The hip flexors are a group of skeletal muscles that act to flex the femur (thigh bone) onto the lumbo-pelvic complex, so that you can preform motions like pulling your knee upward.
The hip flexors are composed of two parts:
1. The group collective known as the iliopsoas or inner hip muscles (in descending order of importance to the action of flexing the hip joint:)
*Psoas major
*Psoas minor
*Iliacus muscle
2. The anterior compartment of the thigh, made up of:
*Rectus femoris (part of the quadriceps muscle group)
*Sartorius
Keeping your hip flexors loose is vital for a well-functioning body. These muscles consist of the psoas major and minor, the iliacus, part of the thigh muscle rectus femoris, and the sartorius muscle. The sartorius muscle connects the front of your pelvis to your knee, and is in charge of keeping your pelvis aligned and balancing your knee.
Your hip flexors allow you to flex your hip so you can perform motions, such as pulling your knee upward. Simply put, imbalances in your hip flexors can create groin pain, lower back pain, hip pain, and even knee and foot pain. It can throw off your gait and lead to a cascade of imbalance throughout your body. Hip flexor pain can worsen during activities or movements, such as prolonged sitting, climbing stairs, bending to lift something, or even running or skating.
Try these stretches below with or without the Backbridge. They could make a huge difference for you!