If you want to learn how to unlock hip flexors you’re not alone. Millions of people of all walks of life are searching for a solution to unlock tight hip flexors.

Contrary to what most people believe sitting for long periods of time isn’t the only thing that causes your hip flexors to become tight. Things such as lifting heavy objects, not stretching properly, jogging, and cycling can also cause your hip flexors to tighten up.

Other causes of injured, strained, or tight hip flexors are weak muscles, stiff muscles, falls, and sudden movements or change in direction while you’re running or moving around.

Hip Flexor Muscles

Before we go more into what causes your hip flexors to become so tight (sedentary lifestyle), the symptoms, and treatments to loosen them it makes sense to first learn more about your hip flexor muscles. Your hip flexor muscles can be defined as a group of muscles which is sometimes referred to as the iliopsoas (inner hip muscles).

The 2 muscles that make up the iliopsoas are the psoas and iliacus muscles, which is why they’re often called iliopsoas. These 2 muscles will come together so your legs can swing forward while you’re running. For this reason the iliopsoas is your main and strongest muscle in the hip flexor muscle group.

To learn more about the anatomy of your Iliopsoas click here.

The reason why the iliopsoas muscle is the most important hip flexor is because it’s responsible for various bodily functions such as:

Walking.

Running.

Supporting your upper body.

Rotating the thigh laterally.

Helping to maintain proper movement and stabilization of your pelvis.

Other hip flexor muscles include:

tensor fasciae latae

rectus femoris

iliacus

sartorius

With so many important functions you can see why if your hip flexor muslces become tight, strained, or painful it can cause various problems.

Tight Hip Flexors

Tight hip flexors can cause some serious issues like pain and stiffness in your back, arthritis, belly pooch, knee pain, hip pain, and make it hard for you to move around comfortably.

This is why learning how to unlock hip flexors is so important. You won’t feel 100% like yourself until you learn how to release hip flexors.

Before we get into how to unlock hip flexors it’s important to know what symptoms to look for.

Tight Hip Flexors Symptoms

How do you know when your hip flexors are strained, injured, or tight?

Some of the most common symptoms of tight hip flexors to look out for include: severe pain or discomfort in the pelvis or hip area, muscle cramps in the upper leg, soreness or tenderness in the upper leg area, discomfort or pain in the front groin area, and muscle spasms in either your thighs or hips.

Tight Hip Flexors Test

You can also know if your hip flexors are too tight by performing “The Thomas Test”. To perform the Thomas test to assess the tightness of your hip flexor muscles you’ll need to first sit down on the edge of a bench or long table.

Once you sit down pull one of your legs to your chest by the knee, and then lay down flat on your back. If your other leg doesn’t stay flat on the bench or table you’re laying down while you’re pulling your leg to your chest then you have tight hip flexors.

Check out the video below to learn how to perform the Thomas Test on yourself the correct way:

How to Unlock Hip Flexors

By far the most common question we get on our site is how to get rid of tight hip flexors.

When people ask us what’s the best way to get rid of hip flexor pain and tightness for good when it seems like stretches, rollers, and physiotherapy aren’t helping we almost always recommend:

Unlock Your Hip Flexors

Over the past few years my hip flexors were super tight and were really starting to bug me. I’m a triathlete but like most other folks I sit a lot for work and it’s hard to deny the impact sitting was having on my tight hip flexors.

And because my hip flexor tightness was throwing off my glutes and lower back I was getting worried whenever I did certain exercises like RDLs, squats, and on just about every run.

I went to see a physiotherapist who couldn’t really tell me what was causing the problem. I tried doing different stretches and foam rolling which only provided me with some temporary relief at best.

Despite regularly doing the stretches my physio recommended I still had the “clicking” whenever I walked, and my tight hip flexors were starting to affect my posture/running form when I ran. I just don’t feel like I was getting to the right spots in my hip flexors to really fix the problem.

After battling with my weak hip flexors for a while it ended up causing me all types of problems from lower back pain to sore knees. I couldn’t afford the $45 per session my physio was charging me so I started searching for other ways to keep my hip flexors healthy.

I felt like I needed to find a solution to this problem fast because I could foresee a lot of adverse effects and injuries from this.

So when I first stumbled upon Mike Westerdal’s permanent solution for tight hip flexors I didn’t even hesitate. I knew I was onto something when my lower back pain began improving and I no longer had back aches while cycling. I couldn’t even believe it. It Worked!

There is so much misleading information out there when it comes to how to heal and prevent tight hip flexors it is easy to get overwhelmed.

So after continually being asked by some of our regular subscribers we decided to put Unlock Your Hip Flexors to the test and see how it measured up against other reputable hip flexor treatment products we’ve discovered over the years.

It wasn’t a surprise that unlock your hip flexors stood out in front of the rest.

Unlock Your Hip Flexors

Most of our subscribers went with our number 1 recommendation and tried The Unlock Your Hip Flexors Program and had great success with it.

In fact, most of our subscribers unlocked their tight hip flexors within a short time using the treatments and techniques in Unlock Your Hip Flexors.

The creators of this all-natural hip flexor tightness treatment system are Mike Westerdal and Rick Kaselj. Rick Kaselj (an injury specialist) helped Mike Westerdal’s wife naturally and safely unlock her tight hip flexors within a matter of minutes after using the “flow” method.

What’s Inside?

The program provides you with the easy to follow “flow” method, which is a sequential flow of movements designed to unlock specific muscles within your hip flexors in a certain order to permanently get rid of the tightness, pain, and discomfort you’re experiencing.

The reason your tight hip flexors don’t seem to improve regardless of how many stretches and exercises you do is because you’re incorrectly releasing one muscle before the other.

For example, I already knew about many of the techniques outlined in this program, but it wasn’t until I discovered this simple “flow” formula did I learn how to do them in the correct order did things really start to improve for me.

Inside Unlock Your Hip Flexors you’ll be introduced to a total of 10 exercises with a step by step video explanation by Rick himself showing you the proper sequence and how to perform each exercise.

Each of these 10 exercises will target the hard to reach muscles inside your hip flexors in order to get almost instant relief from hip flexor tightness and other symptoms.

The Results

The program is definitely designed to deliver fast results, as most of our subscribers who tried it quickly fixed their hip flexor problems after applying each step of the simple to follow formula.

Some of our users managed to finally get rid of the tightness and pain in their hip flexors and other areas like their lower back within the first 15 minutes of using these techniques… which is hardly bad.

The Bad

This isn’t for everyone…. if you’re not familiar with things like the psoas muscle the information inside this program might seem a little too technical for some people at first.

However, the step by step walk through videos of Rick demonstrating how to perform each technique makes it easy for anyone to begin using the program and quickly start experiencing great results.

If you don’t feel like it’s for you, just return it.

60 Day Risk-Free Money Back Guarantee

Finally, if you’re not satisfied with Unlock Your Hip Flexors for any reason you can return it for a full refund within 60 days. No Questions Asked.

The Conclusion…..

To Sum it All Up… there are a lot of reputable hip flexor tightness treatment products out there to choose from.

However, if you want real and long lasting results that allows you to be free from hip flexor pain and tightness permanently, as well as achieve your peak athletic performance you should definitely check out Unlock Your Hip Flexors for yourself.

Click Here to Check Out Unlock Your Hip Flexors

If you have tight hip flexors there are a lot of different things you can do to fix the problem. If you’re trying to learn how to unlock hip flexors check out the exercises and stretches below.

Hip Flexor Exercises

Hip flexor exercises work by strengthening your hip flexor muscles which helps loosen them up. It’s a good idea to warm up with a little cardio for a few minutes before you begin performing these exercises below.

Standing Leg Lifts

The standing leg lift is an isolated exercise that targets your hip flexor muscles specifically. Performing this exercise regularly is a great strength training exercise for your hip flexors.

To perform a standing leg lift do the following:

Begin by standing up straight with your hands on your hips. Now while keeping your torso in an upright position raise one of your legs off the ground as high as possible in front of you (make sure you’re not bending your other knee while you do this). Once you have your leg in front of you as high as possible try to hold it there for at least 30 seconds before you drop it back down. When you drop your leg back on the floor repeat steps 1 to 3 with your other leg.

The longer you’re able to hold your leg in the air in front of you the more effective this exercise will be. As you perform each leg lift try to raise your leg a little higher to help improve the flexibility and range of motion in your hips.

To help maintain your balance while performing this hip flexors exercise try contracting your abs a little as you elevate your leg in the air in front of you.

Check out this video that shows you the proper way to perform a standing leg lift:

Lunges

One of the best exercises to unlock hip flexors are definitely lunges. Lunges are one of the best hip flexor strengthening exercises because they can be performed using just your body weight or by adding resistance to the exercise with dumbbells.

Also, performing lunges regularly are great for tight hip flexors because your stabilizing muscles are challenged each time you take a step. The repetition of lunges not only works your hip flexors but also helps strengthen your core as a whole too.

To perform lunges that work your hip flexors do the following:

If you’re interested in learning how to unlock hip flexors better using lunges try adding weights while performing the exercise.

Begin by keeping your feet apart from each other slightly while you stand up straight. While contracting your abs and keeping your torso erect take a big step forward with your left leg. As you step forward with your left leg bend your knees while putting all your weight onto your left leg. Keep going lower with the lunge until your right knee comes close to touching the ground. Hold this position for about 30 seconds before returning to your original position. Once you return to your upright position repeat this process with your right leg.

Also, to help work your hip flexor muscles more try to move as slow as you can while you’re lowering your body into the lunge.

You can also try walking lunges if you have enough room to do them. Walking lunges will help strengthen and loosen tight hip flexors better because doing them requires more balance and motion.

Another variation of this exercise for tight hip flexors are reverse lunges. Reverse lunges will force you to stabilize yourself and use your hip abductors more.

You can check out this video below that shows you how to unlock hip flexors by doing lunges properly:

Front Plank

Performing the front plank is one of the best exercises for hip flexors because it can help you regain complete rotation range of motion in your hips.

The front plank helps improve hip mobility and tightness by stimulating your hip felxor muscles and important muscles in your core that support and stabliize your spine and pelvic.

To perform a good front plank do the following:

Begin by going into a push up position. You want your hands and knees on the ground with your forearms placed flatly against the floor. Make sure your elbows are pointing towards the back of you while positioned shoulder width apart. Position your feet in a straight line with your heels pointing up towards the ceiling. The only part of your feet that should be touching the ground while doing this hip flexor exercise are your toes. Now hold this position for at least 30 seconds while making sure you keep your eyes fixed on the ground. Avoid looking upward or straight in front of you because this will place unnecessary pressure on your neck that could cause you to compromise your form while doing this exercise.

There are different variations of this exercise that can help unlock hip flexors by strengthening the muscles in your core. One of these variations is the side plank which involves holding a similar position slightly elevated off the floor but on your side.

See the image below:

For more on how to unlock hip flexors with planks click here.

Hip Flexor Stretch

If you want to learn how to unlock hip flexors then it’s in your best interest to learn how to perform the following stretches below. These tight hip flexors stretches like the pigeon pose are effective because they help you stabilize your hip flexors and surrounding areas.

This study here shows how effective stretches are at reducing tightness and tension in hip flexors and other muscles, while increasing range of motion.

Some of the best stretches to unlock tight hip flexors include:

Rectus Femoris Stretch

Your rectus femoris is an important part of the hip flexor muscle group as it helps with hip flexion when you extend your knee. Stretching this muscle specifically will help release the tightness in your hip flexors and allow much better flexion movement.

To perform this stretch do the following:

Start this stretch by going into a lunge position. You want your front hip and knee to bend to a 90 degree angle. Your knee in the back should be resting on the floor. While in this lunge position place a strap, exercising band, or a towel around your back foot. If you don’t have access to any of these items you can just use your hands. Now use the towel, exercise band, or strap to lift your back foot upwards toward your buttocks. You don’t have to use a lot of force while pulling your foot in the rear upward. Just a light pull on the foot at your rear is more than enough. When you achieve maximum flexion in your knee by gently pulling on the towel or strap you should extend your hip forward to complete the stretch.

Practicing this stretching technique daily will help fix the shortened hip flexor muscle group and increase your range of motion.

Check out the video to see a great example of how to perform a rectus femoris stretch correctly:

Happy Baby Pose

The happy baby pose is a very effective yoga hip flexors stretch that’s considered a great hip opener.

Also known as ananda balasana, the happy baby pose targets the lower muscle group, which includes your hamstrings, groins, and inner thighs. This yoga stretch is an effective way to release hip flexors because it lengthens the hamstrings when you perform it.

To perform the happy baby pose do the following:

Begin by laying down on your back. Now bring your knees up to your midsection by bending your knees. Now grab a hold of your feet with your hands. Make sure you’re holding onto the outside edges of your feet with your hands. Now create a little space between your knees by spreading them apart. You want your knees to lined up with your hips. Make sure your head is straight and laying flat on the ground. You want your chin to be lined up with the middle of your chest. You also want to try and make your spine and back rest flat against the ground. Now inhale gently and breath out and hold this position for at least 30 seconds to complete 1 rep.

Performing this stretch regularly will gently loosen up your tight hip flexors. For a more deep stretch you can spread your legs open a little wider.

To better understand how to do the happy baby pose the right way and reduce hip tightness check out this article.

You can also check out the video below for a good visual of this yoga hip flexors stretch:

The Butterfly Stretch

This is a great seated hip flexor stretch because it works your inner thighs, knees, groin, as well as your hips.

Start off by sitting on the floor with your back in an upright position. Place the bottom of your feet together until they are directly touching one another. (Sole to Sole). Relax your knees and allow them to drop to the sides without it feeling uncomfortable. With your hands holding onto your feet try to lean your hips forward as far as possible while maintaining an upright sitting position. Your back should still be sitting up straight with your head facing forward. You’ll know you’re doing this properly when you feel your inner thighs, back, and the outer part of your hips stretching. Hold this position for at least 30 seconds before you release.

Doing this butterfly stretch regularly is a great hip flexor pain treatment. While you’re holding the butterfly stretch you can increase the pressure of the stretch by gently pushing your thighs towards the ground.

In order for this stretch to work properly you have to keep your back and shoulders upright and straight while you’re holding the position (Don’t Hunch). You can reduce the amount of pressure brought on by this stretch by moving your feet a little further from your body.

Check out the video below to get a great visual of how to properly perform the butterfly stretch:

The Frog Stretch

One of the best yoga stretches for hip flexor muscles is definitely the frog stretch. Also known as the frog pose, this stretch helps loosen tight hips by improving the hip’s flexibilty.

If you want to learn how to unlock hip flexors then learning how to do this stretch properly is in your best interest.

To do the frog stretch correctly follow the steps below:

First you’ll need to get down on the floor with your hands and knees with your chest facing the ground. Spread your knees apart making sure they are a little wider than your hips. Now lower your body further down towards the ground while slowly sliding your hips outward. Your hips should form a 90 degree angle with your knees. Make sure your toes are pointed outward as well and your ankles should be lined up with you knees. Finally rest the upper part of your body on your forearms. Your forearms should be placed flatly on the ground directly in front of you, as well as your hands. Hold this position for at least 30 seconds before pushing your hands into the floor and sliding your hips and knees forward to return to your starting position.

This is easily one of the best hip flexor stretches for pain in the lower back. For additional tips on how to stretch hip flexor muscles using this frog stretch check out this article.

Also, take a look at the video below to see a great demonstration of how to correctly perform this stretch to get relief from hip flexors pain, strain, and tightness:

Hip Flexor Stretch for Back Pain

Hip flexor tightness can cause a lot of pain not just in your hip area but also your lower back. When your hip flexor muscles tighten up it causes the spine to become unstable which leads to chronic pain in your back.

Check out the hip flexor stretches for back pain that can help give you some fast relief:

Kneeling Lunge Stretch

The kneeling lunge stretch primarily works the muscles that makes up your hip flexors. However, by doing this simple stretch regularly you’ll increase the range of motion in your hips which will lead to some satisfying back pain relief.

To do the kneeling lunge stretch do the following:

First you’ll need to kneel down on your right knee with the left foot resting flat against the ground. Next, start pushing your hips in a forward motion until you start feeling the stretch in your right thigh. Now pull your arms above your head, making sure your elbows are close to your head and palms are touching one another. Finally, begin arching your back a little while making sure your head is aligned with the floor.

Hold this kneeling lunge stretch for at least 15 to 20 seconds, and then switch to kneeling on the left knee.

The Piriformis Stretch

Your piriformis muscle plays an important role in good hip flexion and when it becomes too tight it can cause a lot of pain in the lower back area.

This is one of the best hip stretches for lower back pain and do it properly follow the steps below:

Start off by laying down flat on your back with your legs close to a wall. Now with your arms at your sides begin to push your legs upward until your heels are positioned against the nearby wall. While keeping one leg against the wall, go ahead and rest the other ankle on top of the knee that’s still positioned on the nearby wall.

Finally, hold this stretching position for about 20 seconds before switching to the opposite side. Along with providing you with relief from back pain, this stretch will also unlock your hip flexors.

Inner Thigh Stretch

When it comes to unlocking your hip flexors and relieving lower back pain it’s always a good idea to stretch your inner thighs.

To do this inner thigh stretch do the following:

First you’ll need to sit down on the ground and spread your legs open. Now tighten up your quads and flex your feet while making sure you are sitting in an upright position. Finally, begin leaning your upper body forward while making sure you’re maintaining an upright position with your upper body. As you lean forward you’ll begin feeling the stretch in your hips, thighs, and lower back. Return to the starting position and take 10 to 15 deep breaths before leaning forward and stretching your inner thighs again.

There are definitely more hip flexor stretches that can help with back pain. However, the 3 stretches above are a great place to start.

More Tips on How to Release Hip Flexors

When you perform these exercises to strengthen and mobilize hip flexors try not to pull too hard or it will leave you feeling sore the next day and you won’t be able to continue with your treatment.

To avoid chronic hip flexor problems while doing these stetches try not to pull on the muscles when you feel any type of pain. With some of these hip flexor stretches you may feel a slight pain but it shouldn’t feel sharp. If you feel you’ve over-stretched yourself just take a few days off and begin again, but this time a little more cautious.

When doing these hip flexor exercises and stretches you should hold them for a minimum of 30 seconds before you switch to the next leg or side. We don’t recommend holding any of these hip flexor stretches or exercises for more than 1 minute to prevent over-working your muscles.

Please keep in mind that the effectiveness of these hip flexor release techniques outlined above will vary for each person. Like we tell all our subscribers, your best bet is to give each exercise and stretch a try and see which one helps you the most when your hip flexors feel tight.

Conclusion

Learning how to unlock hip flexors can be tricky if you don’t know what you’re doing. However, the exercises and stretches you’ve found here are a great place to start because they’ve been proven to work effectively for a lot of people.