1 Stretch You Should Be Doing More Of As You Age

Do you sometimes feel a little stiffness in your hips when you get up, but the twinge eases a bit once you start walking? What we may not realize is that hips can tighten with age, especially when we spend a lot of time sitting. That’s why it seems as if the longer you sit, the tighter your hips get.

As we get older, our hips quietly become one of the most important joints in our bodies. Our hips help us maintain our balance, as well as walk, stand up from a chair, and get in and out of a car.

Medical professionals say that the hip flexors—the muscles at the front of your hips that work every time you lift your leg—are responsible for the tightness. According to a 2021 meta-analysis, tight hip flexors can lead to lower back pain, cause muscle fatigue, and negatively affect movement patterns. Stretching them can improve balance and decrease tightness, the report said.

Aging is one of the main culprits for the loss of hip flexibility. As we age, our spinal discs lose height, causing a reduction in lumbar lordosis (the spine’s natural inward curve), which in turn leads to a gradual decrease in hip flexibility, according to Dr. Georgiy Brusovanik, an orthopedic surgeon and spine and bone specialist at Miami Spine Doctor.

“Think of it as we get more and more pitched forward,” Dr. Brusovanik explained to HuffPost. “An extreme example of this is our elderly, who may have a difficult time even looking up at the horizon.”

Just as there is a loss of disc height and cartilage in the knee that wears away, hip cartilage is also lost, Dr. Brusovanik said. However, stretching your hips or doing hip extensions can help slow down this process, he added.

“As the joint capsule ages, it gets inflamed and ossifies—parts of it literally turn to bone,” he told the outlet. “Stretching may counter that process and maintain a more natural range of motion.”

Gavin Hamer, a physical therapist and the national director of clinical education at Fyzical Therapy & Balance Centers, agrees that stretching is good for the hips. He told HuffPost that “stretching will positively affect the joints, ligaments, and muscles around the hip.”

“Flexible muscles are less likely to become strained, and mobile joints are kept healthy by improving circulation and lubrication,” Hamer added. What’s more, Hamer says that flexible hips lead to “greater stride length and more effective reactions to balance challenges.”

The Best Strength For Hip Flexors

To directly counterbalance the normal hip flexion position (imagine curling into a ball at night or sitting rounded forward during the day), Dr. Brusovanik suggested doing hip extensions.

To perform a hip extension:

• Place your hands on the floor under your lower back, then lift your hips as high as you can in a “bridge” pose.

Dr. Brusovanik said this hip extension is “paramount to counter loss of disc height that is due to disc degeneration.” This stretch is “key to both maintaining upright posture as well as having the ability to keep a long, healthy stride during walking and running.”

Besides the “bridge” exercise, Hamer suggested adding yoga, Pilates, and other stretching exercises to your routine, as they can “significantly help maintain joint mobility” by stimulating circulation and lubrication.

“While aging inevitably changes our bodies, taking proactive steps to preserve hip flexibility can significantly improve the quality of life,” Hamer explained to HuffPost. “By embracing regular exercise routines that prioritize joint mobility and health, individuals can potentially mitigate the effects of aging on hip stiffness and maintain an active lifestyle for years to come.”

More Stretching Exercises That Promote Hip Flexibility

Hamer recommended six other stretches to try if you want to improve your hip flexibility:

Forward Crouch

• Hold the back of the chair and squat down (as if sitting) by bending your knees and keeping your back straight.

• Exhale as you go down until you feel your glutes (butt) and thighs working. Inhale as you come back up.

• Repeat 10 times.

Wide Crouch

• Hold the back of a sturdy chair and squat. Keep your butt out and your back straight.

3. Exhale as you go down until you feel your glutes (butt) and thighs working. Inhale as you come back up.

4. Repeat 10 times.

Side Lunge

• Bend your knees and shift your pelvis away from the chair. Lean your shoulders toward the chair. You should feel the stretch on the inside leg closest to the chair.

• Exhale and add a little more stretch. Continue for 30 seconds.

• Repeat twice on each leg.

Forward Lunge

• Bend your forward knee 30 degrees and angle your back foot toward the chair.

• Raise the arm not holding onto the chair up toward the ceiling, then draw the hip on your forward leg back. Hold for 30 seconds

• Repeat twice on each leg.

Seated Figure-Four

• Put one leg straight out in front of you. Cross the opposite ankle over the straight leg’s shin.

• Use your hands to pull your ankle up toward your hip as much as you can.

• Then, place your hands behind your back, lean forward at the hips.

• Inhale and exhale, and lean forward a bit more. Hold for 30 seconds.

• Repeat twice on each side.

Butterfly Stretch

• Lean forward at the hips, placing your hands on your back for support. Stretch as much as you can with each breath in and out. Hold for 30 seconds.

• Repeat twice.

Medical professionals recommend consulting with your doctor before starting a new exercise routine. What’s more, if you have pain when rotating your hips or have to hold your pants to help lift your leg in and out of a car, it may be necessary to visit an orthopedic surgeon to ensure there is not a more serious problem, such as an injury or hip arthritis.

Maintaining flexibility as you age is definitely a challenge. However, stretching your hips a few minutes a day can make a big difference in your ability to walk and navigate day-to-day life.

Source Links:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/hip-flexor-stretch-aging-goog_l_6920a1b1e4b0536e01acda27