Release and stretch your hips for a healthy back

Last week we covered the gluteus medius and minimus and how important it is to have flexible and mobile hips so that your back doesn’t have to compensate. Also covered was how to test for tight hips and how to statically release them. You can read that blog post here. This week we’re going to cover how to dynamically release those muscles and then how to stretch them.

Dynamic release breaks up the stickiness of the muscle through a range of motion. This gets rid of any adhesions or trigger points in the muscle fibers which are hard to stretch or are resistant to stretching.

Following the release, stretching the muscle allows the muscle to track through a larger range of motion without injury making it stronger.

Dynamic Release

1. Lie on the floor with your feet elevated on a chair, bench, or sofa

2. Your knees and hips are bent 90 degrees

3. Place a tennis or lacrosse ball under the outside of the right hip

4. Let your knees drop to the right until a tension of between 5 and 8 out of 1 to 10 is felt (10 being excruciating)

5. Press your right knee to the floor and hold for 2 seconds then release

6. Repeat 8 to 15 repetitions

7. Repeat on the left side

Stretch

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent 90 degrees and your feet flat on the floor

2. Cross your right ankle over your left knee

3. Take both hands and gently pull your right knee to your left shoulder until a stretch is felt

4. Hold 10 seconds

5. Push your knee toward the floor into your hands and hold 5 seconds

6. Relax the contraction and allow the knee to move closer to your left shoulder to a new stretch point and hold 10 seconds

7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 two more times

8. Repeat for the left leg

Tips:

1. Keep both hips on the floor

2. Maintain a slight arch in your back

Stand Up Str8 is all about releasing tight muscles and strengthening weak muscles so if you are having trouble with upper body posture give the Hands-Free Middle Back Strengthener a try. It is a device that strengthens the muscles in between the shoulder blades making them able to withstand the forces against them. At the same time, release and stretching techniques are included for the chest to make the transition from abnormal posture to normal posture easier and faster.

Happy New Year and Enjoy!