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Quad & Hip Flexor Mobility & Flexibility

Why is it important to include mobility work for the quads and hip flexors?

Tight muscles in the anterior compartment of the leg can cause a number of problems, two of which I will discuss in this blog.

1.    Tight quadriceps and hip flexors can put you at an increased risk for a hamstring injury.


When people say that a muscle is “tight,” they are essentially saying that the muscle is chronically shortened. Without getting too much into the anatomical specifics, when the hip flexors are “tight,” or shortened, they pull on the lumbar spine. This pull on the lumbar spine increases the curve of the lumbar spine (excessive lordosis) and in turn causes an anterior pelvic tilt. 





When the pelvis tilts anteriorly, the hamstrings (attached to the ischial tuberosity) can become excessively stretched/lengthened, which can lead to a strain. Therefore, by keeping the hip flexors and quadriceps at proper length, we can keep our pelvis in a neutral position and decrease the risk of hamstring injuries especially during activities that require sprinting.


1.    Imbalanced/Tight quadriceps muscles can causes knee inflammation and pain. 

The four quadriceps muscles (Rectus Femoris, Vastus Medialis, Vastus Intermedius  and Vastus Lateralis) all converge above the knee to form the quadriceps tendon which encapsulates the patella and then attaches the patella to the tibia.





Ideally, the quadriceps muscles facilitate the proper tracking of the patella within the patellar groove. When the length/tension relationship among these four muscles is altered, the patella can be pulled out of its groove and begin to rub against bone (instead of cartilage). When this happens, knee pain, weakness and inflammation can all occur. In order to prevent a patellar tracking issue, its imperative to spend time working on the mobility and flexibility of the quadriceps muscles.


How can I work on the mobility of my quads and hip flexors?

Good question. If you want to learn more about taking care of the quadriceps and hip flexor muscles, check out our 15-minutes of Flo where Chris Flores discusses quad mobility and flexibility. 


15 Minutes of FLO: Quad and Hip Flexor Mobility and Flexibility 


See you all next time. 


Joe Rinaldi 

Comments

  1. AdeleJuly 9, 2017 at 1:43 AM

    #1 muscle that eliminates joint and back pain, anxiety and looking fat

    I bet you can’t guess which muscle in your body is the #1 muscle that eliminates joint and back pain, anxiety and looking fat.
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  2. AnonymousNovember 8, 2018 at 8:36 PM

    Thank you for sharing this very informative and detailed information about mobility exercise, I want to try this with my mobility and I will share this in our class. Please refer to this link: https://www.probarmobility.com/

    ReplyDelete

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