Over the years of writing about running and being a runner, I’ve learned one of the few things we cannot slack on is time spent on tight hip stretches. After sitting whether that’s at work, post Netflix marathon, on a plane or even yes cyclists who sit for hours and hours, we need to counter act the hip flexor tightness.
Your tight hips are a quick road to a running injury like knee pain, plus let’s be honest doesn’t it just feel good to stretch everything after you’ve been sitting on a plane all day?
Remember that the moves shown here are called static stretches, which means these are hip stretches after running! Before running we want to stay focused on our dynamic warm up stretches to help create mobility, not reduce the stability we have in joints.
Before we get in to the stretches, I also want to remind you that TIGHT HIPS ARE OFTEN A SIGN OF WEAKNESS. That’s right, they get tight because they are feeling overworked from your run. So you need both the strength and some stretching
How Tight Hips Cause Weak Glutes
Author John Gibbons of The Vital Glutes notes that many of our weak or “non firing” glute issues can be resolved by stretching the reciprocal muscles, in regular words, your hips!
Stretching isn’t just so you can be more flexible for yoga class….
