Let’s break down the hip’s anatomy first, along with other pre-requisite information.
The hip as explained in my last post, is a mobile joint, more specifically a ball and socket synovial joint. The head of the femur (ball) sets inside a depressed “cup-like” structure, the acetabulum (socket) which is held in place by ligaments. Ligaments are structures that connect bone to bone which keeps the head of the femur physically inside the acetabulum.
The hip being mobile has several different functions: Flexion, Extension, Abduction, Adduction, Lateral Rotation, and Medial Rotation. I won’t bore you with all of the muscles of the hip, we’ll jump into the ones that are typically the cause of tight hips under each action.
Flexors: Rectus Femoris & Iliopsoas (iliacus & psoas).
Extensors: Hamstrings (Biceps femoris, semitendinosus, semimembranosus)
Adductors: adductors longus, brevis and Magnus, pectineus, and gracilis
Abductors: Piriformis, TFL (Tensor fascia latae)
Lateral Rotators: biceps femoris, gluteus maximus, piriformis
Medial Rotators: anterior fibers of gluteus medius and minimus, tensor fascia latae
When one muscle group becomes tight or restricted it takes some range of motion (ROM) away from another group. For example, if a person’s hip flexors are very tight it is going to limit the amount of end-range hip extension they will have.
Some main causes for poor hip mobility are poor posture, sitting for long periods, not training through a full ROM, and then anatomical factors. We can work with three out of four of these causes but we can’t change a person’s genetic structural anatomy.
Below are some easy stretches to open up your hips and exercises to help strengthen the newfound ROM. I hope you enjoy them!
***Below is an article on different interventions with hip mobility and one on anatomy***
https://teachmeanatomy.info/lower-limb/joints/hip-joint/