Hip stretch

The hip joint is a very important joint in our body. Because there are more muscles outside this joint, it is covered inside. When this joint feels pain, generally only through MRI examination can we see the specific location and condition of the disease. Most of the causes of hip joint injuries are caused by strains. So what should we do if the hip joint is strained?

The following examples all use static stretching of the hip joint as an example. Static stretching has low intensity and a relatively small potential risk of injury, but it still has good muscle and ligament stretching functions. It is of great significance for muscle building and body shaping, and can also effectively prevent and treat various sports injuries.

Hip stretching exercises explained

Supine Hip Flexion

The supine hip flexion exercise has a good stretching effect on the muscles and ligaments behind the hip joint.

Lie on your back with your legs flat, bend your left knee and bring it towards your chest (keep your right leg flat). You can hold your knee joint inward with both hands and pull hard until you feel a tightness in the base of your thigh. Hold for 15-30 seconds, then switch to the other side. Do one exercise for each leg as a set, and three sets are best. The specific movements are shown in the picture below (the calf can be moved down a little bit).

Lunge Stretch

The lunge stretch, also known as the hip-leg stretch or hip-leg stretch, has a good stretching effect on the anterior hip and lower back ligaments and muscles.

The basic movements are: kneel on one leg, bend the other leg to about 90 degrees and place the foot on the ground in front of the body, move the upper body forward, stretch both arms upward, so that the thigh muscles on the kneeling side and the muscles connecting the hip and waist feel tight. Hold for 15-30 seconds, then switch to the other side. Do it once for each hip as a set, and three sets are best.

Hip internal rotation

Hip internal rotation and hip external rotation have a good stretching effect on the muscles and ligaments around the hip joint.

Prepare a cloth tape about 1.5 meters long and wide. Lie on your back with your legs flat, bend your left knee and hip so that your thigh is perpendicular to the ground and your calf is parallel to the ground. Keep your right leg flat. Use a wide cloth belt to hold the sole of your left leg, pull the sole of your foot and calf outwards so that you feel tightness in your left hip, hold for 15-30 seconds, then switch to the other side. Do one exercise for each leg as a set, and three sets are best.

Hip external rotation

The basic movement is similar to hip internal rotation, except that you pull the foot and calf inward. The specific actions are shown in the figure below.

Hip

Hip thrust, also known as cross-leg stretch, has a good stretching effect on the outer hip muscles and ligaments.

The basic action of hip thrust is: stand with your legs crossed, put the center of gravity of your body on the legs and feet behind you, then try to lean sideways toward the side of your center of gravity foot, so that the hip joint on your center of gravity foot feels like it is being pushed outward, hold for 15-30 seconds, then switch to the other side and do it again. Do one exercise for each leg as a set, and three sets are best. The specific actions are shown in the figure below.