1. Get down on your hands and knees in front of a couch, facing away from it.
2. Place one shin on the back of the couch, keeping your knee bent.
3. Your leg in front of the couch should be bent at 90 degrees at the knee. Raise your upper body up straight and hold for one minute before repeating on the other side.
6. Half-kneeling chop
If you’re looking for a dynamic hip flexor stretch to do before your runs, Dr. Fata-Chan says that this is a good one. “It’s an active hip flexor stretch because the hip is stabilizing as you chop across the body, lengthening the psoas fibers,” he says. You need a medicine ball for this one.
1. Start by kneeling on one knee bent at 90 degrees. Your other foot should be flat on the floor with that knee also bent at 90 degrees.
2. Bring the medicine ball up to one shoulder. While keeping your core engaged and posture upright, bring the medicine ball down to your opposite hip. Continue for one minute before repeating on the other side.
7. Reverse nordic stretch
“This exercise stretches the hip flexors, hitting both the psoas and the rectus. It also stretches the quads, too,” Dr. Fata-Chan says. It improves hip flexibility while also strengthening the quads, so you’re getting double the benefits with one move.
1. Get down on your knees, upper body upright.
2. Push the hips forward and lean back as far as you can without straining the lower back.
3. Squeeze your quads and return to the starting position. Repeat for one minute.
8. Bridge
Dr. Fata-Chan explains that the glutes extend the hips. “If you contract your hips, you’re naturally going to be stretching your hip flexors because the hip flexors do the opposite movement of the glutes,” he says. That’s exactly what’s happening when you’re in a bridge stretch, which is why it’s a great hip flexor mobility exercise.
1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, about hip-width distance apart.
2. Tuck your tailbone and squeeze your glutes to lift your hips off the floor, engaging your abs as you lift. Lift your hips while keeping your shoulders on the ground. Hold for one minute.
9. Lunge
Both Dr. Hassan and Dr. Fata-Chan offer lunges as an example of a classic stretch that targets the hip flexors directly. “During a lunge, the back leg goes into a hip extension and stretches the quads and hip flexors,” Dr. Fata-Chan says. He says it’s good to do this dynamic stretch before working out to warm up the body.
1. Stand with your feet about hip-width distance apart.
2. Bring your hands to your hips and step forward, bending both legs to 90 degrees.
3. Repeat for one minute, alternating which leg you step forward with each time.
10. Pretzel stretch
Dr. Fata-Chan says that the pretzel stretch is one of his favorite hip flexor exercises. “I love it as a cool down after working out, but it can be used as a warm-up, too,” he says.
1. Lie down on your left side. Bend your right knee and grab it with your left hand.
2. Grab your left knee with your right hand.
3. Hold for one minute.
Remember, you don’t have to do all 10 of these hip flexor exercises all at once. Integrate some of the static stretches into your day while doing the dynamic stretches before you go on a run or hit the gym. That way, you’ll stay nice and limber, reducing the chance of injury or developing any imbalances while you run.
