How to Gain Flexibility in Your Hips

How to Gain Flexibility in Your Hips
During routine exercise and a daily work schedule, hips are often overlooked. Unfortunately for people who work at a desk for hours a day, the hip muscles can be extremely tight, causing sciatica, lower back and knee pain. Stretching the piriformis muscle and hip flexors can help relieve tension and pain. The piriformis muscle is a pear shaped muscle that begins at the base of the spine and extends through the sciatic notch to the femur. The piriformis and other hip rotator muscles allow you to turn your legs outward and keep proper hip alignment. They also protect your knees and your back. You can keep these muscles working properly by incorporating hip stretches into your daily routine. See Step 1 below to start learning how to gain flexibility in your hips. 1 2 3 4 5 Hold the stretch for 30 to 60 seconds. Rest for 30 seconds and repeat. Increase the duration of the stretch as you become more flexible and are able to bend further forward. This exercise is especially helpful to anyone training to do side or front splits. 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 4 5 Repeat the stretch twice on each side, holding for 10 to 30 seconds each time. Increase the duration of the stretch as your flexibility grows. 1 2 3 Your right leg should be at a 90 degree angle. 4 5 Should it hurt to do the splits? If you're not very flexible, it's normal to feel some mild pain while stretching to do the splits. Be careful and go slow, if you experience more severe pain, stop immediately, you don't want to pull a muscle. How long does it take to get to the splits? It depends on your persistence and your natural flexibility. Generally, if you stretch at least three times per day and hold it for 10-15 seconds, you should get it in within a few weeks. I have pain from my hip to my knee and a numb sensation in my toes. Will these exercises help me or is it something else? What I would do is probably keep on doing my daily exercise for one week or so, but if it is not going away you either need to take a break from everything that you are doing and relax a bit or go to the doctor to get checked out. Ask a Question Original article and pictures take http://m.wikihow.com/Gain-Flexibility-in-Your-Hips site