Top 5 Hip Flexor Exercises for Improved...
It’s a simple list: You need to regain the balance in your lower body – stretch the tight muscles (hip flexors and lower back) and strengthen the weak ones (glutes and abdominals).
Anterior Pelvic Tilt Test
There’s a simple test you can do to help you determine if you have an anterior pelvic tilt – it’s called the Thomas’ test, named after the British surgeon Hugh Owen Thomas. All you need to do is lie down on a table with your legs hanging off the table at the knee. Pull one knee towards the chest. If the resting leg raises off the table, your pelvis might be incorrectly aligned.
It’s worth noting that the pelvis has a natural forward tilt of about 10 to 15 degrees, which is considered normal.
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The iliopsoas (most commonly “tight” hip flexor) is composed of two muscles, the psoas and iliacus that share a common to insert onto the hip.
The psoas originates on the vertebral bodies of the lumbar spine and the iliacus originates on the iliac fossa.
The tensor fasciae latae (TFL) originates on the ASIS of the iliac crest and inserts onto the IT band.
The rectus femoris (one of the four quad muscles) also inserts onto the pelvis, making it a hip flexor.
While each muscle functions slightly differently, their overall combination allow them to flex the hip joint, anteriorly rotate the pelvis, and extend the lumbar spine. Due to its’ attachment on the vertebral bodies of the lumbar spine, the psoas also plays an important role in lumbar spine stabilization.
•The psoas muscle is a deep muscle that connects your spine to your leg. In fact, it’s the only muscle that does so. It runs from your lower back through your pelvis, passing to the front of your hip where it attaches to the top of your femur, which is your thigh bone.
•Rectus femoris muscle: This muscle is one of the four quadriceps muscles, attaching your pelvis to the patellar tendon of your knee. Squats and lunges exercise the rectus femoris.
•Pectineus muscle: The pectineus muscle is a flat, quadrangular muscle that lies at the top of your inner thigh, often referred to as your groin muscle. It’s primarily responsible for hip flexion, but it also rotates your thigh and adducts, which means it pulls your legs together when the muscles contract.
•Sartorius muscle: The sartorius muscle is a long thin muscle that runs down the length of your thigh from your pelvis to your knee. It’s the longest muscle in the human body and helps flex the knee and leg.
Most healthcare professionals and biomechanics expert use the Hip Flexor Test or Thomas Test, which is simple, reliable and can be done virtually everywhere. It consist of the one-legged dropdown test where caving in of the knee indicates a weakness of the VMO.
So here’s how it’s done:
The examiner flexes one hip bringing the knee to the chest and asks the patient to hold the knee to help stabilize the pelvis and flatten out the lumbar region.
If the leg that is being tested (the leg on the table) does not have a hip flexion contraction it will remain on the testing table. If a contracture is present the leg will raise off of the table.
If the knee can flex to 90 degrees without the thigh rising but the thigh is unable to reach full extension, iliopsoas tightness is present.
Tight hip flexors can:
-Affect your posture
-Create muscle pains
-Cause postural imbalances
-Lead to injuries
@posturepro offers a quicker solution. The first thing we are going to do, and this is very important, is to assess your foot posture and your eye muscles as they play an important role on how your body manages movement.
For proof, here are the results of a test Hip Flexor Overhaul Test performed by experienced basketball player. Here is what his stretch looked like at the beginning of the session.
But after correcting his foot posture with the postural insoles and working on his eye convergence with Posturepro’s Vision Training, you can see the end result.
This time, notice his left hip and back is much straighter It would seem that the Hip Flexor tightness/weakness has been fixed — the type of difference once could ordinarily achieve only through years of training. But this dramatic difference took place after no training at all. The only change we made was to wear proprioceptive insoles and some eye exercises in the session.
Watch the video yourself for proof. In the video on the left, can you see how the forward bend is limited? Now take a look at the other video, he is now able to stand straighter.
What that means is that his brain felt his posture was better aligned, which allowed him to make his movement better.
Through the Posturepro Method, a hip flexor weakness or tightness can improve in just one hour without any training.
Those results are easy to achieve for any trained Posturepro Practitioner and are standard for such a treatment. Our postural insoles are just one of the many modalities by which we use to reset our posture by acting on your nervous system and rewiring all of your body’s neural pathways and sensors, thus changing your strength.
Look up posturepro.co to learn more about how you can bring help your clients achieve total alignment.
Struggling with discomfort or misalignment? The solution starts with your feet. Poor foot mechanics can create imbalances that impact your posture, gait, and even your SI joint. Therapeutic Insoles are designed to restore proper foot engagement, improve alignment, and optimize your gait cycle—all from the ground up.
By addressing foot mechanics, you’ll:
✔️ Reduce strain on joints, including the SI joint.
✔️ Improve posture and overall body symmetry.
✔️ Move with greater confidence and ease.
Ready to take the first step? Transform your posture with Therapeutic Insoles:
👉 Discover Therapeutic Insoles that improve your posture here.
But it doesn’t stop there. Understanding your body is key to lasting change. That’s why we’ve created a FREE Guide to Unlocking Your SI Joint—a step-by-step resource to help you relieve pain and optimize movement.
👉 Click here to download your free guide and start your journey to better alignment today!
Don’t wait—improve your posture, unlock your SI joint, and achieve better movement today!
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Posturepro Therapeutic Insoles use targeted sensory stimulation to strengthen the arches of your feet. By improving foot alignment, they stabilize the pelvis and reduce strain on tight hip flexors. This creates proper posture from the ground up, relieving hip flexor tension and restoring balance to your body.
References:
Day, B. L., Steiger, M. J., Thompson, P. D., & Marsden, C. D. (1993, September). Effect of vision and stance width on human body motion when standing: Implications for afferent control of lateral sway. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1143881/
Kavounoudias, A., Roll, R., & Roll, J. P. (2001, May 01). Foot sole and ankle muscle inputs contribute jointly to human erect posture regulation. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2278585/
Oyarzo, C. A., Villagrán, C. R., Silvestre, R. E., Carpintero, P., & Berral, F. J. (2014). Postural control and low back pain in elite athletes comparison of static balance in elite athletes with and without low back pain. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23963269
Shaikh, A. G., & Zee, D. S. (2017, December 19). Eye Movement Research in the Twenty-First Century-a Window to the Brain, Mind, and More. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12311-017-0910-5
Wang, Z., & Newell, K. M. (2012, September 19). Asymmetry of foot position and weight distribution channels the inter-leg coordination dynamics of standing. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00221-012-3212-7
Nejati P, Safarcherati A, Karimi F. Effectiveness of Exercise Therapy and Manipulation on Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Pain Physician. 2019;22(1):53-61.
Tamer S, Oz M, Ulger O. Effects of sacroiliac joint mobilization on hamstring muscle flexibility and quadriceps muscle strength. Orthop J Sports Med. 2014 Nov; 2(3 Suppl). doi:10.1177/2325967114S00174
By practicing gentle movements like the Pubic Symphysis Release and using therapeutic insoles, you can encourage your SI joint to relax. Consistency in these practices is key.
Yes, many cases of SI joint discomfort can improve with exercises, proper foot alignment, and core strengthening. Posturepro’s brain-based approach also offers support by addressing alignment at its root cause.
Recurring SI joint pain often stems from postural imbalances or weak core muscles. The body’s natural alignment can become disrupted when foot, eye, or pelvic inputs are misaligned.
Symptoms like lower back pain, hip discomfort, or a feeling of instability in the pelvis may indicate SI joint misalignment. Observing your foot positioning and seeing how your hips align can provide clues.
Differentiating between SI joint pain and lower back pain can be challenging as they share similar symptoms. However, SI joint pain is typically localized in the buttocks and may radiate down to the legs.
Physical therapy can be highly effective in managing the symptoms of SI joint dysfunction. However, because physical therapy does not address the root cause, additional interventions may be required.
Surgery is typically considered as a last resort for chronic SI joint pain after non-surgical treatments have been exhausted. It is essential to explore conservative options first like posture correction, in order to address the main cause of the imbalance.
Movement is said to activate the brain, but it’s crucial to understand that exercising with postural imbalances can lead to injury. Posture, controlled subconsciously by the brain, cannot be improved solely by trying harder. If your posture is misaligned before exercising, it remains so during exercise.
Recovery times vary depending on the surgical procedure and individual healing capacity. In general, full recovery may take several months. That’s why it’s important to work on prevention to avoid postural issues and potential surgical interventions altogether.Getting your posture assessed can significantly reduce the risk of developing posture-related problems and the need for surgery.
The key approach is to focus on posture correction to prevent joint misalignment, ensuring proper pressure on the vertebral joints. In addition to this, some individuals find temporary relief through natural remedies like turmeric, ginger, or arnica creams.
Download the Brainpro app today and start your journey toward better posture and overall health.