This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in May of 2024. For the original video go to https://youtu.be/p3U3Ait9p_Y
Brad: We're looking at these hips today, and if you've got tight hip muscles or if you sit a lot at work or in your car, you're likely to get tight hip muscles. So we're going to show you a remedy on how to take care of this. Mike, can you help me out?
Mike: We're going to show you the best stretches and we're going to stretch every little hip muscle, because there's a lot, and you can finish it in 90 seconds. At least that's what Brad says.
Brad: All in a seated position as well, this is a real gem. Now, as we all know, at least as therapists know, there's 21 hip muscles all right around that joint, that's responsible for all different movement rotations, circle's out, in, it's an incredible joint. But these muscles can get tight and can cause a lot of pain.
Mike: So you can solve some of this pain and lack of mobility you may be having on your hips by simply stretching each day to try to limber them up.
Brad: That's right, let's go to work, Mike. All right, we're going to demonstrate these in some functional chairs. I have a chair that has armrests. You can do it with or without armrests. It works a little better with armrests and Mike is doing it in an office chair that swivels. You can do this either/or and put it right to work on a daily basis. Now there are going to be some cynics out there saying, "Why does it take eight or 10 minutes to do a 90-second stretch?" Mike, why?
Mike: I'm one of those people, but it's because we're going to show you in-depth how to do each of them. Once you get the system and figure it out and how to do the stretches, it should only take you about 90 seconds total. If you want to spend more time in each stretch, go ahead. It's just going to take a little bit longer.
Brad: That's right. All right, let's go to work. The first one is simply sitting back in your chair. We actually allow a little slouching in this one. Grab your leg around the knee and pull up and we're going to flex the hip. Mike, do you have any other ways that help enhance this stretch?
Mike: You can kind of noodle around as we call it. Notice I'm kind of going in and out. Obviously, the shape of your hips and pelvis is going to dictate what range you can go in but just go what's comfortable and kind of noodle around for 15 seconds. We're stretching the glute max or buttock muscle as well as the piriformis.
Brad: One thing that's really important, none of these should create any pain, particularly sharp pain. It should feel comfortable and actually feel good. Your hip will feel better as a result. If it's painful, you stop and go to the next one. Number two is a really nice one for the IT band. It's an important little band that goes from the knee and connects up to a hip muscle. Just cross over, grab your knee, and pull. You'll feel that stretch right down where that line is on my pants there. And you can hold, or you can just pressure on, pressure off. Mike, does it work with jeans on?
Mike: It does because I have stretchy jeans on. You probably want pants that can move around, because some of them are rather tight and rigid in the jean world.
Brad: Now also a little warning, if you had a hip replacement, this is one thing you'll probably not want to do. You probably don't want to go through this routine until you talk to your doctor or therapist to find out which motions are contraindicated or are big no-nos not to do. So hip replacement people, you can check out.
Mike: I'm going into the next stretch, which is the figure-four. So after you do the IT band, similar setup, except you're going to push down this time. Again, good posture is going to help with this. What is this stretch called, Brad? Because these are fun muscles to say.
Brad: Well, this goes a little bit into the groin muscles. If we want to go into the details of each groin muscle, I thought you would know those.
Mike: No, the small Gemelli and Obturator. Funny words.
Brad: This is a really practical stretch for you as you grow older. It allows your hip to go up for putting your socks on, and putting your shoes on is very functional. All right, number four, seated clamshells. Simply scoot to the edge of your chair, put your feet together, relax your legs, with hands on your knees, and stretch out like this. We get the groin or the hip, adductor muscles, and adductors. It's a nice stretch. Relax and breathe with all of these stretches, it'll get much better results.
Brad: All right, should we go into the inverted one?
Mike: Yeah, so it's very similar except for your feet will go on the outside, and then you're going to kind of be like you're knocked knee. So you're going to turn in and stretch. Just go with what's comfortable. Some people are going to have more range than others.
Brad: If you do have more range, you may need to put your feet out wider and then go before you feel that. And those get some of those small internal rotator muscles. So this one's usually a little more sensitive. You won't have to push really hard. Okay, now the hip flexor, this is an important one, especially doing it in a chair. It works out well, but you need to do it right. I'll demonstrate in a chair without wheels. Michael, show an office chair. We're going to turn sideways. The knee that is down, that's the hip that is getting stretched. And I'm going to actually slide my leg backward and I'm not going to lean forward, keep upright with the body. I like to put my hand on my hip to help support that hip. And it reminds me that that's how the mechanics work and I get a better stretch. And then I slide back and then we're going to shift and do both sides. Now, Mike, give him some hints on office chairs with wheels.
Mike: So first, get in your position like this. If you want to touch your knee down, you certainly can, but you do not have to. You can just start swiveling, it's going to add a little rotation component to it. If that feels uncomfortable, you can just slide it forward.
Brad: Sure.
Mike: Again, I like stretching with my knee down, that's just me personally. But you don't have to, get a nice stretch like this. Obviously, to stretch the other leg, you have to go the opposite way. Make sure you feel safe sitting at the edge of your chair.
Brad: Yes, we don't want to have people sliding off and having an injury as a result of this. Okay, now we're going to go through the whole stretch without all the details. We're going to start out a single knee to chest, up. Do the noodling back and forth. There you go, make sure you relax and breathe. Have a little fun with this. Maybe everyone at the office can do it together. Okay, next one, the crossover. Just go here, grab that knee, pull that knee to that shoulder. That helps me when I think of it that way. Ooh, I feel a really good stretch in there.
Brad: This is getting that piriformis, which is responsible for a lot of pain. The other leg, here we go, stretch. We stretch and stretch. Okay, the figure-four stretch, we're going right into that one. Stay like this, relax and stretch. Again, this is that real functional one for putting your socks on and your shoes, particularly as you age. Ugh, next one. Oh, we have to go do both sides. Don't forget to do both legs. Okay, the seated clamshell.
Mike: Do you ever run out of breath?
Brad: Oh, I usually do. I was going to ask if you want to start going because I am.
Mike: I was enjoying just listening to you do this.
Brad: We stretch, oh yes. This was nice if you actually bring your shoulders back, helps your posture out as well. Getting two birds with one stone, all right. And then the inverted. I like to go out a little bit. This is the way my hips like to go. I'm one of those people who walk with their toes out. I'm an oddball.
Mike: You kind of are, I agree there.
Brad: Thank you, thank you. The next one is the hip flexor stretch.
Mike: We're facing each other now. Can you imagine a whole office doing this? It's like synchronized swimming.
Brad: Yes, I can. As a matter of fact, there will be a big surge going on across the nation over the next month.
Mike: They're going to have so many productivity meetings after that.
Brad: That's right, I haven't been timing it, but I know we're just a little over 90 seconds because I'm talking a little bit. All right, we're done, we've stretched everything. You know, if you can afford to get up and move around a little bit, do a little bonus stretch backward, and then you're ready to go. Do that three times a day. At least your hips will stay loose, every single one of them. All, what did I say, 21 or 27 of them?
Mike: You said 21 of them.
Brad: 21, there you go, you can't go wrong with 21.
Mike: If you want to check out more videos, check out "STOP HIP Pain; Best 5 Stretches For Over 55."
Brad: That's right. Enjoy the hip stretches and I'm sure you'll like them.
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