Do you have tight hips?
Chances are, if you are reading this article, you probably do. Let’s start with what is hip tightness? Hip tightness is typically a build up of tension, and can be due to a variety of causes including lack of hip mobility and flexibility, improper warm up/cool down, poor posture or ergonomics, and lack of movement and activity to name a few.
It’s important to note that mobility and flexibility are not the same thing. Flexibility refers to the ability of a muscle to lengthen during movement. It is passive, meaning it doesn’t require the use of your muscles, but rather external forces. For example if you opened your arms out to the side of you and moved them back as far as you could go, you probably would be able to go a bit past your shoulder. However, if someone stood behind you and pulled your shoulders together, you might get much closer, maybe even touch them together. Stretching is one of the best ways to determine flexibility. Your body type and/or genetics can also affect how flexible you are.
Flexibility is important in that it allows you to move through a range of motion, just like the wheels on your care allow you to move. Limited flexibility can definitely restrict your mobility, however lots flexibility without, stability or strength, can be even more dangerous and actually more often leads to injury.
Mobility is different from flexibility in that it is the ability to control your body through an entire range of motion. Flexibility is a piece of mobility, but not the whole pie. Other pieces that are also important in mobility are–
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- Healthy, lubricated joints
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- A relaxed nervous system
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- Neuromuscular control over your movements
Think about a squatting motion as an example – to have full mobility squatting, your hips and knees have to bend at the proper angles, and a complex network of core muscles must work together in sync to control your trunk position. This does not just refer to doing squats in the gym – you squat every time you sit down in a chair or on the toilet. Mobility includes a facet of each of these bodily processes; if one is missing, you will not be able to move as effectively, increasing your risk of injury.
Static stretching can often improve flexibility, but to improve mobility, it is much more effective to consider a variety of facets such as strengthening exercises, stabilization, dynamic stretching and SMFR (Self-Myofascial Release).
To address your hip tightness, you’ll want to first get a baseline of where your deficits lie. Try out the self assessment tests below to determine where your active range of motion (AROM) lies. As you move through each of these tests you should be comparing your left to your right side noting differences in range of motion (ROM), pain, and/or tightness.