want to gain more hip flexibility?...great exercises and stretching tips.
For Deb...
...gaining hip flexibility is one of the most difficult ongoing struggles of her taekwondo journey.
Here's her story...
My hips are not naturally flexible.
Nor is my groin.
This is a pain!
Because to do even a mid section roundhouse kick requires a basic level of hip flexibility. And when I try to kick higher my knee drops below my foot and my back takes the strain... not good!
So... after our inspirational trip to Korea I decided that I really had to stretch more. And find some stretches that actually worked for me.
I thought about the areas of tightness when I kick. And I realized that I need to do stretches that work on the ligaments and open up my whole hip joint.
here's my new taekwondo hip stretching routine
I start by standing upright and going as far as I can towards box splits.
Then I gradually tilt my body forwards keeping my back straight.
This stretches the front of my hip joints.
If I'm very stiff I do this a few times till my joints are looser.
Next I put my hands to the gouund. And I twist on the ball of my right foot and the heel of my left foot so that my right hip drops down towards the ground.
Leah demonstrates this much better than I can in the photo above!
I stretch as far as I can pushing back into my feet and keeping my body off the ground. This gives a lovely stretch in the front of my right hip and increases my hip flexibility.
I do this for the left side and repeat.
Then I do a sitting box stretch as wide as I can manage.
And concentrate hard on keeping my back straight and pelvis tipped forwards.
I stretch forwards as far as I can. Hold for 10. And repeat 3 times.
If my back is feeling stiff I stretch across to one foot and then the other.
I do this classic butterfly stretch next.
I find it great to open up the inside of my hip joint and stretch my groin muscles.
I apply downward pressure with my elbows and upward pressure with my knees for 5 seconds.
And once I've done these initial stretches I do my best attempts of these advanced hip stretch exercises we learned in Korea.
I try to stretch my hips every day. I probably manage 5 out of 7 days. Which is not too bad!
And my hip mobility? Is slowly, slowly getting better!
Stretching index
advanced hip stretches from Korea
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