Active Hip Flexor Stretch in a Push Up Position

Pushups are among the simplest yet most effective body-weight exercises you can do, helping to strengthen the pecs, shoulders, triceps and abdominal muscles. When you've mastered the basics, try a few variations that can help you loosen tight hip flexor muscles. But a word of warning: because these exercises require you to lift one of your feet off the floor while in the middle of a pushup, they're much more challenging than your standard variety.

Instructions

  1. Leg Kick

    • 1

      Put yourself in the "up" position of the pushup, keeping your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.

    • 2

      Lower your body down to the "down" position of your pushup until your chest almost touches the floor.

    • 3

      Move your left leg out to the side, to create a 90-degree angle between your leg and trunk. Your leg should not touch the floor, and as you do this movement, you should feel your hip opening. Hold the pose for a few breaths.

    • 4

      Move back to the "up" position, lower your body back down, then repeat the motion with the right leg.

    Knee Touch

    • 5

      Place yourself into the "up" position of your pushup.

    • 6

      Tighten your abdominals as you lift your left leg off the floor, bending the knee and bringing it forward to touch the left elbow. If you're more flexible, you can also try to touch the knee to your shoulder. Hold the pose for a few breaths.

    • 7

      Bring your leg back to the pushup position, then repeat the knee-to-elbow motion with your right leg.

    Three-Legged Dog

    • 8

      Start in the "up" position of your pushup, then bend at the hips and walk your feet forward slightly to move into the yoga position, "Downward-facing Dog." Press your heels, palms and fingers into the floor, keeping your abs tight and your arms, back and legs straight. Press your shoulder blades together. While this is technically not a hip opener that you do from a pushup position, it recruits many of the same muscles and can be beneficial for stretching out the hips.

    • 9

      Lift your left leg off the floor as high as you can. Ideally, you'll have one long, straight line between your arms, trunk and the elevated leg.

    • 10

      Bend the left knee and turn your hips slightly away from the right leg, allowing the left heel to move toward the right buttock. Keep the elevated foot flexed and hold the position for a few breaths. As you hold, you should feel an opening in the hip flexor muscles.

    • 11

      Bring your elevated left leg back to the Downward-facing Dog position, then raise your right leg to do the same stretch.