Overtraining your hip flexors can lead to injury, back pain, and muscular imbalances. Use these four tips to help you avoid any hip-flexor pain.
Many people don't think about how they're overworking the hip flexors while doing crunches with their legs raised or doing hanging leg raises. The hip flexors tend to get overused without you even knowing it.
If the front part of your upper legs starts to burn, then you should stop doing the exercise because you might be overworking the hip flexors—more specifically the Psoas.
More: Quiz: Do You Know Your Muscles?
What are the Hip Flexors?
The hip flexors are a group of muscles that move the hip forward while running, walking, or sprinting. The hip flexors also shorten when you're seated at a desk all day long. There are quite a few muscles that actually flex the hip, but two that are specifically referred to as hip flexors are the Illiopsoas group consisting of the Psoas and the Iliacus.
The Psoas does a lot of work for the lower abdominals. The Psoas is also a bridge between the spine and legs. When a person does abdominal exercises that are too advanced, the hip flexors work too hard and can lead to lower back pain.
More: 15 Ways to Cure Your Back Pain
A person with low back pain and weak lower abdominals should do a beginner abs workout, like Paul Chek's Lower Abdominal Volume 1 series. Starting at the appropriate exercise will help build strength in your hip flexors and prevent any injuries or balance issues.
These four tips will help you maintain a balanced exercise program and body:
- Stretch the hip flexors after running, sprinting, walking and even sitting at your desk for hours.
- Start your abdominal training at the appropriate level for your body.
- If you feel a burning sensation or tightening up that is coming from the front upper part of your legs rather than your abdominals, then stop.
- Make sure to counterbalance your abdominal exercises with back extension exercises.
More: 5 Backward Bend Poses
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