Mate, you saved my life. I'm 44 years old, and I've been stretching the hell out of my lower back for the last 5 years trying to get rid of pain. After figuring I had to strengthen it instead in a week with few minutes daily exercises the pain is gone! Tks!
As a runner having had several knee surgeries the awareness of asymmetry is critical to dealing with flexor issues. Many of these stretches were in my PT routine for months. This guy knows what he is talking about. The key is to make these a part of your fitness routine forever.
OMG! I’ve been experiencing hip and low back pain for quite awhile now. This is the first time I’ve seen any information on weak vs tight, how to tell the difference, and what to do. I’ve been trying to self treat with stretching. I now know I need to strengthen. 💡Thank you!
I have pain in my right side pelvis area , I am feeling a heavy weight there , Ihad an incision there in 20 07,I do not know if it is an hernia or pelvic floor muscles, i am asking your advice.
Hands down one of the best hip flexor videos. Extremely easy to understand, no fluff or garbage I don’t need to hear. This is something will favorite and watch again. Thank you!
All this time I have been doing stretching, I wouldn't say it made me feel worse but it definetely didn't improve my hip flexor soreness. I tried the exercises for hip STRENGTHENING instead and, oh my I can tell that this will help me. I thank God for you. Thank you!! My mother always says that weak hips mean weak knees and weak ankles. Both have had to compensate for my hips. So thank you!
Watched this vid the entire way through. Super informative, clear delivery, with no rambling. Thanks doc. My hip flexors were weak. Perhaps from being in a seated position for hours on end. Such is life while in student mode. Cheers.
Bro, you really save my life 🙏🏻🙏🏻 I was suffering for psoas pain, so bad and after watching this video, everything has changed. It's the first day I made the exercises you said and I swear it's unbelievable, I do still have pain, but I can do a lot more movements Thanks for sharing with us your knowledge 🙏🏻 I've tried everything, thanks bro, really thanks 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
I had been stretching what i thought were tight quad and flexors. NO they are clearly weak. EXCELLENCE here on Tone and Tighten. With this video, the SI joint release, and SI joint strengthen videos, I AM BACK AT WORK FAST LITERALLY WITHIN 12 HOURS!! Had been out for a month with wrong therapy, pain/ weakness everything getting WORSE! Was starting to imagine some dread disease LOL! Looked at many videos trying to figure out the problem. This PT brought it across CLEARLY AND COGENT what the problems are, and FIXED IT ALL QUICK!! Brought it down to the lay person EASILY! ALL GRATEFULLNESS!!!!
This is perfect. I had pain from doing deadlifts in my upper right thigh. Thanks to your well explained video and exercises I discovered my hip flexor muscle is weak in the right leg. And now know exactly how to strengthen it in order to continue with deadlifts and improve in the gym. I hope everyone having problems with the hip flexor finds your video and receive your great advice!
Thank you so much!!!! I have been dealing with hip flexor pain for 3 months now,after ı saw your video and applied your tips ı dont feel pain anymore. Cant thank you enough🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
Thank You so much. Throughout my hip pain I've been stretching it out. It never really seemed to help, after that quick test I realize just how weak my hip flexor is (could barely get to ten on my left side, right side I can go up and down all day). Very insightful and easy to grasp. Just the mental relief of knowing what the problem is feels amazing. I look forward to strengthening this left hip flexor and eliminating this pain.
I can't thank you enough for posting this. I had no idea if I had weak or tight hip flexors. I've been suffering horribly with low back and SI joint pain for years and in the past few weeks I've become unable to walk or stand up straight. I discovered I have extremely tight hip flexors and these stretches were so relieving!! When I was done with them I couldn't believe how much better I could walk and my pain went down from an 8 to a like a 4 . I can actually feel how much looser my hips and legs are. AND it completely extinguished my leg pain. Thank you!! I'll be doing these stretches daily now.
Thanks a lot for explaining the difference between tight and weak hip flexors. I always thought I had to stretch even realising that I wasn’t getting any benefit and what I just learned is that my hip flexors are too weak 😓 thanks a lot 🤗
After two back to back right hip FAI repair surgeries I completed Physical Therapy and felt pretty good. 2nd surgery was August 2019, which left a very short time for me to resume training at the fitness center before Covid-19 and the gym shutdown here in Michigan, which is still in effect. That time off not being able to continue my strengthening training weakened my hip flexors and I have had terrible psoas related hip and lower back pain. Watching your video has made me understand that I was trying to stretch an already severely weakened muscle group, of course leading to increased lower back pain. Thank you for clarifying and demonstrating the important difference between tight hip flexors and weak hip flexors. I am looking forward to using your exercises to bring my hip flexors back to normal and functional strength levels. I will continue to follow Tone and Tighten since I have had 5 major orthopedic surgeries in the last 9 years. There is only so much the VA can do with so many disabled veterans like me in need of proper care. Thank you for all that you do! Sincerely, David Saunders USAF, 100% service-connected DAV
Thx so much! Am a massage therapist 22 years n being in a lot of pt… had a feeling I needed strengthening… and I found your site! So wonderful that you teach n explain n show the diff between tight n weak!!!
I was having 2 issues: sacral lumbar pain (very low back) and knee pain. I tried a number of things to correct this but it has been bothering me for over a year. This video was a game changer. The test showed my hip flexors are tight. The stretch out strap stretch worked amazingly well and the since my knees hurt the other stretches I had been doing were painful and didn't work very well. My IT band was out of alignment from tight hip flexors causing it to rub on my femoral epicondyle causing the knee pain. My pelvis was tilted due to the tight hip flexors and was out of alignment causing the low back pain. It was tough to diagnose because the pain was in two different spots from the cause of the issue. Thanks Jared! Another awesome video. I've been preaching your channel to everyone I know.
....I was having a similar issue, and it was due to my pelvis being very slightly tilted due to a childhood injury, which got aggravated by falling onto the bed of a truck. ( long story, lol) I was doing OK, up till last year. . .. couldn't get to doing my regular exercise of skating. Everything was closed. So.... even doing a few series of exercises at home does not do for me what that does, keeping my flexors in good shape, and everything else tied to that. And balance .. great for balance. I'm in my 60's and this actually came up on a suggested video, so I'm going to check on my hips, and see where I am. I'm grateful, Jared !! Thank you.
This is so incredibly helpful! I have suffered with hip flexor pain for years and everyone has always just given me stretches, but doing the test, mine are super weak! So helpful to have this info and a way to move forward!! Thank you!!
Jared, ThX,this exercises is spot on! Had a double hip replacement 14 years ago due to a accident on age 39. Went through hell and back for 14 years being at doctors, specialist,chyro`s and physios.Were on the brink of buying electric scooter and wheelchair cause of the intense pain.Could hardly walk. Mri`s kept on showing nothing wrong. Till I end up by the right physio with a heated hydrotherapy pool.... 8 sessions later and it feel as I where "floating"...... Moved to a small town where there are no physio`s....very fortunate to stumble across your videos. Absolute good work, Big ThX for helping others. Kobus
So I’m amazed that I stumbled upon this video…THANK YOU!! …while looking for demo on proper Theragun use. My issue is hip and knee pain. I’ve spent $600 in last 2 months at Chiropractor, purchased a percussion gun, taken a round of Steroid therapy, and experienced a lot of pain and sleep loss. I just knew there was an answer and NOW I know that I definitely have left hip flexor weakness, AND (bonus) there are simple exercises that I can start doing. No one even mentioned hip flexor to me. I’ve just been told to stretch my psoas. Can I tell you how much ignorance stinks?!! I can’t wait to see if these exercises can help me!
This was incredibly helpful. I have been spending hours and hours trying to stretch what I thought was a tight left quadricep. I watched the video and did your tight-or-weak test. Bingo! I have a very tight left hip flexor... and I now have some great stretches to work with. You are so clear and concise. I've already subscribed. Thank you so much!
I've had pain in my right hip flexor for over a year. It especially manifests when I'm putting my socks on from the standing position. Easy with the left but painful on the right. Watching this video as helped me identify that it is due to a weak muscle rather than a stiff one. This explains why stretching exercises have not helped. I'll be doing the strengthening exercises shown here from now on.
Thank you so much for this video. I always thought I needed to stretch but after doing your simple tests I definitely need to strengthen. When doing the strengthen exercise you show in this video I can't even get my left leg off the floor (maybe an inch); right leg about 4 inches. I've got a lot of work to do. Again thank you.
Amazing, Linda! It's interesting how often this happens! You think you're doing the right thing but come to find out the best treatment is completely different. I hope this helps you! You'll have to check back in a couple of weeks and let us know your progress!
Great video! Many people have asked me if my hips were tight or weak? My response...I have no idea! They hurt and I can't tie my shoes!!! This is very instructive and proof that the right kind of therapy is critical. Thank you.
Just back from my first PT session for hip flexor. Lots of pain, hard to walk. Your video was much more instructive!! I understand much more than what I was offered at PT. I’m starting your routines today. Thanks!!
I've been dealing with tightness and I was doing the kneeling stretch incorrectly like you illustrated. Now that I'm contracting my glutes, I can finally get that stretch that I needed. Thank you!
Incredible, day 2 of doing this and the pain in the front of my right hip that I have suffered for a year despite doing yoga every day and lots of physio , has gone! It's gone! Thank you so much. 💓
Pro thai boxer here i was so sceptical with your chanel but this video helped me so much with my hip and kicks you cant even imagine. I am a different person
Bro, that one where you pull your leg to your chest and let your other one just dangle really really opened up my hip after about 3 minutes or so. Thank you so much. Will be incorporating that into my daily routine.
Very grateful to you, sir! Thank you, as a former airline pilot, I sat for hours when flying long international flights, now I am dealing with these issues. Thanks for your help !
Best video ever! Finally understand what has been going on with my hip. Not "tight" but "weak" all this time. Your evaluation and exercises are spot on. BRAVO!!
Thank you. Helpful to find out my hip flexors are weak. After walking 12 miles the other day I had lower back ache and aching hips, also the same when sitting in the car for a long time. So I'm going to do your exercises to help. Thank you.
Just wanted to say thanks for making these videos it has helped me figure out why my hip has been numb for so long. Feels like Christmas came early for me.👍
Hi! So I have recently strained my hip flexors. I have three questions that if answered, would make me very happy. 1. How long does it take to recover 2. How do I learn about the severity 3. What are ways to treat this?
I tought the flexors were tight, but with the test you mentioned, I came to discover they are weak, and so weak that I could barely do 10 rep of the first strengthtening exercise with 1 sec hold and felt pain; I will keep trying, thank you! Very clear!
Thank you so much! I have been trying to figure out my own routine for this when I developed a weakness in one side, but I think that I would have gotten much better targeting of the area and better effects if I had just seen this before. I will now start with this and see if it get better.
I have been dealing with what I thought was a strained groin and tight hip flexor injury. I have watched multiple channels and tried a wide variety of exercises, but none have helped as much as your strengthening exercises. I must have been making it worse! Thank you for the pain relief!
Thanks for the video. I was somewhat aware of it, but this video and taking the test confirmed that I have one tight hip flexor and one weak one. I can relate to much of your overall program as I taught and coached gymnastics. Still today, many people comment on my flexibility, but I'm finding that I was flexible in some joints and tight in others and had mixed strength in my muscles. I wish I'd come across your program when I was younger. I was blaming much of my problem on spinal stenosis and the scoliosis that was created when they did surgery for it 20 years ago. While I'm sure the spinal stenosis & scoliosis are part of the problem, I think that by working on stretching my tight side hip flexors and strengthening my weak side flexors, I may be able to stand straighter. I've been working with a trainer & have pretty good overall strength, but it's easy to miss something that could help. When I walk for exercise, I've been using walking poles, which help me walk straighter and faster without pain. I also love some of your basic skills program using animal movement, which I have used with children when teaching movement type gymnastics for elementary physical education. Since I'm retired and no longer teaching the classes, I had quit doing some of them, but have started again as I think they can be helpful for general movement, even for us old people. I know this isn't the place for a recommendation for your programing, but I would like to see something offered for older people, which may be similar to your other programs, but with modifications. I just make up my own modifications, but some would watch the programs and decide they couldn't do it. For example, the animal moves might be done by putting one's hands on something that is elevated so they don't have to reach all the way to the floor.(a block or bench) I think these moves could be very helpful to older people with modifications. I realize that you got more of a comment than you asked for, but thought you might be interested.
I hope you have come out of retirement to teach occasional workshops to young gymnastics teachers! So much useful information you could pass on. (Not bossing you around, just making a wee suggestion😁) My yoga teachers are oldish; one in her late 70’s and one is his late 80’s! They will never retire and the teaching keeps them young and supple. All the best to you.
So appreciate finding this video-heavy limo as extremely painful left hip flexor strain probably from introducing new exercises without proper stretches to start. Giving these a go and expecting positive results. Thank you for easy and precise demo and explanations
Thank you! It's the first time I hear someone explain the difference so clearly. I've had 2 total hip replacement surgeries (anterior approach) on my right hip (had the first in 2016 and a revision in 2018 because it got loose). And the pain sometimes is even worse than before the surgery. I got nerve damage and meralgia paresthetica from the first surgery. I can't lift my right leg when lying down (can't do leg raise). Muscle atrophy, etc. The problem is that I haven't found a strengthening and/or stretching routine or treatment that doesn't cause a lot of pain and when I try squats or leg raises etc. and then stretch even if I do it with help of a strap I can't walk for 2 days after. Because I had anterior approach hip replacement there are no restrictions on the movement, no risks of dislocating when flexing or extending. Please advise!
Thank you for the video! I was researching hip flexor stretching and realized through your video that my right side was actually weak and not tight! I appreciate the info!
For anyone interested, this is what i've tried and i've basically removed hip pain and lower back pain. I have 10 pound ankle weights i use. I get on the leg lift ab thing and let my feet dangle. This tugs on the hip and groin muscles. Also, basic stretching coupled with single leg and double leg bridges help a ton. Particularly the single leg bridges. For that, i stabilize one leg on a bench and push my hips upward with the opposite foot (that's on the ground). Then i switch legs.
Were your hip flexors tight or were they weak? I'm curious to see which is more prevalent! Leave me a comment below and thanks for watching on Tone and Tighten! (One more new video that might help - the best hip flexor stretches to alleviate tightness and pain: ua-cam.com/video/UrHcQJCqo4Q/v-deo.html)
@@thomasokeefe3081 Start simple - Try standing heel-to-toe in a corner for as long as possible. When you can do that for a minute, try standing on one foot for as long as possible. When you can do that for a minute, repeat those same two exercises with your eyes closed. Great topic! I'll put it in the queue for a future video!
I wanted to thank you for how insightful your videos are. That said I found my left leg to be tight and my right to be weak. I'm sure this is from year of using my left leg as a base while my right was kicking things. Maybe this is common? Do you find that patients often times have one tight leg and one weak?
Janice - I think I strained my right hip flexor by doing a lot of repetitive hip opening exercises, when they may have been weak. My bike has a crossbar as it is a blokes really and it hurt to swing the leg over the bar. I thought I had a serious hip problem, but I am very flexible with my yoga and I have been doing remedial stuff there which has helped. Today I did some hip opening exercises again and that hurt; I like your stuff and will look at doing the weak exercises.
Woah, how about that? I just started getting pain in my right hip up front (as well as on my lower back, right side) a few days ago and this video gets uploaded just now. This explained a whole lot and I can't wait to give these a try. Thanks so much for this I was starting to get worried. I'm on Team Weak apparently 😅
Haha! Crazy, right?! Everyone thinks stretching is the way to go, but that's not always the case. Sorry to hear about your pain, Chris. I hope these help you out, man!
Thank you so much! Now I know that I have a very tight hip flexor and will continue to do them. When do I do the strengthening exercises for hip flexor?
Thank you so much. I did as instructed and found out my muscle was weak. just ten reps of the strength exercise and my hip and lower back were resolved. Thank you so much
Thank you so much for a really well explained video on both weak and tight hip flexors. Walk up this morning thinking I had done myself a major injury. Completed your stretches after deciding which issue I had. Such relief already. Will include in my daily workouts as I have a sitting job and also drive two hours a day.
Have tight hips. Just tried the Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch and holy moly that felt good! Have known about it a while but didn't have the right form when doing so, thank you very much!
@@toneandtighten Thanks for the reply! I imagine if one side is tighter than the other you would do more reps - what would you suggest is the most amount of reps to do that keeps good form on that side?
You are AMAZING! This video saved me from injuries. I recently started a new training program and lunges were killing me, I have been feeling pain in my right knee and hip flexor even days after the workout. After this video I figured my right hip flexor is really tight, and I was doing kneeling hip flexor stretch wrong, which made it worse (Even my trainer is doing it wrong). I followed your instructions and after only the first stretch it made a huge difference. It took the tension from my right knee and no pain after workout! Thank you so much!
@@toneandtighten video very good. I am recovering from strain running from my rump to my toes so I was wondering how soon into my recovery would I be able to carry out the exercise. Thanks séamus
Best video on this topic, thank you!!! 👌 I passed the tightness test and my flexors seem to be strong enough (I could easily do 10 on both sides), so still not sure what the cause of my hip & lower back pain might be. I'll have a look at some of your other videos, maybe I'll find the answer there somewhere... 😊
I think your video is a bit misleading as you didn't mention that pain in the hipflexers can also be caused by a muscle strain, which might happen if you workout too hard. In your video it sounds like the solution to hipflexer pain is to either stretch the muscles if they are too tight or excercise them if they are weak. But a third scenario is that the muscles are strained and therefore can't correctly do the excercise with the chair, not that they are weak. In this case, excercising more will probably lead to even more damage to the muscles and resting should be recommended. If you agree with me please mention this in the video (or remember it for future videos) so you don't accidentally make people with strains hurt themselves more by excercising.
Very good information since I just saw this video and am having flexor and also knee pain (so I’ve assumed it is my Sciatica). But what I’ve expressed to my Dr and Chiropractor is that it feels almost like a muscle strain. So perhaps I’ll try to tone down everything and give that area some time off before trying to strengthen. Thx!
It depends on the severity of the strain. If it is a grade 1 strain, 72 hours of rest and ice would be sufficient time to start exercising it. Grade 2 slightly longer with an initial period of light stretches. He is giving general advice. Everybody is different and so should the approach to rehabilitation
That test for weak vs tight is really eye opening! I thought they were tight, but they were flat on the table when I checked for tightness. Weakness test, yeah, there it is. Thank you! I will follow the two exercises you recommended!
@@toneandtighten Yes, I have not seen this anywhere else--just was trying to figure out if it was a flexor problem and how to stretch it. Glad I found your vid! Are there any easier ones to start? I can't even begin to think about the lying leg lifts..way too hard. Maybe will just start easy with the sugg'd #2 strengthening ones and do less reps..thank you
Ok. Now that I understand it, can you make a video of just the exercises? I use the 9 minute back video daily and it’s been a huge help. I struggle to remember these exercises and I don’t have time to try to find them within the educational bits. I surely would be helped by that kind of video.
This is great info! When doing the exercises to strengthening the hip flexor, it cramps up my quad muscles. How do I keep from using the quad muscle so I can activate and strengthen the hip flexor?
I squat pretty heavy and woke up with my right hip flexor causing a sharp pain everytime i bend my leg to about 90 degrees. This has been an issue for about 2 months now. Doing these test i think my right hip is weak. Thank you for the information and I hope these strengthening exercises help. Thanks again!
Great info, I've been in agony! I definitely have hip flexor weakness, the strengthening test I did with a breeze my leg won't right down to the table each time I will start on these now strengthening exercises right now, thank you!
According to your tests I don’t have neither weakness nor tightness in my HF but I still experience a lot of pain and discomfort in the front of my right hip while running or swimming freestyle with strong kick. This includes crunchy sounds and reduced ROM compared to the left hip. What would you suggest? Thank you!
Before I found your videos, I had discovered by process of elimination that my hip flexors were weak. Yours is the only video i've come across that shows how to distinguish between the two and provided the appripriate remedies for each all in pme video. Awesome content. Thank you. :) Love thay the exercises are super simple too.
I would only say that if it hurts a lot, start by stretching and letting the inflamed muscle recover. And then strenghten it. If it’s just because is both things no pain, i would stretch just for mobility (so very quick every morning, without holding) and then strength. Stretch for mobility and then focus on the strengthening excercises
Hmm...Not really sure. I've always been pretty flexible and my leg came down on the table. I also was able to do the leg raise test without much difficulty. But my Hip flexors do hurt especially after a run. I'm leaning more toward weak but don't want to miss stretching if that is what I should be doing . Side note I'm not sure but my inner knee has been hurting after a run too. I know my chiro said one side of my pelvis is forward and one is back. Got any thoughts?
Depends on a lot of things... condition of the hip, mileage, running mechanics, etc etc. Could be anything from a hip flexor tendonitis (in which case all the exercises in this video would be good to perform) to an arthritis. I would try all these exercises daily for 1-2 weeks; if you're not seeing any improvement consult a local specialist. Good luck!
NICE TO HEAR YOU EXPLAIN FURTHER THE KNEELING STRETCH CURSOR 11:00. I HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING BOB & BRAD VLOGS BUT NEVER HEARD THIS. THANKS AGAIN. WATCHING IN CANADA
I having been doing skipping and other exercises when ever I try to do mountain climber exercises or I raise my leg...my socket joint tends to make noise but there is no pain. Will this exercise be helpful and can I continue with my normal exercise such as skipping?
I had a stroke in April of 2022, I was particularly paralyzed on my left side. Every muscle you could think of. Ive since recovered very nicely through the Grace of God and PT like yourself who are talented . The hip flexor strech that you demonstraded on this video was the ticket I needed to strecht that muscle for more flexibility. I a.lso see a PT who does deep tissue massages...pretty dang painful but with the streches and aggressive workouts Im almost back to pre stroke days
oh gosh, me too!! I have friends that do the same exercise but they seem fine. I thought I was the only one! when I do daily exercises of lifting legs for abs, I end up with what seems to be tight flexors.
I was thinking about this earlier, so I did a search for 'strengthen hip flexors' and this is exactly what I was looking for. In my case, it is a weakness of the hip flexors (on the left and the right) along with a slight imbalance of the left versus the right. The concept of 'reciprocal inhibition' likely comes into play here. Reciprocal inhibition is the natural reflex like tendency that when one muscle group fully engages and contracts the opposing muscle group will fully relax and 'release'. A problem occurs however once an imbalance is created between the opposing muscle groups. This imbalance might be created by inactivity or injury or the antalgia induced movements and postures that can result from an injury. Once this imbalance is created, and until it is corrected, what will happen is that one muscle group will become over used and the opposing muscle group will become under used. When this occurs, the over used muscle group (in my case, the glutes) will have plenty of potential strength, yet will have the tendency to also not be able to 'fully' contract...this muscle group will also have the tendency to feel 'locked' into a partial contraction and may feel as though they need to be 'released' after being 'over used'. And then, the opposing muscle group (the hip flexors are one of the muscle groups that oppose the glutes), they will end up being 'under used'...and as a result, they will become weak, and will also feel as though they never (or very seldomly ever) 'fully' relax...which, to me, that sort of mimics a feeling of 'tightness'. My 'bio-hack' for this had always focused on trying to self release the glute muscles manually...and, although I had some success accomplishing that, it is not an easy task!...the glutes are basically the most powerful muscle group, so 'self release' required digging into them with all my might using my thumb while also engaging the glutes during the 'dig' (not very friendly to the thumb!). So, 'manual release' of the glutes is best left to another individual who is able to 'dig in' with their elbow and use their body weight. However, this is only 'therapy', meaning that it will feel better, but it will only provide temporary relief. If the imbalance is not corrected (by strengthening the hip flexors), then the glutes will simply need that manual release again and again. The real 'treatment' that would make sense to me then, is to address the cause of the problem and bring the muscle groups back into balance by strengthening the weak/under used muscle group.
Tried doing the hip flexor strengthening exercise where I had to tighten my quads and raise leg. My right side is weaker than my left side and I experienced pain in my lower back when raising my leg. Any advice to help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you very much for all your videos. Been very helpful. I have problems with hips, knees, neck. I had a few falls in the past, and I suffer from chronic pain in theses areas. Again thank you so much. From Maria S.
so i was doing the kneeling hip flexor stretch the wrong way....im experiencing hip flexor pains right now and after doing the stretch correctly it drastically improved thank you for this
I thought I have a tight hip flexor but now I realize I have a weak hip flexor thank you so much I wish I could subscribe to you million times thank you so much
Thank you for sharing such an informative video. Aging, soft mattress, loss of muscle led to some real weakness in my left hip flexor and playing hockey uses a lot of those muscles. After only one session of strengthening from your vid, it feels better already!
My issue was tightness, and your tests were very helpful in determining that. The third stretch you showed hit the jackpot for me. I noticed a decrease in pain immediately, after only three 20-second stretches! I'm absolutely thrilled! And based on what you said, I imagine I'll experience a decrease in lower-back spasms, too. Thank you!
Unfortunately I wasn’t able to determine whether tightness or weakness was my issue. My leg almost touched down on the surface when I tested for tightness. When doing the strength test I can do 15 reps no problem. I’m going to try stretching first for a few weeks to see if that alleviates the asymmetrical issue with my left hip flexor.
Thank you so sos so much for showing this video. I hip problem is just exactly what you were saying. After a set of hip exercises my hip got lose and feeling way better. I will continually doing this instead of what my chiropractor told me just stretch my hip and I’ll be fine. Again thanks
![Your Psoas Isn't Just Tight, It's WEAK [Don't Stretch, Do These Instead]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/h_srhkcJxAY/mqdefault.jpg)
Mate, you saved my life. I'm 44 years old, and I've been stretching the hell out of my lower back for the last 5 years trying to get rid of pain. After figuring I had to strengthen it instead in a week with few minutes daily exercises the pain is gone! Tks!
You are so welcome! I am happy to help!
As a runner having had several knee surgeries the awareness of asymmetry is critical to dealing with flexor issues. Many of these stretches were in my PT routine for months. This guy knows what he is talking about. The key is to make these a part of your fitness routine forever.
Thank you so much, timber_beast! It is definitely important to make these a part of your routine!
Yea I did the the stretch that’s on the bench and I got instant pain relief 🥲
OMG! I’ve been experiencing hip and low back pain for quite awhile now. This is the first time I’ve seen any information on weak vs tight, how to tell the difference, and what to do. I’ve been trying to self treat with stretching. I now know I need to strengthen. 💡Thank you!
You are welcome, Sharon! I hope you start to feel better soon!
I have pain in my right side pelvis area , I am feeling a heavy weight there , Ihad an incision there in 20
07,I do not know if it is an hernia or pelvic floor muscles, i am asking your advice.
Hands down one of the best hip flexor videos. Extremely easy to understand, no fluff or garbage I don’t need to hear. This is something will favorite and watch again.
Thank you!
Thank you for the compliment, Tyler Jones! I am glad you found this video helpful!
I did not quite get ‘’hands down ‘’ex. ...
100% agree
All this time I have been doing stretching, I wouldn't say it made me feel worse but it definetely didn't improve my hip flexor soreness. I tried the exercises for hip STRENGTHENING instead and, oh my I can tell that this will help me. I thank God for you. Thank you!! My mother always says that weak hips mean weak knees and weak ankles. Both have had to compensate for my hips.
So thank you!
This is great to hear! Happy to help!
Watched this vid the entire way through. Super informative, clear delivery, with no rambling. Thanks doc. My hip flexors were weak. Perhaps from being in a seated position for hours on end. Such is life while in student mode. Cheers.
Thank you, Nicknamed Sin! I am so glad to hear you found this video informative. I hope these exercises help!
Agree! Mine are weak too
Thanks. I have hip impingement.
Will hip flexor stretch help reduce pain
Bro, you really save my life 🙏🏻🙏🏻 I was suffering for psoas pain, so bad and after watching this video, everything has changed.
It's the first day I made the exercises you said and I swear it's unbelievable, I do still have pain, but I can do a lot more movements
Thanks for sharing with us your knowledge 🙏🏻
I've tried everything, thanks bro, really thanks 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
You are so welcome! Happy to help!
Hello Marlon, yours is psoas pain, so can the hip flexor stretches help your psoas. I need to learn from you as I have psoas problem.
I had been stretching what i thought were tight quad and flexors. NO they are clearly weak. EXCELLENCE here on Tone and Tighten. With this video, the SI joint release, and SI joint strengthen videos, I AM BACK AT WORK FAST LITERALLY WITHIN 12 HOURS!! Had been out for a month with wrong therapy, pain/ weakness everything getting WORSE! Was starting to imagine some dread disease LOL! Looked at many videos trying to figure out the problem. This PT brought it across CLEARLY AND COGENT what the problems are, and FIXED IT ALL QUICK!! Brought it down to the lay person EASILY! ALL GRATEFULLNESS!!!!
Wonderful news! Thanks for sharing!
This is perfect. I had pain from doing deadlifts in my upper right thigh. Thanks to your well explained video and exercises I discovered my hip flexor muscle is weak in the right leg. And now know exactly how to strengthen it in order to continue with deadlifts and improve in the gym. I hope everyone having problems with the hip flexor finds your video and receive your great advice!
Oh, good to hear! I am glad this video helped you so much and thanks for sharing!
What did you do to strengthen them
Thank you so much!!!! I have been dealing with hip flexor pain for 3 months now,after ı saw your video and applied your tips ı dont feel pain anymore. Cant thank you enough🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
I am so glad you are feeling better!
Thank You so much. Throughout my hip pain I've been stretching it out. It never really seemed to help, after that quick test I realize just how weak my hip flexor is (could barely get to ten on my left side, right side I can go up and down all day). Very insightful and easy to grasp. Just the mental relief of knowing what the problem is feels amazing. I look forward to strengthening this left hip flexor and eliminating this pain.
I can't thank you enough for posting this. I had no idea if I had weak or tight hip flexors. I've been suffering horribly with low back and SI joint pain for years and in the past few weeks I've become unable to walk or stand up straight. I discovered I have extremely tight hip flexors and these stretches were so relieving!! When I was done with them I couldn't believe how much better I could walk and my pain went down from an 8 to a like a 4 . I can actually feel how much looser my hips and legs are. AND it completely extinguished my leg pain. Thank you!! I'll be doing these stretches daily now.
Thanks a lot for explaining the difference between tight and weak hip flexors. I always thought I had to stretch even realising that I wasn’t getting any benefit and what I just learned is that my hip flexors are too weak 😓 thanks a lot 🤗
You bet!
After two back to back right hip FAI repair surgeries I completed Physical Therapy and felt pretty good. 2nd surgery was August 2019, which left a very short time for me to resume training at the fitness center before Covid-19 and the gym shutdown here in Michigan, which is still in effect. That time off not being able to continue my strengthening training weakened my hip flexors and I have had terrible psoas related hip and lower back pain. Watching your video has made me understand that I was trying to stretch an already severely weakened muscle group, of course leading to increased lower back pain. Thank you for clarifying and demonstrating the important difference between tight hip flexors and weak hip flexors. I am looking forward to using your exercises to bring my hip flexors back to normal and functional strength levels. I will continue to follow Tone and Tighten since I have had 5 major orthopedic surgeries in the last 9 years. There is only so much the VA can do with so many disabled veterans like me in need of proper care. Thank you for all that you do!
Sincerely,
David Saunders
USAF, 100% service-connected DAV
You are so welcome, David Thank you for sharing your story and for your support!
Thank you! I've been stretching my weak hip flexor and couldn't understand why they felt worse after I stretched! Appreciate this
You are so welcome, Kristi Roy! I hope this helps and thanks for commenting!
@@toneandtighten i do exercise but it hurts my buttock down to my leg
@@judithmercado8162 You have sciatica
@@judithmercado8162 pppppppplpppppppppppppl
Thx so much! Am a massage therapist 22 years n being in a lot of pt… had a feeling I needed strengthening… and I found your site! So wonderful that you teach n explain n show the diff between tight n weak!!!
You are very welcome! I hope these exercises are effective for you!
Love this! No fluff, waste of time, get right to it. YES! I’m following you now. 👍🏼
Yay! Thank you!
I was having 2 issues: sacral lumbar pain (very low back) and knee pain. I tried a number of things to correct this but it has been bothering me for over a year. This video was a game changer. The test showed my hip flexors are tight. The stretch out strap stretch worked amazingly well and the since my knees hurt the other stretches I had been doing were painful and didn't work very well. My IT band was out of alignment from tight hip flexors causing it to rub on my femoral epicondyle causing the knee pain. My pelvis was tilted due to the tight hip flexors and was out of alignment causing the low back pain. It was tough to diagnose because the pain was in two different spots from the cause of the issue. Thanks Jared! Another awesome video. I've been preaching your channel to everyone I know.
You are welcome, Steve! I am so glad this was helpful and thanks for commenting!
....I was having a similar issue, and it was due to my pelvis being very slightly tilted due to a childhood injury, which got aggravated by falling onto the bed of a truck. ( long story, lol) I was doing OK, up till last year. . .. couldn't get to doing my regular exercise of skating. Everything was closed. So.... even doing a few series of exercises at home does not do for me what that does, keeping my flexors in good shape, and everything else tied to that. And balance .. great for balance.
I'm in my 60's and this actually came up on a suggested video, so I'm going to check on my hips, and see where I am.
I'm grateful, Jared !! Thank you.
This is so incredibly helpful! I have suffered with hip flexor pain for years and everyone has always just given me stretches, but doing the test, mine are super weak! So helpful to have this info and a way to move forward!! Thank you!!
You are so welcome!
Jared,
ThX,this exercises is spot on!
Had a double hip replacement 14 years ago due to a accident on age 39. Went through hell and back for 14 years being at doctors, specialist,chyro`s and physios.Were on the brink of buying electric scooter and wheelchair cause of the intense pain.Could hardly walk. Mri`s kept on showing nothing wrong.
Till I end up by the right physio with a heated hydrotherapy pool.... 8 sessions later and it feel as I where
"floating"......
Moved to a small town where there are no physio`s....very fortunate to stumble across your videos.
Absolute good work,
Big ThX for helping others.
Kobus
Thank you so much for your kind words, Kobus Grove! You are very welcome!
Brilliant. This nailed a longstanding concern -weak hip flexor, with great, simple exercises to fix. Thank you!
Oh, wonderful! Happy to hear that, Kevin!
So I’m amazed that I stumbled upon this video…THANK YOU!! …while looking for demo on proper Theragun use. My issue is hip and knee pain. I’ve spent $600 in last 2 months at Chiropractor, purchased a percussion gun, taken a round of Steroid therapy, and experienced a lot of pain and sleep loss. I just knew there was an answer and NOW I know that I definitely have left hip flexor weakness, AND (bonus) there are simple exercises that I can start doing. No one even mentioned hip flexor to me. I’ve just been told to stretch my psoas. Can I tell you how much ignorance stinks?!! I can’t wait to see if these exercises can help me!
Ha ha, I am glad you found an answer! I hope these exercises provide the help you need and thanks for commenting!
This was incredibly helpful. I have been spending hours and hours trying to stretch what I thought was a tight left quadricep. I watched the video and did your tight-or-weak test. Bingo! I have a very tight left hip flexor... and I now have some great stretches to work with. You are so clear and concise. I've already subscribed. Thank you so much!
You're welcome!
I've had pain in my right hip flexor for over a year. It especially manifests when I'm putting my socks on from the standing position. Easy with the left but painful on the right. Watching this video as helped me identify that it is due to a weak muscle rather than a stiff one. This explains why stretching exercises have not helped. I'll be doing the strengthening exercises shown here from now on.
Thank you so much for this video. I always thought I needed to stretch but after doing your simple tests I definitely need to strengthen. When doing the strengthen exercise you show in this video I can't even get my left leg off the floor (maybe an inch); right leg about 4 inches. I've got a lot of work to do. Again thank you.
Amazing, Linda! It's interesting how often this happens! You think you're doing the right thing but come to find out the best treatment is completely different. I hope this helps you! You'll have to check back in a couple of weeks and let us know your progress!
Great video! Many people have asked me if my hips were tight or weak? My response...I have no idea! They hurt and I can't tie my shoes!!! This is very instructive and proof that the right kind of therapy is critical. Thank you.
Just back from my first PT session for hip flexor. Lots of pain, hard to walk. Your video was much more instructive!! I understand much more than what I was offered at PT. I’m starting your routines today. Thanks!!
Glad it was helpful and thanks for commenting!
I've been dealing with tightness and I was doing the kneeling stretch incorrectly like you illustrated. Now that I'm contracting my glutes, I can finally get that stretch that I needed. Thank you!
Incredible, day 2 of doing this and the pain in the front of my right hip that I have suffered for a year despite doing yoga every day and lots of physio , has gone! It's gone! Thank you so much. 💓
Wonderful news, Sara! Thanks for sharing.
Pro thai boxer here i was so sceptical with your chanel but this video helped me so much with my hip and kicks you cant even imagine. I am a different person
Pro?
Bro, that one where you pull your leg to your chest and let your other one just dangle really really opened up my hip after about 3 minutes or so. Thank you so much. Will be incorporating that into my daily routine.
That's awesome! So glad it was helpful!
Very grateful to you, sir! Thank you, as a former airline pilot, I sat for hours when flying long international flights, now I am dealing with these issues. Thanks for your help !
You are welcome! I hope these exercises are helpful.
Thank you , my hip flexors have been killing me for awhile. These exercises are what I needed.
Great, dawn0718! I hope they help and thanks for commenting!
Did they really work? And how long you've been doing the exercises
Best video ever! Finally understand what has been going on with my hip. Not "tight" but "weak" all this time. Your evaluation and exercises are spot on. BRAVO!!
You're so welcome and thank you for your kind comment!
Thank you. Helpful to find out my hip flexors are weak. After walking 12 miles the other day I had lower back ache and aching hips, also the same when sitting in the car for a long time. So I'm going to do your exercises to help. Thank you.
You are welcome, Julie! I hope these exercises help and thanks for commenting!
Just wanted to say thanks for making these videos it has helped me figure out why my hip has been numb for so long. Feels like Christmas came early for me.👍
Wonderful, victor pham! I am so happy to hear that! I hope you continue to feel relief!
Funny comment but true)
Thanks, the correction for the Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch (10 mins in) is what I needed. What a difference! Thank you!
You are so welcome!
Hi! So I have recently strained my hip flexors. I have three questions that if answered, would make me very happy.
1. How long does it take to recover
2. How do I learn about the severity
3. What are ways to treat this?
I tought the flexors were tight, but with the test you mentioned, I came to discover they are weak, and so weak that I could barely do 10 rep of the first strengthtening exercise with 1 sec hold and felt pain; I will keep trying, thank you! Very clear!
You are welcome! I hope these exercises help!
Thank you so much! I have been trying to figure out my own routine for this when I developed a weakness in one side, but I think that I would have gotten much better targeting of the area and better effects if I had just seen this before. I will now start with this and see if it get better.
You're so welcome! I hope this is helpful!
I have been dealing with what I thought was a strained groin and tight hip flexor injury. I have watched multiple channels and tried a wide variety of exercises, but none have helped as much as your strengthening exercises. I must have been making it worse! Thank you for the pain relief!
Thank you so much, Van Roy, and you are welcome! I am so happy to hear you are feeling less pain!
Thanks for the video. I was somewhat aware of it, but this video and taking the test confirmed that I have one tight hip flexor and one weak one. I can relate to much of your overall program as I taught and coached gymnastics. Still today, many people comment on my flexibility, but I'm finding that I was flexible in some joints and tight in others and had mixed strength in my muscles. I wish I'd come across your program when I was younger. I was blaming much of my problem on spinal stenosis and the scoliosis that was created when they did surgery for it 20 years ago. While I'm sure the spinal stenosis & scoliosis are part of the problem, I think that by working on stretching my tight side hip flexors and strengthening my weak side flexors, I may be able to stand straighter. I've been working with a trainer & have pretty good overall strength, but it's easy to miss something that could help. When I walk for exercise, I've been using walking poles, which help me walk straighter and faster without pain.
I also love some of your basic skills program using animal movement, which I have used with children when teaching movement type gymnastics for elementary physical education. Since I'm retired and no longer teaching the classes, I had quit doing some of them, but have started again as I think they can be helpful for general movement, even for us old people. I know this isn't the place for a recommendation for your programing, but I would like to see something offered for older people, which may be similar to your other programs, but with modifications. I just make up my own modifications, but some would watch the programs and decide they couldn't do it. For example, the animal moves might be done by putting one's hands on something that is elevated so they don't have to reach all the way to the floor.(a block or bench) I think these moves could be very helpful to older people with modifications. I realize that you got more of a comment than you asked for, but thought you might be interested.
I hope you have come out of retirement to teach occasional workshops to young gymnastics teachers! So much useful information you could pass on. (Not bossing you around, just making a wee suggestion😁) My yoga teachers are oldish; one in her late 70’s and one is his late 80’s! They will never retire and the teaching keeps them young and supple. All the best to you.
So appreciate finding this video-heavy limo as extremely painful left hip flexor strain probably from introducing new exercises without proper stretches to start. Giving these a go and expecting positive results. Thank you for easy and precise demo and explanations
Best of luck!
Thank you! It's the first time I hear someone explain the difference so clearly. I've had 2 total hip replacement surgeries (anterior approach) on my right hip (had the first in 2016 and a revision in 2018 because it got loose). And the pain sometimes is even worse than before the surgery. I got nerve damage and meralgia paresthetica from the first surgery. I can't lift my right leg when lying down (can't do leg raise). Muscle atrophy, etc. The problem is that I haven't found a strengthening and/or stretching routine or treatment that doesn't cause a lot of pain and when I try squats or leg raises etc. and then stretch even if I do it with help of a strap I can't walk for 2 days after. Because I had anterior approach hip replacement there are no restrictions on the movement, no risks of dislocating when flexing or extending.
Please advise!
Thank you for the video! I was researching hip flexor stretching and realized through your video that my right side was actually weak and not tight! I appreciate the info!
You're so welcome!
I LOVE this! Thanks for providing all the details and nuances for the beginner in understanding all this! I can't wait to try it out. Good stuff!
You are so welcome, Lisa! I am glad you found this informative and I hope it helps you!
For anyone interested, this is what i've tried and i've basically removed hip pain and lower back pain. I have 10 pound ankle weights i use. I get on the leg lift ab thing and let my feet dangle. This tugs on the hip and groin muscles. Also, basic stretching coupled with single leg and double leg bridges help a ton. Particularly the single leg bridges. For that, i stabilize one leg on a bench and push my hips upward with the opposite foot (that's on the ground). Then i switch legs.
Thank you for sharing, T Z!
Were your hip flexors tight or were they weak? I'm curious to see which is more prevalent! Leave me a comment below and thanks for watching on Tone and Tighten! (One more new video that might help - the best hip flexor stretches to alleviate tightness and pain: ua-cam.com/video/UrHcQJCqo4Q/v-deo.html)
What do you recommend for balance exercises
@@thomasokeefe3081 Start simple - Try standing heel-to-toe in a corner for as long as possible. When you can do that for a minute, try standing on one foot for as long as possible. When you can do that for a minute, repeat those same two exercises with your eyes closed. Great topic! I'll put it in the queue for a future video!
My left leg is .8 cm. shorter than the right after hip replacement 2 yrs. ago. Hip dr. said that was normal. REALLY!!!
hi, when I do the test to see if my hip flexors are tight my hips pop crack and grind like crazy; what does that mean?
I wanted to thank you for how insightful your videos are. That said I found my left leg to be tight and my right to be weak. I'm sure this is from year of using my left leg as a base while my right was kicking things. Maybe this is common? Do you find that patients often times have one tight leg and one weak?
Janice - I think I strained my right hip flexor by doing a lot of repetitive hip opening exercises, when they may have been weak. My bike has a crossbar as it is a blokes really and it hurt to swing the leg over the bar. I thought I had a serious hip problem, but I am very flexible with my yoga and I have been doing remedial stuff there which has helped. Today I did some hip opening exercises again and that hurt; I like your stuff and will look at doing the weak exercises.
Woah, how about that? I just started getting pain in my right hip up front (as well as on my lower back, right side) a few days ago and this video gets uploaded just now. This explained a whole lot and I can't wait to give these a try. Thanks so much for this I was starting to get worried. I'm on Team Weak apparently 😅
Haha! Crazy, right?! Everyone thinks stretching is the way to go, but that's not always the case. Sorry to hear about your pain, Chris. I hope these help you out, man!
Thank you so much! Now I know that I have a very tight hip flexor and will continue to do them. When do I do the strengthening exercises for hip flexor?
I never knew about the possibility of weak flexors..... I tried the test and mine are tight! Thanks for the great information!
Awesome, VeiledDancer! I hope the stretches help you out!
Thank you so much.
I did as instructed and found out my muscle was weak.
just ten reps of the strength exercise and my hip and lower back were resolved.
Thank you so much
You are welcome! I am so glad these exercises helped you so quickly!
Thank you so much for a really well explained video on both weak and tight hip flexors. Walk up this morning thinking I had done myself a major injury. Completed your stretches after deciding which issue I had. Such relief already. Will include in my daily workouts as I have a sitting job and also drive two hours a day.
You are welcome! Glad it is helping!
Mine were weak and I woke up in the middle of the night with the worst sharp pain ever! This really helps. Thank you
You're so welcome, Cat L! I am glad to hear these exercises have helped!
Have tight hips. Just tried the Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch and holy moly that felt good! Have known about it a while but didn't have the right form when doing so, thank you very much!
You are welcome, Nylon Surf! I am so glad that stretch helped you!
@@toneandtighten Thanks for the reply! I imagine if one side is tighter than the other you would do more reps - what would you suggest is the most amount of reps to do that keeps good form on that side?
Omg, thank you! My hip flexor is weak, but I have definitely been stretching. Stretching wrong at that. 😬
You're so welcome, Carrie B!! I hope you start to notice a difference!
Same!
You are AMAZING! This video saved me from injuries. I recently started a new training program and lunges were killing me, I have been feeling pain in my right knee and hip flexor even days after the workout. After this video I figured my right hip flexor is really tight, and I was doing kneeling hip flexor stretch wrong, which made it worse (Even my trainer is doing it wrong). I followed your instructions and after only the first stretch it made a huge difference. It took the tension from my right knee and no pain after workout! Thank you so much!
You are so welcome, pacwoman247! I love to hear that this has helped you feel better! That is what I am all about! Thanks for commenting!
@@toneandtighten video very good. I am recovering from strain running from my rump to my toes so I was wondering how soon into my recovery would I be able to carry out the exercise. Thanks séamus
Best video on this topic, thank you!!! 👌 I passed the tightness test and my flexors seem to be strong enough (I could easily do 10 on both sides), so still not sure what the cause of my hip & lower back pain might be. I'll have a look at some of your other videos, maybe I'll find the answer there somewhere... 😊
Thanks for commenting!
Thank you Thank you.......YOU SAVED ME!! Totally felt relief after first stretch..... I'll be back on my feet in no time.
You are so welcome! Glad to hear these were effective.
I think your video is a bit misleading as you didn't mention that pain in the hipflexers can also be caused by a muscle strain, which might happen if you workout too hard. In your video it sounds like the solution to hipflexer pain is to either stretch the muscles if they are too tight or excercise them if they are weak. But a third scenario is that the muscles are strained and therefore can't correctly do the excercise with the chair, not that they are weak. In this case, excercising more will probably lead to even more damage to the muscles and resting should be recommended. If you agree with me please mention this in the video (or remember it for future videos) so you don't accidentally make people with strains hurt themselves more by excercising.
Very good information since I just saw this video and am having flexor and also knee pain (so I’ve assumed it is my Sciatica). But what I’ve expressed to my Dr and Chiropractor is that it feels almost like a muscle strain. So perhaps I’ll try to tone down everything and give that area some time off before trying to strengthen. Thx!
My left hip hurts from carrying my baby on that hip. I have always had loose hip flexors from yoga etc so I think I also have a strain. Thank you
He never said the issues listed were exhaustive. In fact he made a point of that repeatedly throughout the video.
He explains it from 2 minutes on
It depends on the severity of the strain. If it is a grade 1 strain, 72 hours of rest and ice would be sufficient time to start exercising it. Grade 2 slightly longer with an initial period of light stretches. He is giving general advice. Everybody is different and so should the approach to rehabilitation
That test for weak vs tight is really eye opening! I thought they were tight, but they were flat on the table when I checked for tightness. Weakness test, yeah, there it is. Thank you! I will follow the two exercises you recommended!
You are welcome! Glad it was helpful!
@@toneandtighten Yes, I have not seen this anywhere else--just was trying to figure out if it was a flexor problem and how to stretch it. Glad I found your vid! Are there any easier ones to start? I can't even begin to think about the lying leg lifts..way too hard. Maybe will just start easy with the sugg'd #2 strengthening ones and do less reps..thank you
Ah, found your other vid with the exercises leveled..thank u for giving me hope (Stop Stretching Your Hip Flexors! How To Fix Them The RIGHT Way)
What happens if they are tight AND weak? Asking for a friend... lol
Exactly! Definitely weak, but also spasms and pain which leads me to think of tight and strain.
Hope you’re feeling better by now
Ok. Now that I understand it, can you make a video of just the exercises? I use the 9 minute back video daily and it’s been a huge help. I struggle to remember these exercises and I don’t have time to try to find them within the educational bits. I surely would be helped by that kind of video.
This is great info! When doing the exercises to strengthening the hip flexor, it cramps up my quad muscles. How do I keep from using the quad muscle so I can activate and strengthen the hip flexor?
I have same issue... I do it anyway. Maybe yours are worse? Eventually I expect the quad cramping to go away. We'll see.
Wowie, these helped a BUNCH!! Instantly increased my flexibility and decreased some of my pain!!
Wonderful news! Thanks for sharing!
Can theses exercises be used for a hip flexor sprain ... please advise
I squat pretty heavy and woke up with my right hip flexor causing a sharp pain everytime i bend my leg to about 90 degrees. This has been an issue for about 2 months now. Doing these test i think my right hip is weak. Thank you for the information and I hope these strengthening exercises help. Thanks again!
You are welcome! I hope this helps!
Hello Jared, I love your UA-cam exercise videos. Would you make a video about exercises for hip trochanteric bursitis,please? Thank you. Jana
I have psoas tightness the last 3 days. Found this video Doc...do the stretching...and it really works Doc...thank you so much🙏🙏
Happy to help!
Stretches
7:20
9:04
Strength exercises:
Straight leg raise12:05
Leg raise 13:04
Thanks for helping others out!
Great info, I've been in agony! I definitely have hip flexor weakness, the strengthening test I did with a breeze my leg won't right down to the table each time I will start on these now strengthening exercises right now, thank you!
Thanks for sharing!
According to your tests I don’t have neither weakness nor tightness in my HF but I still experience a lot of pain and discomfort in the front of my right hip while running or swimming freestyle with strong kick. This includes crunchy sounds and reduced ROM compared to the left hip. What would you suggest? Thank you!
I have the same situation! I mostly have pain when I am doing squat-type exercises. Could you find an answer to your question?
Before I found your videos, I had discovered by process of elimination that my hip flexors were weak. Yours is the only video i've come across that shows how to distinguish between the two and provided the appripriate remedies for each all in pme video. Awesome content. Thank you. :) Love thay the exercises are super simple too.
You are welcome! I am so glad you found this helpful!
What if you have weak hip flexors and they are also tight? Should we do all of this
He said if they’re weak. Don’t stretch them, just strengthem
@@user-ms9mq7ze7v he also said if they are tight, dont try to strengthen them just stretch them
At 2:28 he says the worst thing to do for a weak muscle is to stretch it. We need Tone and Tighten man to elaborate.
It would be nice to know the answer if you have both and do all the exercises at the same okay which one is best to start tight muscle are weak
I would only say that if it hurts a lot, start by stretching and letting the inflamed muscle recover. And then strenghten it. If it’s just because is both things no pain, i would stretch just for mobility (so very quick every morning, without holding) and then strength. Stretch for mobility and then focus on the strengthening excercises
Thank you for paying attention to small but important details !
You bet! I am glad this was helpful, Pete!
Hmm...Not really sure. I've always been pretty flexible and my leg came down on the table. I also was able to do the leg raise test without much difficulty. But my Hip flexors do hurt especially after a run. I'm leaning more toward weak but don't want to miss stretching if that is what I should be doing . Side note I'm not sure but my inner knee has been hurting after a run too. I know my chiro said one side of my pelvis is forward and one is back. Got any thoughts?
Depends on a lot of things... condition of the hip, mileage, running mechanics, etc etc. Could be anything from a hip flexor tendonitis (in which case all the exercises in this video would be good to perform) to an arthritis. I would try all these exercises daily for 1-2 weeks; if you're not seeing any improvement consult a local specialist. Good luck!
NICE TO HEAR YOU EXPLAIN FURTHER THE KNEELING STRETCH CURSOR 11:00. I HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING BOB & BRAD VLOGS BUT NEVER HEARD THIS. THANKS AGAIN. WATCHING IN CANADA
You are welcome! I hope these exercises help you and thanks for commenting!
I having been doing skipping and other exercises when ever I try to do mountain climber exercises or I raise my leg...my socket joint tends to make noise but there is no pain. Will this exercise be helpful and can I continue with my normal exercise such as skipping?
i have same noise when i do leg rise and what i being reading or watching its okey so far if u dont have any pain.
I had a stroke in April of 2022, I was particularly paralyzed on my left side. Every muscle you could think of. Ive since recovered very nicely through the Grace of God and PT like yourself who are talented . The hip flexor strech that you demonstraded on this video was the ticket I needed to strecht that muscle for more flexibility. I a.lso see a PT who does deep tissue massages...pretty dang painful but with the streches and aggressive workouts Im almost back to pre stroke days
I never have lower back pain. However my hips hurt when I do floor ab exercises that require me to lift my legs while in an upright position
oh gosh, me too!! I have friends that do the same exercise but they seem fine. I thought I was the only one! when I do daily exercises of lifting legs for abs, I end up with what seems to be tight flexors.
I have the same problem, you guys find a fix for this?
I feel pain while doing crunches
I am also experiencing same problem. What worked for you ?
I was thinking about this earlier, so I did a search for 'strengthen hip flexors' and this is exactly what I was looking for. In my case, it is a weakness of the hip flexors (on the left and the right) along with a slight imbalance of the left versus the right.
The concept of 'reciprocal inhibition' likely comes into play here. Reciprocal inhibition is the natural reflex like tendency that when one muscle group fully engages and contracts the opposing muscle group will fully relax and 'release'.
A problem occurs however once an imbalance is created between the opposing muscle groups. This imbalance might be created by inactivity or injury or the antalgia induced movements and postures that can result from an injury. Once this imbalance is created, and until it is corrected, what will happen is that one muscle group will become over used and the opposing muscle group will become under used. When this occurs, the over used muscle group (in my case, the glutes) will have plenty of potential strength, yet will have the tendency to also not be able to 'fully' contract...this muscle group will also have the tendency to feel 'locked' into a partial contraction and may feel as though they need to be 'released' after being 'over used'. And then, the opposing muscle group (the hip flexors are one of the muscle groups that oppose the glutes), they will end up being 'under used'...and as a result, they will become weak, and will also feel as though they never (or very seldomly ever) 'fully' relax...which, to me, that sort of mimics a feeling of 'tightness'.
My 'bio-hack' for this had always focused on trying to self release the glute muscles manually...and, although I had some success accomplishing that, it is not an easy task!...the glutes are basically the most powerful muscle group, so 'self release' required digging into them with all my might using my thumb while also engaging the glutes during the 'dig' (not very friendly to the thumb!). So, 'manual release' of the glutes is best left to another individual who is able to 'dig in' with their elbow and use their body weight. However, this is only 'therapy', meaning that it will feel better, but it will only provide temporary relief. If the imbalance is not corrected (by strengthening the hip flexors), then the glutes will simply need that manual release again and again.
The real 'treatment' that would make sense to me then, is to address the cause of the problem and bring the muscle groups back into balance by strengthening the weak/under used muscle group.
Tried doing the hip flexor strengthening exercise where I had to tighten my quads and raise leg. My right side is weaker than my left side and I experienced pain in my lower back when raising my leg. Any advice to help would be greatly appreciated.
Just following up to find out how you dealt with this strength difference, I am also actively trying to recover from this. Thank you!
Amazing video thank god people like you are alive.
Thanks so much! I hope you are finding it helpful!
Thank you! This is wonderful, and I’m certain will help me quite a bit!
You're very welcome, DeathInvestigator! I hope they help you! Thanks for commenting.
Thank you very much for all your videos. Been very helpful. I have problems with hips, knees, neck. I had a few falls in the past, and I suffer from chronic pain in theses areas. Again thank you so much. From Maria S.
so i was doing the kneeling hip flexor stretch the wrong way....im experiencing hip flexor pains right now and after doing the stretch correctly it drastically improved thank you for this
I am so happy to hear that and thanks for sharing!
where my weak hip flexor people at 😂
Burning hip squad 😭🙌
Fr
I can't even lift my leg up because my flexor is weak. Couldn't do the exercises.
@@zapmama27use a band for support
Me 😔😔
I thought I have a tight hip flexor but now I realize I have a weak hip flexor thank you so much I wish I could subscribe to you million times thank you so much
You are so welcome, Abel! Thank you for your kind words and I am glad you found this video helpful!
No pain just a mild stroke effected my left side..almost fully recovered except for slight tightness in hip
Damn that’s tuff, but that’s a small thing to a giant Ik u got this fam 💯
Sending best wishes, take care of yourself and dont do anything too strenuous 💕
@@gillianm9367 thank you so much
Sending you support and good vibes for a solid recovery! :0)
Is always my left side
Very helpful. Exactly what I need. Strengthening my hip flexors for my surfing pop up!
Happy to help!
Hello, just wonder if a muscle can be weak AND tight at the same time? Thank you!
Someone answer arghhh
@Tone and Tighten .....did u read this, if u did please a solution for this.
Someone please answer this. I injured my right back which is my weak side as well. And since then my right leg feels constant numbness. Q
tinaa719ify I’m pretty sure
Yes
Thank you for sharing such an informative video.
Aging, soft mattress, loss of muscle led to some real weakness in my left hip flexor and playing hockey uses a lot of those muscles.
After only one session of strengthening from your vid, it feels better already!
Glad it was helpful!
Holy shit this was a life-saver, thank you for this content dude!
You are so welcome! I am glad it was helpful!
My issue was tightness, and your tests were very helpful in determining that. The third stretch you showed hit the jackpot for me. I noticed a decrease in pain immediately, after only three 20-second stretches! I'm absolutely thrilled! And based on what you said, I imagine I'll experience a decrease in lower-back spasms, too. Thank you!
You are so welcome, Drew! I am glad you found these exercises helpful and thanks for sharing!
Same for me! Awesome 👌
According to your tests, my bad hip is not tight and stronger than my good hip. I think I need more info, lol
Amazing. I definitely have weak hip flexors and have been trying to stretch out my hip and lower back pain for years 😫
Unfortunately I wasn’t able to determine whether tightness or weakness was my issue. My leg almost touched down on the surface when I tested for tightness. When doing the strength test I can do 15 reps no problem. I’m going to try stretching first for a few weeks to see if that alleviates the asymmetrical issue with my left hip flexor.
Usually the weakness of hipflexors prevents you from being flexible
look into hip thrusts or bridges
Thank you so sos so much for showing this video. I hip problem is just exactly what you were saying. After a set of hip exercises my hip got lose and feeling way better. I will continually doing this instead of what my chiropractor told me just stretch my hip and I’ll be fine. Again thanks
You are welcome, Mr Try! I hope you find these exercises helpful!
Thx this is just what i need;())))))
You're very welcome, andrew swan! I hope they help you! Thanks for commenting.
Thank you so much it’s a big help for me coz right now I’m suffering hip pain ..God bless you
You are welcome! I am glad these exercises are helping you out!