Tight Hip Flexors? Don’t just stretch.

Do you have tight hips?

Maybe you have taken an ELDOA class and wondered “Why is this so tough on my hip flexors?” . It’s true, sitting in those one-minute ELDOA postures can be a real killer!

In the first years of my training I thought the exact same thing.  I remember raising my hand in an ELDOA Method™️ course and timidly asking…”but why do we have to contract the hip flexors so much?”  My question was met with a strange look. Clearly I was missing something. 

As a fitness trainer, all I ever heard about in the fitness world was that tight hip flexors were really bad, and I needed to learn how to release them.

Later as I began to understand the mechanics of the ELDOA postures, things became clearer.  Contracting the hip flexors is simply a part of all seated ELDOA postures—it wouldn’t be ELDOA without that strong contraction of the hips.  There’s a greater purpose for all that hip flexion.

The hip flexors (iliacus and psoas muscles, or iliopsoas) work together to pull the thigh toward the chest.  When you are seated on the floor with knees bent, your hip flexors are responsible for keeping your spine fully erect.

Iliopsoas muscle group

So how does contracting the hip flexors make the ELDOA work?

The hips flexors contract strongly from their attachments on the spine (T12-L5) to the head of the thigh bone (femur) to help maintain the seated posture.  In essence, your hip flexors support your low back.  When they are strong, flexible and fully functional, they support the structure of your spine and keep you safe from disc compression and injury.  In a perfect world, your hip flexors are strong enough to hold you up in a seated position for a very long while. 

But ah, life.  We sit in chairs all day which shortens the hip flexors and makes them weaker.  Remember, a muscle must be able to stretch fully in order to contract fully.  Hip flexors need that full range of motion to do their job.

Myofascial stretch for the psoas

And what a job it is!  The iliopsoas (aka hip flexor) is the workhorse muscle group of the body.  Did you know that you cannot move your trunk or leg in any direction without utilizing the hip flexors?

Interestingly, tight and weak hip flexors contribute to low back fatigue, slow digestion, shallow breathing, poor posture, and even knee pain.  

So the next time you are holding a seated ELDOA posture at maximum effort, remember to appreciate the work of the iliopsoas. The goal is to strengthen these muscles by contracting them, and then end with a good hip flexor stretch.  As a result of your efforts. you can look forward to:

-great posture

-support for your lumbar spine

-reduced back pain

-really, really toned legs and hips!

What are you waiting for?  I’ll see you in class!

Hi, I’m Stephanie

I curate specialty programs for posture and back pain to help my busy clients get fit in less time than they thought possible. I believe that fitness can fit right into your day!