Tight hip flexors are a huge problem for people with Parkinson’s disease. Many of my fighters complain of hip and back issues that stem from a tight psoas muscle. It’s a hard muscle to stretch, and oftentimes you can strain your back while trying to stretch it.
The psoas is a major hip flexor muscle that performs several complex actions, like lifting your legs and bending forward. It attaches at the bottom of the thoracic spine, runs along the lumbar spine, then threads through the pelvis, over the front of the hip joint, and attaches at the top of the femur (thigh bone). Wow!!
It is the only muscle that connects the spine to the leg. You can see why when this muscle gets tight it causes so many balance, posture, and gait issues.
Watch the video below to learn how you can easily release tight hip flexors by yourself. All you need is a mat and a foam roller!
NOTE: If you are unable to kneel or kneeling is painful, watch for a chair version of this same stretch in an upcoming blog post.
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Kneel down on both knees facing the foam roller placed in front of you on its end.
- Place one hand palm down on the top of the foam roller with the other hand on top of it.
- While pushing down on the foam roller with your hands, think tall posture while bringing your hips forward.
- Try to avoid leaning backward into your low back. If your hips are really tight, they will have a tough time coming forward. Imagine you are ironing out all the creases in the front of your pants.
- Stay in this position. Think tall and push down with your hands for 1 ½ – 2 minutes. (You’ll need a timer for this, it’s longer than it feels!)
- Sit back and relax, and then repeat this process with one leg forward. Really push, think tall, and bring your hips forward for 1 ½ – 2 minutes.
- Repeat with the other leg for 1 ½ – 2 minutes.
This takes a little patience and practice, but this is highly effective. Best of all, you can do it yourself daily!
💜 Coach Kimberly
Ready to take back your fight?
Contact me to get started in Kimberly Berg’s Rebel Fit Club Parkinson’s Boxing classes today. We have online workouts, too!
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