The hip flexors are the number of muscles that allow you to lift the knees towards your upper body and bend forward from the hips. These muscles are used every day and can be damaged during certain everyday activities or even in sports practice. For example, people who engage in long work shifts sitting down can damage their hip flexor muscles by making them shorten and stiff because of the holding of an unhealthy posture for too long.
1. Balancing Hip Flexion
Start with your feet slightly separated from each other, your toes aiming to the front, your hands on your hips or, if you are not sure about your balance, one hand placed on a chair, table or wall to support yourself. You have to shift your weight to your right leg and make sure you keep your knee flexed and your back completely vertical.
Then, you proceed to breathe in a controlled manner, and when you exhale, start with a leg lift, making sure you flex it at 90 degrees. Make sure your leg is parallel to the floor or higher. Start counting and hold on 2.
Now is the time to inhale and proceed to lower your leg to the floor without resting your foot on the ground. Repeat this process as much as you can perform keeping the reps controlled and slow. Repeat on the opposite side doing the same.
Note that when performing this exercise, it is urged that you don’t lean backward when you lift your leg. Remember to perform these exercises very slowly and in a controlled fashion.
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2. Skater Squats
First, you must stand with your feet separated as wide as your shoulders, your spine must be straight, and your hands must be clasped around your chest.
Start with the controlled breathing and when you first inhale you must squat flexing the knees and hips, keep your back straight, your chest firm and make sure to support your weight on your heels.
Then, you must exhale, straightening your legs when you push up to stand. Shift your weight to the left leg and lift the right leg further away from your body. Make sure your toes are pointing forward.
Next, inhale and place your right leg back on the ground, flexing your knees and hips.
Finally, proceed to exhale; straightening your legs to stand up, now changing your weight balance to the right side of your body, so your right leg supports you, and your left leg is the furthest possible from the side of your body.
Remember to have your toes pointed forward during each repetition. You can also hold onto a chair or even a wall if you feel you need some extra help for balance. It is also recommended to hold your field of vision straight and focus on something. If all of this seems too complicated you can also use the aid of some nootropics and see how easy it becomes!
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3. Runner’s Lunges
Start with your legs separated as much as your hips are, your toes must be pointed to your front, your spine must be straight, and your hands must be holding your hips.
First, inhale, take a not so small step backward using your right leg, make sure to keep your upper body like a tower, straight and firm. Next, you must pay attention on how your knees are flexed when you then start to lower your body and the back of your knee towards the ground.
Following this, you must put your legs straight and separate the leg you have back to proceed to end one repetition. Make sure to observe if your spine is straight and avoid leaning. Also, make sure to have your ankle and your knee aligned on each repetition.
In addition to these exercises, there are simple things you can do every day to help reduce your risk of hip flexor pain. For example, you can avoid sitting for long periods of time without breaks on hard surfaces or uncomfortable chairs. For example, if you have to work on a project or at the office, start taking small breaks standing up regularly so your hip flexors can rest. This can be done with a certain frequency as follows: You can sit for 20 minutes and then rest 5, then you can continue sitting for 30 minutes and rest 10, then 45 minutes and rest a little longer, such as 15 minutes. This is a productive way of resting your hips without taking breaks that are too long.
