Running trainer claims that seven specified stretches can alleviate tight hips and enhance your running technique
Tight hip flexors can negatively impact running performance and lead to various issues, such as pain, reduced stride length, and imbalance during running. Improving hip mobility is crucial for optimising running performance and maintaining hip stability.
According to athlete and running coach Yana Strese, incorporating hip stretches into a fitness routine is essential. Tight hip flexors limit hip mobility, alter running form, and increase stress on the hip joint and surrounding muscles. This can lead to pain, reduced stride length, and imbalance during running.
To address this issue, a combination of stretching and strengthening exercises is recommended.
Stretching Exercises
Stretching exercises to release tight hip flexors and improve flexibility include the lizard pose, high lunge, and various yoga-based hip flexor stretches. These exercises counteract tightness from prolonged sitting and improve posture and balance.
Strengthening Exercises
Strengthening exercises to enhance hip flexor control and stabilise the hips include high plank with band-resisted hip flexion, glute bridges (standard and single-leg), clamshells with resistance bands, and exercises focusing on active hip range of motion and hip flexor strength.
Before and After a Run
Runners with tight hip flexors or hip pain should include dynamic stretches before running to prepare muscles and reduce injury risk. Regularly doing hip-strengthening exercises can help keep the muscles in this area healthy.
Yana Strese recommends seven hip stretches that can be done before or after a run to stretch hip flexor muscles and mobilise joints. No equipment is needed for this hip stretch workout.
Tight hip flexors can cause the lower back to arch, potentially leading to back pain. This hip muscle imbalance can lead to other muscles overcompensating, increasing the risk of injury. Tight hips can also strain the upper body, including the shoulders and neck, as they resist the imbalance created by the awkward pull of the lower body.
As the iliopsoas muscles, a strong group of muscles in the hip flexors, shorten with more sitting time, the stride may shorten, disrupting the natural gait. Tight hip muscles shorten the stride, limiting movement.
Addressing tight hip flexors with both targeted stretches and strength training is key to enhancing running performance, preventing pain, and maintaining hip stability.
