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Band Assisted Hip Flexor Stretch

By Tim Rodmaker, Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning, 01/10/19, 12:00PM PST

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Fortunately there are a number of therapeutic techniques (foam rolling, trigger point therapy, massage, etc.), dynamic warmups and static stretching exercises that players can use help prevent and/or alleviate this problem.

Tight hip flexors can cause a number of problems for baseball players. Among these are changes in joint alignments and potential pain in the pelvis, hip, knee, ankle, foot and low back. Hip flexor muscle tightness has also been linked to reciprocal inhibition in the hip extensor muscles (glutes) which can limit the ability to run fast, jump high and throw hard – qualities that are essential for successful performance by all players.

There are a number of reasons that the hip flexors can become tight and one of the primary reasons is the amount of time spent in a seated position. In the seated position, the hip flexors are shortened. Over time, if the hip flexors are not returned to their normal resting length, the pelvis can tilt forward, the hamstrings can become tight, the curve in the low back can become exaggerated (lordosis) and the quality of movement in the hips and lower body can become impaired.