Hip Flexor Stretch With a Table

The muscles in front of your hip -- known as the iliopsoas -- fire up when you move your thighs toward your chest. If you repeatedly contract those muscles or force them into a shortened position for long periods of time, you'll be more prone to hip discomfort, declines in athletic performance and lower-back pain. Whether your short, tight flexors are the result of sumo squats or garden work, use a relaxing table-top stretch to loosen them up and restore hip health and function.

  1. Belly Up

    • The Thomas stretch is a basic table-top exercise for your hip flexors. It's suitable for beginners, according to the American Council on Exercise, and results in a mild, relaxing stretch. After a brief cardio warm-up to raise your core body temperature and increase circulation to your lower body, lie face-up on a table with your buttocks near the edge of the table. To stretch your right flexors, take hold of your left shin with both hands and slowly draw your left knee toward your chest. Relax your right leg and let gravity pull it toward the floor, lengthening the muscles in front of the hip. Hold the position for up to 30 seconds, relax briefly and repeat up to four times. Switch legs and repeat for the opposite side.

    Get It Right

    • Take care to use proper form both to maximize the stretch and to protect yourself from injury. When you position yourself initially, it's important to scoot your buttocks as close to the edge of the table as possible. This enables greater downward movement of the thigh and extension of the hip flexors beyond their neutral position. Bending the non-working leg toward your chest helps stabilize your pelvis and spine, which protects your lower back from strain. The Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma, or NISMAT, also recommends the supine hip flexor stretch, but suggests lying along the long edge of the table and letting the working leg dangle off the side. Experiment with both variations to determine which results in a deeper, more effective stretch.

    Get Help

    • If you want to bump up the intensity of the exercise, ask a friend -- preferably someone who is knowledgeable about safe stretching practices -- to lend a hand. Your buddy can use one hand to move the shin of your non-working leg toward your chest. With the other hand, your partner can press gently downward on the thigh of the working leg. Don't allow your partner to move the leg beyond your current comfort level and be clear if you wish to stop after experiencing any pain, popping or grinding in your hip.

    Stand and Deliver

    • As an alternative to the supine exercise, use a table to stretch your flexors from a standing position. Facing the table, stand with your toes pointing forward, straighten your spine and press your shoulders down and slightly back. To stretch your right hip flexors, bend your left knee toward your chest and rest the sole of your left foot on the edge of the table, directly in front of your pelvis. Keeping your hips level, begin hinging forward from your right ankle, shifting your hip bones toward the table. When you feel light tension along the front of your right hip, hold the position for up to 30 seconds. Pull back from the stretch, relax briefly and repeat up to four times before stretching your left hip.