In this installment we'll discuss the rectus femoris, one of four hip flexors, alerting you to the fact that these muscles are super important to hip stability. Below are pics of the rectus femoris stretch that I like to do with clients only after I have assessed and done adequate muscle length testing to ensure lengthening is what this muscle needs.
CAUTION: Only elevate the rear leg as high as it takes to maintain full hip extension, a flexed hip in this stretch means the rear leg is elevated too high and is something you'll have to work up to.
You can tell you're in extension when you can squeeze the glutes or the knee is directly under the hip. You only have fifteen degrees of hip extension, so try not to push your knee too far forward, the front knee is not the concern here. The rear leg going into extension farther than fifteen degrees grinds the hip capsule and creates an anterior pelvic tilt, all things you want to avoid. Pushing forward will produce more of a stretch sensation but, you'd be over-lengthening the psoas, forcing the lumbar spine into excessive lordosis.
Above is an example of stretching the right hip flexor. Below is the left.
Below is a progression to get a little stretch out of the iliacus and psoas, very hard muscles to reach, especially if the rectus femoris is tight. You'll need full hip extension to make this work, so make sure to master the above stretch first.
Below is the final progression to this stretch. A slight lean to the side you're stretching will get a little more psoas and iliacus.
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