Weak hips can affect your posture, running performance and cause lower-back pain, so it's a good idea to devote some time to mobility exercises to keep them strong and flexible. Plus, when our hips are strong, it means the rest of the body is supported, stable and we have better balance and coordination, which can mean we are less at risk of fall-related injuries. The hips act as shock absorbers for the body so they really need some TLC, especially if you're a runner.
In a recent Instagram Reel, strength and conditioning coach Meghan Dalman talked through how to do two stretches designed to loosen up the hip flexors, the muscle group responsible for flexing the hip joint.
What I love about this video is how articulately Dalman explains each hip stretch, giving detailed explanations on good form and technique, as well as helpful pointers about what to avoid doing.
How to do Meghan Dalman’s hip flexor stretches
The two stretches are:
- Kneeling hip flexor stretch
- Hip adductor rocker
I tried it
My writing job means I spend a lot of time sitting at my desk so I couldn’t wait to try Dalman's stretches to loosen up tight hips. I’ve tried the kneeling hip flexor stretch many times before, but I benefited from Dalman's reminder to tuck my tailbone under and tilt my pelvis forward. This gets the pelvis into the right position to stretch effectively and I noticed the difference when I did this.
In the second move, Dalman recommends you sit your hips back towards your heel and rock forward and backward. This really helped me to really get deeper into the movement, and boy, did my hips love me for it. Dynamic stretches are a great way to improve joint flexibility and range of motion (how far the body can stretch into a movement), which can make other exercises easier to perform, especially with proper form.
Once you've loosened up your hip flexors, spend some time making them more robust with these hip-strengthening exercises.
