Does Stretching Hip Flexors Help You Run Faster

Your tight hip flexors are slowing you down. Hip flexors are three muscles buried deep within the area that connects your upper thigh to your hip. Together, they are known as the iliopsoas -- the psoas major, psoas minor and iliacus. Sit all day with hip flexors in the flexed or shortened position -- at a computer, in a car, in front of the TV -- and those muscles become tight, adding seconds or minutes to your running times.

  1. Imperfect Posture

    • The point of an effective stretching program is to safeguard and improve range of motion, the full arc a joint can travel from flexed to extended and back. When you are running, strong, supple hip flexors are extended to push the femur back as you push off and flexed to bring the thigh and knee up as you extend your leg forward. If hip flexors are tight, runners compensate by arching the lower back, a posture imbalance that can lead to back injury and will decrease running efficiency. Restrictions on swinging your leg powerfully from front to back prevent you from stabilizing your spine and fully accessing the core muscles that can drive you faster along the track. Tight hip flexors result in a weaker push-off and compromised performance.

    Lean and Lunge

    • Loosen hip flexors with a few simple stretches that let you feel how tight those muscles are. Try these after you are warmed up to avoid straining muscles. In lunge position, let your back heel leave the floor as you keep your spine straight and lift the crown of your head toward the ceiling to increase the stretch in the hip of the back leg. Then kneel on the back leg with front leg bent at 90 degrees, maintaining your upright posture. Slowly shift your weight to lean into the front leg, feeling the stretch in the kneeling leg. Do both exercises on each side. Stand on one leg, bend the opposite knee, and bring the foot of the bent knee back and up as close as you can to your butt. Don't force the move, but try to go a bit further each time as your hip flexors relax. Do three repetitions of each stretch, both sides.

    Supine Stretch

    • Mix it up to stretch hip flexors from different angles. Lie on the floor or a mat with legs extended, feet flexed, and hands at your sides. Tighten your abs, drawing your navel towards your spine, and slide one foot towards your body with the foot flat on the floor. Grab the thigh of the bent leg and pull your knee into your chest as you push the heel of the straight leg down. Breathe evenly, pulling the bent leg closer to your body on every exhalation. Hold for 30 seconds and change sides. Engaging your core protects your back from strain and tightening the glutes on the straight-leg side increases the stretch in that hip. Repeat two to five times.

    Hip Flexors and Fitness Routines

    • Add hip flexor stretches to all your fitness programs. Yoga students can open hips and get a good stretch in Warrior I pose, a basic lunge that targets the iliopsoas. King Pigeon pose is an advanced, deep back bend that stretches the entire front of the body, including the hip flexors, as you push your hips to the sky. At home or in the gym, grab a balance ball to help loosen hip flexors. Balance balls, also known as stability balls, engage a constant interplay of muscles as your body adjusts to maintain balance on the wobbly sphere. Stability ball reverse extensions and bridges stretch hip flexors, along with shoulders, abs, and glutes. Daily attention to relaxing tight hip flexors builds your ability to pick up the pace in your running sessions.