Have you ever thought about how important your hip flexors are?
These muscles do more than most people realise. From an evolutionary perspective, we used to sit on the ground without any back support — and that required serious hip flexor endurance!
Today, strong hip flexors are still essential. They help support your lower back in daily life and give you that extra drive when sprinting or powering through explosive hip flexion movements like when kicking a ball.
So how do you know if your hip flexors need attention?
If you fatigue quickly when sitting without back support, or if your sprinting speed isn’t what it used to be, it could be a sign your hip flexors need strengthening.
To get started, begin with some simple static holds.
As you build strength and control, you can progress through a series of more challenging movements. I’ll guide you through each of these exercises in the video above. For quick reference, here’s the breakdown:
1a). Static Hold Bent Knee.
- Reps: hold for 5-30 seconds
- Sets: 2 rounds
- Frequency: 2-3 times per day
(It’s important to keep your spine nice and straight in this exercise)
1b). Static Hold Straight knee.
- Sets: 2 rounds
- Frequency: 2-3 times per day.
(It’s important to keep your spine nice and straight in this exercise)
2). Eccentric Lowering of Straight Leg.
- Reps: 5-20
- Sets: 2-3 rounds
- Frequency: 1 per day
(It’s important to keep your spine nice and straightin this exercise)
3a). Concentric: Seated Lift of Straight Leg.
- Reps: 10-30
- Sets: 3-4 rounds
- Frequency: 1 per day
3b). Concentric: Raised Lift of Straight Leg.
- Reps: 10-30
- Sets: 3-4 rounds
- Frequency: 1 per day
4a). Functional: Explosive Full Range Hip Flexion.
- Reps: 8-20
- Sets: 4-5 rounds
- Frequency: 1-2 times per week
4b). Functional: Explosive Full Range Weighted Hip Flexion.
- Reps: 8-20
- Sets: 4-5 rounds
- Frequency: 1-2 times per week
Start gently and stay within your comfort zone.
Over time, aim to gradually increase the load, hold time, or reps by about 5–10% per week. If you’re anything like me, you’ll find this routine helps you build a stronger, better-supported spine — and you might even surprise yourself with faster sprints and better athletic performance.