For me, this lateral hip stretch is always pretty intense!
Using your own bodyweight bearing down onto the stretch with a combination of hip flexion, adduction and rotation, this exercise specifically targets tightness in the Glute complex, lateral Hamstring (Biceps Femoris), and even into the lower back (QL).
A number of the runners who come to me struggling with ITB Syndrome have found this particularly helpful recently. Give it a go a few times daily for the next 2-3 weeks and see how you get on…
Why rotate this way, not the other? Check out my reasoning here…
Last updated on March 2nd, 2021.
Interesting. I think by rotating arms away you will actually take the lateral structures off stretch. I would personally rotate the other way.
Hi Mark,
I agree – If I was looking to add tension maximally from top-down and bottom-up in combination I too would rotate the upper body the other way to that shown in the video above.
The reality is that I normally cue the athlete to get into this stretch using the leg position, trying to get them to reach as much hip flexion and adduction as possible. Then I get them to sink into it using body weight to intensify the stretch.
In my opinion and experience, for *most* athletes winding them up from both bottom-up and top-down in this stretch is overkill.
Thus the arm motion in the video above is chosen not to simply increasing the stretch further, but to add a slightly different component. I choose this direction of ‘rotate and reach’ to move the athlete momentarily away from the stretch, then back into the stretch as they come down to the ground. The progression, as mentioned by @FatPhysio on Twitter would be to reach the hand under the body and across.
Not saying this is the only, or even best way… but the active component seems to work well with my guys 🙂
Cheers,
James