Exercises for the Hip Flexor for Ballet

Dancers require extremely flexible, supple hip joints to perform certain ballet steps, as well as strong muscles to protect them from injury. Ballerinas are susceptible to leg injury due to the nature of their profession, and dancers can suffer a snapped hip if their hip flexors are weak. Several stretches help strengthen this area.

  1. Overhead Lunge

    • Holding a medicine ball above your head with your arms outstretched, begin to lunge forward with one leg. Stay in the stretch for 30 seconds before switching sides. Keeping the medicine ball above your head gives the hip flexors an extra stretch as the weight helps stretch the fascia that covers your muscle. According to Lauren's Fitness, this is a common cause of tightness in the hips.

    Reverse Lunge

    • The reverse lunge is similar to the overhead lunge except it engages the buttock muscles, which in turn relax the hip flexors. Lunge back and squeeze your buttocks, keeping your back long and straight. To add an extra stretch, rotate your torso to the side opposite to the extended leg. Do not force this rotation; Strong Lifts says you should stop when you feel the stretch in the flexors.

    Leg Swings

    • Your hip flexors provide the mobility for big movements like the grand battement. Holding on to a stable object, your feet parallel, begin to swing your leg from front to back in ever increasing movements. Keep your pelvis and lower back still while performing this movement. Not only will it stretch out your hip flexors, but it will also work your buttock muscles.