Our hips can get so tight can't they? Largely through prolonged periods of sitting, but equally activities like running, cycling and weight training can tighten the hip area too.
Also, it has to be said that some people who are naturally very flexible need to be careful not to over stretch as this can cause problems too.
The hips connect our upper and lower body and the main muscle which attaches the legs to the lumber spine is the Psoas, or Hip Flexors as more commonly known. The Psoas Major (to give it it's proper name), is joined by the Iliacus which attaches to the inner pelvis at the Illium. Hence the collective name of Iliopsoas.
Keeping this muscle group both strong and healthy is really important as it affects our posture and helps stabilize the spine. I'm sure a lot of us aren't very knowledgable about this muscle, or even know where it is?
Here's a really great article from Yoga International which helps you feel it and includes some exercises to stretch and strengthen it. They point out, 'If it’s out of balance, it can be a significant contributor to low back and pelvic pain'. https://yogainternational.com/article/view/how-to-stretch-and-strengthen-the-psoas/
As in the article there are lots of yoga poses which help to stretch this area including pigeon pose, warrior, high and low lunges and the list goes on. But it's also worth remembering we need to keep this muscles strong too. Boat pose, extended standing leg balance and straight leg lifts are important here.
I've been looking at the hips in my classes over the last few weeks and more recently external rotation. The Iliasoas is most definitely involved here. What we have to be aware of as we externally rotate the thigh is to keep the pelvis neutral. In my Tips on Tuesday Reel on Instagram, I had a little look at this as it's good to try lying down versions (when you're warmed up), to get a better understanding for how it should feel when you're doing this standing. Here's the link
When I was thinking about this post, I couldn't help thinking about 'The King' of hip action, Elvis. I know my mind is a bit wild sometimes and links are tenuous, but it made me smile watching this 2mins video. On this bitter March day - I hope it does for you too.
Have a lovely weekend X
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