Many people turn to fitness programs like CrossFit to combat their sedentary lifestyle and help them become stronger. Unfortunately, aches and pains from muscle imbalance, poor form, and overexercise can discourage them from working out. One common complaint among people starting a new fitness program include hip tightness and pain.
Hip pain, whether from trauma or overuse, can reduce your quality of life and leave you with limited mobility. Airrosti providers can help you understand your injury and give you the tools needed to address issues as they appear. Consult with an Airrosti provider today to start your recovery.
Recovery Exercises to Help Relieve Hip Tension
While you may feel pain in your hips, the root cause of pain could be located somewhere else. A tight IT band or tension in the gluteal muscles can often lead to hip pain. Utilizing tools like the foam roller is a great way to loosen up muscle stiffness and fascial adhesions in the body.
Below are three simple stretches you can add to your cool-down routine to help reduce IT band and glute tension.
*Disclaimer: Always consult with your doctor before starting any exercise program. If you experience any numbness, tingling, or reproduction of your symptoms, please contact your doctor.
Foam Roll IT Band
- Start balanced in a side plank position with your forearm placed firmly on the ground and your outer thigh on the foam roller.
- Slowly roll from the top of the knee to the top of the hip, just below the hip bone. Do not roll over the hip bone.
- Continue to roll slowly and scan for tender areas.
- Hold the roller over a tender area until the pain diminishes.
- If it’s too difficult to keep your legs stacked, you can lower your top leg for support.
- Continue rolling for no longer than 2 minutes on each side.
Foam Roll Glutes
- Sit on the foam roller and place one ankle over the opposite knee.
- Next, tilt to the side of the bent knee to focus on one glute at a time.
- Keep your balance by distributing your weight through your grounded foot and opposite hand.
- Slowly roll the glute to scan for tender spots and hold until the pain diminishes.
- Continue to roll from the top of the glute to the bottom.
- Once you’ve done roughly ten passes, focus on the other glute by crossing the other ankle over the other knee and repeating the movement.
- Continue rolling for no longer than 2 minutes on each side.
Hip Flexor Stretch
- Begin in a lunge position with your back knee on a padded mat.
- Position your front foot slightly beyond your forward knee.
- Next place your hands on the knee.
- While making sure your hips are square, straighten the hip of the rear leg by pushing your hips forward.
- Hold this position for 20-30 seconds.
- Repeat on the opposite side.
Exercises and Stretches to Help Prevent Hip Pain
Stretching is essential for keeping your muscles loose and mobile. Daily stretching can help increase your flexibility over time and allow for a better range of motion.
Muscle strength also plays a crucial role in maintaining a healthy, pain-free lifestyle. Stronger hip muscles can help keep joints stable and reduce your risk of overuse injuries.
In the video below, Airrosti’s Casey Crisp, DC, shares three exercises to help build hip strength and flexibility.
Don’t Let Hip Pain Hold You Back
While CrossFit can help you reach your fitness goals, it’s also an intense program that can be difficult to master. You can avoid many injuries by training consistently, exercising with proper form, and staying in tune with your body’s needs. However, you could still end up with aches and pains.
If pain or a recurring injury is keeping you from reaching your fitness goals, Airrosti can help.
Our providers are dedicated to finding the root cause of pain and fixing injuries at the source for fast, long-lasting results. By combining a thorough evaluation and injury diagnosis with conservative, comprehensive treatment plans, Airrosti treatment can help restore function and range of motion quickly so you can return to the activities you love most.
Out of over 1,000,000 injuries treated, our patients have reported 88.3% complete injury resolution at the completion of their Airrosti treatment plan. Most injuries were resolved in 3.2 visits.
We offer both in-office and virtual appointments to best suit your needs. Call us at (855) 938-3153 to learn more about Airrosti treatment and results.
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