Tight hips and lunges

Kimo159
Kimo159 Posts: 508 Member
edited November 16 in Fitness and Exercise
I try to do lunges when I'm at the gym but I have really tight hip flexors and I find that my hips kind of pop when I lunge sometimes and it can be uncomfortable. I constantly stretch them with deep yoga poses but it's been months and I don't think it's getting better. Anyone else had this experience? Did you manage to find a way to fix it, any mods that will help or did you just remove lunges from your routine?

Replies

  • urloved33
    urloved33 Posts: 3,323 Member
    edited April 2015
    I have this issue. I go to a stretched and balanced class weekly and a yin yoga class weekly. I gave up lunges...for my knees too.
  • Kimo159
    Kimo159 Posts: 508 Member
    I kind of figured that would have to be the case. Thanks for your input!
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
    I've done crescent kicks and I've found my hips are getting looser. I have that same pop but it's less frequent and less icky these days. And then these, sort of like reverse crescent kicks?

    Play the clip & skip to 1:13 http://www.collagevideo.com/products/kelly-coffeys-30-min-to-fitness-body-shop
  • Sam_I_Am77
    Sam_I_Am77 Posts: 2,093 Member
    You must be missing something in your Yoga stretches, because if you're stretching out a muscle consistently then it will loosen up over time if you're consistent with the stretching. It might not just be your hips, you may have a tight IT Band, glutes, and possibly piriformis. Focus on some really good long hip flexor, glute & piriformis, and quadratus lumborum stretches; the stretches should last for a minimum of 30-seconds. Look into using a lacrosse ball or foam roller as a means of self-myofacial release for those areas as well and do the SMR prior to stretching.

    A couple stretches that come to mind automatically are the, kneeling hip flexor, crouching frog, and iron cross. When you're done with the static stretching you can always do some mountain climbers for a set of 20 (10 per side).
  • LisaKunz
    LisaKunz Posts: 73 Member
    Sam_I_Am77 wrote: »
    You must be missing something in your Yoga stretches, because if you're stretching out a muscle consistently then it will loosen up over time if you're consistent with the stretching. It might not just be your hips, you may have a tight IT Band, glutes, and possibly piriformis. Focus on some really good long hip flexor, glute & piriformis, and quadratus lumborum stretches; the stretches should last for a minimum of 30-seconds. Look into using a lacrosse ball or foam roller as a means of self-myofacial release for those areas as well and do the SMR prior to stretching.

    A couple stretches that come to mind automatically are the, kneeling hip flexor, crouching frog, and iron cross. When you're done with the static stretching you can always do some mountain climbers for a set of 20 (10 per side).

    This is helpful to me, too. How does one learn how to do these stretches?
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,208 Member
    Try downshifting to split squats until your hips can handle lunges.

    And try this hip flexor stretch every few hours for 30+ seconds, and right before the split squats too:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQmpO9VT2X4

  • urloved33
    urloved33 Posts: 3,323 Member
    Sam_I_Am77 wrote: »
    You must be missing something in your Yoga stretches, because if you're stretching out a muscle consistently then it will loosen up over time if you're consistent with the stretching. It might not just be your hips, you may have a tight IT Band, glutes, and possibly piriformis. Focus on some really good long hip flexor, glute & piriformis, and quadratus lumborum stretches; the stretches should last for a minimum of 30-seconds. Look into using a lacrosse ball or foam roller as a means of self-myofacial release for those areas as well and do the SMR prior to stretching.

    A couple stretches that come to mind automatically are the, kneeling hip flexor, crouching frog, and iron cross. When you're done with the static stretching you can always do some mountain climbers for a set of 20 (10 per side).

    No I am not missing anything. After...tennis, raquet ball, softball, amateur body building, swimming,..I have decided to do other things with my body and training. I gave up lunges and squats.

  • Kimo159
    Kimo159 Posts: 508 Member
    Thank you everyone for the suggestions! I will definitely be doing some of these things. I currently stretch 4-5x per week with 1 minute lizard pose, 1 minute pigeon pose, 1 minute crouching frog, and 30 seconds fire log pose. At the end of leg day I usually hold the poses a little longer. This is on top of my weekly hot yoga class that has some hip opening exercises as well. Thanks for the suggestion on the foam roller, I never really thought about doing that before but that would probably be super beneficial, and the crescent kicks are probably a great move too. This week for leg day I'm going to try split squats as suggested, hopefully that will be doable until I can work up to a lunge.
  • soliver138
    soliver138 Posts: 80 Member
    edited April 2015
    Yin yoga kills me but I love it and it helps with that issue alot. Best of luck
  • Sam_I_Am77
    Sam_I_Am77 Posts: 2,093 Member
    edited April 2015
    urloved33 wrote: »
    This is helpful to me, too. How does one learn how to do these stretches?

    You can look them up individually on YouTube. NASM has a channel, you can go to Kelley Sterret's page who is an expert in Kiniesiology.
    No I am not missing anything. After...tennis, raquet ball, softball, amateur body building, swimming,..I have decided to do other things with my body and training. I gave up lunges and squats.

    If you are having trouble moving in a certain range of motion and you don't have any serious injuries requiring physical therapy or corrective exercise management, then it is most likely something you can correct but you haven't gone about it the correct way. No reason to get all indignant about it. Our muscles are meant to move in a certain way and if you cannot move correctly then there is a problem that needs correction.
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
    Couch Stretch

    Kelly-Starret-Couch-Stretch-550x400_c.jpg
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