Avoid back pain with these stretching exercises!

Wondering which exercises are the most efficient to stretch your hip flexor? These are very good stretching exercises to do at home to prevent back pain.

Did a doctor/trainer or friend tell you to stretch your hip flexor? Or have you read about how important it is? No matter where you got the info, it's true!

It is actually very very important that we regularly do exercises that stretch the hip flexor.

If you are shortened in the hip flexor, this can lead to a whole range of problems. First and foremost, pain in the lower back. Especially those who spend a lot of time sitting suffer from this.

If you are one of them, you should stretch your hip flexor regularly! Let's get started with the stretching exercises right after a short self-test.

Important to know: Without the hip flexor, we could not pull the leg up. And not move the knee to the upper body.

In other words, we could not walk and run.

Small children have a very long hip flexor. That's why babies in particular can dislocate so enormously.

We adults just get rusty after a while. Certain muscles atrophy and shorten.

This is what happens to your body when you don't move enough!

How common is back pain in Germany?

Back pain is widespread in Germany and affect many people. It is an everyday problem that affects the quality of life of many people. According to various studies and statistics, back pain is one of the most common health complaints in Germany.🤕

After all, about 80 percent of the population have had to deal with back pain at least once in their lives. These are Four out of five people. Back pain is not limited to a certain age or gender; it can affect people of any age and gender.

Women are more often from Back pain affected than men. Around 66 % of women have back pain, and around 57 % of men.♀️

There are many different causes of back pain. The most common causes include

• Muscle tension
• Herniated discs
• Osteoarthritis
• Overweight
• Bad posture

What is the hip flexor?

The hip flexor is a group of muscles that work in the anterior region of the hip area and play a central role in the movement of the leg and upper body.

The most important muscles in this group include the iliopsoas, which consists of the psoas major and the iliacus, and the rectus femoris, part of the quadriceps.

These muscles allow the knee to be pulled towards the body, a movement that is essential for walking, running and many sports.

Good flexibility and strength of the hip flexors supports correct posture and can prevent back pain.

However, prolonged sitting and a lack of movement can lead to shortening and weakening of these muscles, which can restrict freedom of movement and cause discomfort. It is therefore important to stretch and strengthen them with targeted exercises.

Which age group has the most problems with the hip flexor?

Hip flexor problems are common in middle-aged people, especially those who lead a predominantly sedentary lifestyle.

This age group, often between 40 and 60, is particularly susceptible to hip flexor problems due to factors such as reduced physical activity, prolonged periods of sitting at work and the natural ageing process, which leads to a decrease in muscle elasticity and strength.

The lack of movement can lead to shortening and weakening of the hip flexor muscles, which increases the risk of postural problems, back pain and restricted mobility.

It is therefore important that people in this age group take steps to actively maintain their hip flexors through regular stretching and strengthening exercises and promote a sedentary lifestyle.

How you can tell you need to stretch your hip flexor

Not quite sure if you even need these exercises? You can find out if your hip flexor is shortened. There is a very simple test that provides instant clarity.

1. Lie down with your back on the floor.
2. Raise your left leg off the floor at an angle. Pull it as far as you can toward your chest. The right leg remains on the floor.
3. Do you manage to keep your right leg lying down? If yes: change sides.
4. If no: Your hip flexor is shortened. Do the test on the other side as well.

80% of people will not pass this test. So there's no shame in it, and nothing wrong with it. Provided you start stretching your hip flexor regularly now.

You can repeat this test at times and then see your progress.

What else you should know: The hip flexor is also called the iliopsoas and consists of two parts.

The psoas major muscle originates (in very simplified terms) at the spine. It begins in the course to the thigh and unites here with the M. iliacus, which originates at the ilium.

To put it somewhat simply, the hip flexor consists of two parts. Its origin is at the spine, where it extends across the pelvis to the inner side of the thigh.

These exercises prevent a hollow back!

The best stretching exercises for the hip flexor

How often you need to do the exercises depends on how badly shortened you are. For small shortenings, a mixture of more exercise, less sitting, and 1-2x hip flexor stretching exercises will suffice.

For severe shortening, you can do the exercises every other day and when you notice it getting better, lower the intensity.

If you want to get started with stretching the hip flexor, there are a few little things you need to consider beforehand.

• Warm up. Run at a stand, do some jumping jacks, or go for a big walk. Going straight from sitting to stretching is not a good idea. When you stretch, you activate your muscles.
• Breathe evenly. You can intensify stretching exercises with your breathing. If you want to go deeper into the stretching exercise, exhale deeply. The best way is through the mouth.
• Stretch slowly and with a lot of feeling. Stretching exercises should never cause pain or be done very quickly. You need time to do them cleanly. Avoid jerky movements. A gentle tug is perfect.

These 7 simple stretching exercises everyone should know how to do!

Dynamic or static

You have two options for stretching the hip flexor. Either you stretch dynamically or statically. Dynamic means that you rock back and forth very slightly during the exercise. You stretch the muscle and release the stretch in between.

If you are more of a fan of static stretching, then hold each exercise for 15 to 30 seconds. Dynamic stretching is usually done before a workout. Static is used as a cool down after a workout. Just see what you like better.

Try to hold each of these exercises for at least 20 seconds and do 3 passes. 30 seconds is better, of course. But listen to your body, don't stretch too much and give it time.

By the way, you don't have to do all the stretching exercises. Choose 3 exercises and vary them regularly for the best results.

That's why you need to stretch your hip flexor when you have back pain!

This helps in addition to the stretching exercises

Lower back pain is very often caused by sitting incorrectly. Those who have a bad posture - e.g. due to a hollow back or slumped shoulders - greatly promote back pain.

In fact, with the wrong posture comes a lot of pressure on the lumbar spine, which leads to pain.

Stretching exercises can help. But you should try to get to the root of the problem. So change something about your posture. Unfortunately, this is very easy to say, but very difficult to implement.

What can help you is Upright. At Upright it is a small electronic straight holder* that you stick between your shoulder blades.

Whenever your posture leaves something to be desired, it vibrates and reminds you to keep a straight posture. At the end of the day, you can see in the app how often you really stood up straight and when not.

I can give you the Upright electronic straight holder* because I've been standing and sitting much more upright since I started using it. Even when I don't have it on at all. Somehow you subconsciously memorize the posture, which is quite practical. :)

Do you already know these back exercises for the living room?

Deep lunge

• Bend the left leg. Rest the right knee on the mat.
• Push the hips forward until the back thigh is nicely stretched.
• Do you feel a pulling sensation in the front thigh and groin? Very good!
• Hold this stretch for 30 seconds before switching sides. 2 passes per leg.

If that's not intense enough for you, you can place your left leg on a fascia roller, rolled-up mat, or other elevation (about 10-20 inches high).

Lunge with extra stretch

A slight variation of the previous exercise will add even more variety to your workout.

• You start with a normal lunge. Caution: The front knee must not protrude above the tips of the toes.
• The knee of the right leg is under the hip.
• Grab your foot and pull it up as far as you can. If this causes pain, double up on the exercise mat or put a pad underneath.
• Depending on your fitness level, you can make the stretch more intense by leaning forward more and doing a wider lunge.

For this exercise you need a good sense of balance :)

Stretch hip flexors in lateral position

• Lie sideways on the mat. Rest your head on your left arm.
• Grab the right foot with the right hand. Pull the heel up toward your butt as far as you can.
• The left leg does not move. It remains on the ground!
• If you feel too little stretch, you can pull the right thigh further back. So that the thighs are no longer parallel to each other.

These are the 9 best exercises for the hips!

Cobra

Also in yoga there are many exercises that stretch the hip flexor.

• In the prone position, support your hands on the floor under your shoulders.
• The elbows are against the body. The legs on the mat.
• Inhale and lift the upper body off the mat. Begin to lift the head and roll up vertebra by vertebra.
• Without using your arms. The arms only help you keep your balance.
• The movement starts from the back.
• The gaze is directed forward. The head does not hang down and is not stretched too much upwards.
• Hold this position for 6 breaths.

These fascia yoga exercises will keep you supple!

Stretch hip flexors in prone position

• Rest your forehead on your left arm.
• Lift the right leg at an angle. Grasp it with the right hand.
• Lift the right leg off the mat.
• The hip must remain on the floor. Strengthen the stretch with the arm.
• The left leg remains on the mat.

Stretching exercise "knee stand

• The starting position for this hip flexor exercise is the kneeling position.
• Place the right leg so that the heel is at the knee of the left leg.
• Lean back and place your hands under your shoulders.
• Push your hips up so that you feel a pull in the front of your thigh.

Too heavy? Then place your arms bent on the sofa. This makes this stretching exercise easier.

Advanced lunge

• The starting position of this exercise is the lunge. However, you do not put your left leg down with your knee. It remains in the air and touches the floor only with the balls of the feet.
• The right leg is at a right angle.
• The palms touch the floor. Place them both to the left of the right leg. That is, on the inside of the foot.
• Stretch the hip towards the floor. You should feel the stretch in the hip flexor. If not, move the back leg even further back.
• Turn your upper body to the left towards the ceiling. Your gaze always follows the hand.

And of course, the exercise we first did as a test should not be missing from your workout. It not only helps you to see if you need to stretch your hip flexor, but is also a wonderful stretching exercise to finish off your workout.

Why you also need to train the opponents

In order for your hip flexor to do its job properly, the entire hip musculature must be in balance. Training only the hip flexor won't get you there. Your core, back and legs also want regular attention!

Above all, the hip flexor's counterpart, the hip extensor, must not be forgotten. If the hip flexor is strong and the hip extensor is weak, the strong muscle pulls the weak muscle forward. This is often seen in the form of a hollow back.

Why you need to stretch a shortened hip flexor

On average, everyone sits for 6.5 hours a day. More than one in five even sits for 9 hours. And that is very bad for our body.

You may know this in the form of back pain. Very often, however, the problem is not with the back itself. The culprit is the shortened hip flexor. And the reason for this is that we move too little.

If our muscles shorten, this leads to muscular imbalances. These promote lumbar spine problems.

Only regular walking and standing keep the muscles and fascia supple. If, on the other hand, we sit too much, the hip flexor muscle loses its tone and elasticity.

And that leads to a round back, a hollow back and a head pushed forward. All this makes the back pain even worse.

The lumbar spine tries to compensate for the non-existent mobility of the hip. And that leads to even more pain in the lower back.

By stretching, you bring this imbalance back into balance. At the same time, you should also try to sit less. At work, a standing desk can help. And in your free time, walk more.

And, of course, training. Because the muscles are hardly used in everyday life, they need to be strengthened during leisure time. Targeted hip flexor stretching, trunk and back training will save you from pain in the future.

Try these 11 exercises for a strong back!

What you can do for your hip flexor in everyday life

But also in everyday life you can do a lot for your health and posture.

Calculate your sitting times

Think specifically about how many hours a day you spend sitting down. In an office job, it will be at least 10 hours in total.

Also count your commute to work, lunch break, watching TV, dinner and breakfast.

Because sitting is the main cause of a shortened hip flexor, you need to try your Change sitting habits.

Once you've collected the hours, you'll have a baseline and know where to start.

Change your sitting times

If you are dependent on a car or public transport, then try to walk as much as possible. So not driving right up to the front door can help enormously.

Go for a walk every day. Try to get to about 7000 steps a day. A quick lap around the block is incredibly good for your body.

You're going out for coffee with a friend? Very good! Then go for a long walk beforehand. You can also discuss many things very well and exchange ideas. Then you have really earned your coffee!

I tested it: 7 days standing desk. It really does the trick!

Move regularly

Even during work and especially when it's stressful, you need to move. Go for a short walk during your lunch break. Don't call your colleague from the second floor, but stop by in person.

Experts recommend 5 minutes of exercise break after 45 minutes of sitting.

It doesn't help to take 15,000 steps every weekend and stay well under 2000 during the week.

Our conclusion

If you have back pain, then you should stretch your hip flexor. However, it's even better if you start stretching before you have pain. Do the quick test to see if your hip flexor muscles are shortened or not. Then you can be very specific.

To browse further:

• Stretching shoulders - 7 simple exercises with which it works!
• The 11 best stretching exercises for the thighs
• The yoga swivel seat: this is how it goes, this is how it works

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