physiological adaptations to short-term sprint interval training in young women. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 34(11), 1849-1856.
[4] Humphrey, S. (2018). 5-Minute Mobility Flow: Hips, Shoulders, and Spine. Retrieved from https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/training/a20265834/5-minute-mobility-flow-hips-shoulders-and-spine/
[5] Robertson, D. (2019). How to Improve Your Running Form. Retrieved from https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/training/a20305360/how-to-improve-your-running-form/
- Yoga stretches, such as lunges and pigeon pose, can help lengthen tight hip flexor muscles found in runners, reducing stiffness and improving flexibility, which is crucial for a wellness-focused health-and-science approach to fitness-and-exercise.
- Incorporating dynamic mobility drills, like hip circles, leg swings, and the 90-90 stretch, into one's fitness-and-exercise routine can help increase the range of motion in hip joints, ultimately improving the efficiency of one's running strides and reducing injury risk.
- Scientific studies suggest that focusing on stretching and strengthening hip muscles can potentially aid in increasing running speed, as tight hips may otherwise shorten a runner's stride, making each stride less efficient.
