Just Because Your Hips FEEL Tight, Doesn’t Mean They Actually Are
If you’ve ever sat on a long flight or worked a day at a desk not designed for home work ( 2020 anyone??) you’ve experienced *tight hips*. The common prescription is to stretch and stretch and stretch in hopes of making that discomfort go away- and it does, temporarily.
You see, many of us don’t actually have tight hips, but rather hips that FEEL tight. Why does that matter…and uh…what even is the difference? Simply stretching a muscle that doesn’t really need stretching, can cause postural and pain problems- and knowing what’s going on in your own body is not only empowering, but allows you to choose a strategy that’s actually going to make a difference.
Do you have tight hips or do they just feel tight?
Tight hips can feel like a lot of things (not necessarily in the hips themselves). Here are a few tell tale signs of tight hips even if it’s not your hips that are bothering you:
1) LOW BACK PAIN/POOR POSTURE WHEN STANDING FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME
I’m having stress flashbacks to sorority rush week and standing in heels for hours on end in matching outfits…just me? Often when we stand (especially if you’re locking your knees) our low back muscles overwork to take over for underdeveloped core muscles and create a bigger arch in the low back (more on what swayback or anterior pelvic tilt means and how to strengthen and correct here).
2) NECK PAIN WHEN SITTING AT YOUR NON ERGONOMIC WFH DESK SET UP
Sitting in a flexed hip position, aka the 90 degree bend at the hip when we’re seated can lock up the hip flexors- but have a domino effect to the rest of your posture, since you’re proooobably craned forward looking at some sort of screen, often neck pain shows up with hip pain. Releasing and strengthening the hips can also do wonders for the neck.
3) PELVIC FLOOR PAIN/PAINFUL SEX
Your pirformis/deep rotators are ACTUALLY part of your pelvic floor — we need a strong pelvic floor, but too much tension can create excess pressure and result in bathroom difficulties and painful sex.
Ok, I’m experiencing one or all of the above- how do I check for tight hips?
Lay down sideways on your bed with your hips on the very edge and both legs hanging off and on the floor. Bring one knee to your chest for a hug. If your bottom leg hangs below the bed, the hip flexors may not be tight but just in need of strength work- if your bottom leg doesn’t hang below the bed line, if it’s strained balancing in the air- your hip flexors are tight and you’ll need strength AND release work.
Conclusion
Stretching is amazing, but it’s not enough.
Whether your hips truly are tight, or they just FEEL that way, strength and stability work is your best friend, and stretching is more important for my truly tight hipped folx. Stretching, like exercise is objectively nice for your body- going too hard with either can cause injury, though. If you don’t actually have tight hips, and you stretch all day, you could actually overstretch and weaken the area- if you have tight hips and all you do is stretch, you’re just going to have to keep obsessively stretching forever because you’re not addressing the root issue, which is weakness. Strength work is what allow stretches to hold and for us to maintain feeling good in our bodies
For more hip stretches AND strengtheners check out the Healthy Hips Collection and the Release + Restore Collection on Helen Phelan Studio for 10 days, free!