5 stretches for tight hips
Are you tired of having low back pain that just won’t go away? Maybe you have tried going to a chiropractor, which gives some relief, but the pain keeps coming back. Just when you find yourself in a groove of hitting the gym regularly, your back goes out and sets you back a few weeks. Tight hips along with muscle imbalance can be a common cause in lower back pain and if the root cause is not addressed, then the issue is likely to return. Weak glutes, core and abdominal muscles are often a cause of tight hips. Strengthening the glutes and core along with regular stretches for the hips, can significantly help reduce low back discomfort.
10 years ago I had hip surgery to shave down and smooth out the head of my femur as well as release my Psoas muscle. It ended up being a pretty extensive surgery, but fortunately the recovery was quick. With very little physical therapy, I was back to normal in just a few weeks. The surgery was successful, however, I now have extremely tight hips. Here are five stretches that I do almost daily. They can be done as a dynamic warm up, by moving through them one after another, holding them for less than 5 seconds. I also do them after a workout or on my recovery days and hold them for 30-60 seconds.
Dynamic warm up: move through each movement holding each stretch, no more than 5-10 seconds.
Static stretch/recovery: post workout or on recovery days, hold each stretch 30-60 seconds.
“Find an exercise that you enjoy and you’ll never have to workout another day in your life”
— unknown
