If you are anything like me, or the millions of Americans who sit daily for extended periods of time, you may have some issues with your hip flexors. You see, I have been retired from the fire department now for nearly one year. Instead of running into burning buildings for a living, I now find myself seated in front of the computer - yep, the same one I am typing on this very moment - doing some form of contract work.
Man, how things change!
If you've been following this blog of mine for any length of time, you've no doubt seen some post about postural distortion patterns, resulting from a process known as 'adaptive shortening'. Let's review for a moment...
Adaptive shortening of muscle tissue can occur as a result of repetitive movement, or from a lack of movement. Let's look at the first cause - repetitive movement. When we repeatedly perform a specific movement pattern, for example - cycling - our body adapts to the position and function associated with the particular movement. When we are seated on a bicycle, we are forced into a hip-flexed position. When we pedal our bikes, we repeatedly flex and extend our hips as each leg cycles through the pedaling motion. Unfortunately however, the hip-extension that occurs during the pedal stroke, is not complete. This means that while our hips are moving through some degree of hip-extension, the hip-flexors are always under placed into a shortened, activated position. It is important to note that runners can experience this too.
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| Cyclists and runners can suffer over-active, shortened hip-flexors. |
What does this mean?
Well...because our bodies are such amazing, adaptable 'machines', they begin to slowly adapt to these muscle lengths, and ultimately 're-position' the body into, what is perceived to be the 'new norm'. Unfortunately, what this ultimately means is that the body is now positioned incorrectly, and is no longer as efficient as it once was. This level of inefficiency could simply lead to performance deficits, or worse - it could increase the potential of an injury down the road.
The same type of situation can occur as a result of in-activity. While we sit, typing away at the computer or comfortably slouching in our favorite chair, our body begins adapting to the position. This is adapative shortening...and while it is not occurring as a result of repetitive action, it can ultimately has the same result - Lower Crossed Syndrome (LCS), which is a lower-body postural distortion pattern, that I have discussed in detail within previous posts.
So...let's talk about some muscles that come into play with LCS. The group of muscles known as the hip-flexors, are responsible for - yep, that's right - hip-flexion. While there are a number of muscles that come into play here, we are going to settle on one specific muscle for this discussion - the psoas. The correct pronunciation for the psoas is "So-As". The psoas muscle connects the lower body to the upper body, so it only makes sense that when contracted or shortened, it results in the upper body coming closer to the lower body, anteriorly - or vice versa. This process is completed via hip-flexion. Conversely, when the upper and lower body move further away from one another (anteriorly), it is usually a result of hip-extension...an action dominated by contraction of hip-extensor muscles, such as the gluteus maximus.
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| The Psoas...a direct link between the upper and lower body. |
Adaptive shortening of the psoas muscle typically results in the pelvis being tipped forward - or what is often referred to as an anterior pelvic tilt. It is important to remember that the spine attaches to the pelvis, and that any re-positioning of the pelvis also affects the spine - and ultimately our posture.
"Why is this important?' you ask. Well...let me tell you why.
When our pelvis tips forward, our spine, specifically our lumbar spine, follows suit. If, and I stress the if...the remainder of our spine were to maintain a neutral position, it would cause us to lean forward while we stand. Our brains however, receive information from number of mechano-receptors that monitor various aspects of body positioning, and relay that information to the brain. Once the brain receives the information, it determines that this is not a good position to be in, and in-turn recruits our spinal-extensor muscles to 'fire' and put the body back into an upright position. While this returns us to a somewhat normal position - it happens at a cost.
Let's talk about that cost.
While the brain was doing its job of making us stand up straight, it did so by arching our back, rather than re-positioning the pelvis back to it's normal, neutral position. This re-positioning of our spine, is a result of increased lumbar extension (lumbar hyper-lordosis), which can play havoc on the vertebral bodies, and the inter-vertebral discs. Over time, this can result in degradation of both the vertebrae, and the discs, causing back pain and decreased function.
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| Increased lumbar lordosis on the left. |
So what can we do about this?
Well...we can stop sitting. We can stop cycling, running, walking, working out...well, you get the point, right? We can't really stop doing those things, nor should we. What we really need to do, is begin addressing some of these issues through the implementation of corrective-based exercises that focus on returning our bodies to a normal position, thereby increasing function, and decreasing pain and the prevalence of chronic injury patterns...which by the way, typically present as an acute injury, and often go unidentified as a chronic problem - but that's another post, for another day!
Since this post was primarily focused on the hip flexors, it only makes sense that we talk about what can be done with those muscles, to assist in the process of returning the pelvis to a normal position. While I could go on and on about what treatment, and exercises to perform, I have decided to go a different route. I came across a website recently, titled "Unlock Your Hip Flexors" that contains some great information about how to release over-active, shortened hip flexors, that could contributing to back pain, a chronic injury cycle, as well as a decrease in your performance.
You do have to pay for the information within the website, but it is currently available for only $9! The normal advertised price is $50, but you all know how these websites work, right? "Get it NOW for only blah, blah, blah....ONLY 1 day left to receive this amazing offer!" Believe me, I dislike that stuff just as much as the next guy, but I also realize that it is just marketing...and sometimes, it is marketing for some really good information or products. I believe this is one of those situations...cheesy internet marketing/packaging, of some valuable information, that could pay huge dividends for you...at a very low cost.
Now...in the interest of honesty and transparency, I will tell you that I have recently become an affiliate of this product, and that I will make a small affiliate commission off of the sale of this product. I'm certainly not going to get rich, and I'm not involved with this product in any other way. I look at this blog of mine, as a way to share some great information with some like-minded people, and this is simply one way of doing so. Are there other means by which you can obtain information like this? Sure there are. The great thing about this method however, is that the creator of this product has placed a great deal of information (likely more than what you would find on your own), in one convenient package.
So...check it out. Purchase if you like, or pass on it. The choice is yours. I am simply providing you with what I feel is sound information, about something that most of us could benefit from. Which is ultimately the purpose of this little blog of mine.
You can hop right to the website by clicking on the following link: CLICK HERE TO UNLOCK THOSE TIGHT HIP FLEXORS!
If you choose to try out this product, please let me know how it works out for you.
As always,
Yours in health and peformance,
John
