Do you work in an office? Suffer from lower back pain? Then the below information on what your Hip Flexors are, what they do and how the impact your daily life is a must read.

The 2 main muscles that make up the Hip Flexors;

• Iliacus
• Psoas

The main function of these muscles is too assist your joints in moving properly in their full range. They allow you to draw your leg to your torso, and also help move your legs from side to side and backwards.

The hip flexor is the muscle group that connects your legs to your torso and lower body, and allows your legs to move in conjunction with your torso. The hip flexor also serves to stabilise your hips and lower body, keeping the joints of your pelvis and lumbar spine strong.

If you spend most of the day in an office sitting down at a desk its more than likely your hip flexors will be underdeveloped, tight, stiff and short due to the static position they are kept in all day. You will more than likely experience a limited range of motion in the hips and lower back. That’s because tight hip flexors pull your pelvis into an unnatural forward tilt, which in turn pulls your lumbar spine out of alignment, causing lower back pain.

Regular stretching and exercises that promote range of movement are great for increasing hip flexor mobility and strengthening (Lunges, Split Squats etc)