Ever wonder why hips are seemingly supposed to be so mobile, but yours are so tight? Particularly, what’s going on when most motions are very mobile, except for one or two stubborn directions? It only took me 10 years of treating runners and their stubborn hips to figure out what unique, often overlooked dimension can make some hips invincible from even the most aggressive stretching. It’s the belly!
We have discussed the belly, or our visceral structures, when they get restricted, and some strategies to free them. And we have shared how to use a ball to mobilize the gut. Now, in this article, we have an easy-to-perform, fully portable belly-enhanced hip stretch.
Freeing the hip can enhance running and general mobility. Photo: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
Four Parts of the Functional Hip
I consider the functional hip — how we use it in life and running — to be a four-bone system consisting of:
- the femur
- the pelvis
- the sacrum
- the lumbar spine.
Anytime we do anything athletic — step, squat, walk, run, or jump — all four of those bones need to move to some degree. The femur, on the pelvis, moves the most. This is the anatomical hip joint.
The pelvis is the go-between for the leg and the body, connecting the femur to the trunk. The two hemispherical bowls of the pelvis also need to move: on their attachment to the sacrum (back), their attachment to one another (front), and to all the soft tissue that connects it to the trunk. This includes skin, muscle, various fascial layers, and the organs of the abdomen — the belly.
By surface area, the soft tissue connections around the pelvis — and extending into the hip — are the most prevalent. So, what if some, or all, of these soft tissues get stiff or tight? How might a tight belly affect hip mobility?
The Three Roles of the Runner’s Pelvis
When we run, the pelvis needs to do three things:
- Connect the leg to the body.
- Allow for both propulsive mobility and landing stability.
- Hold the guts!
A lateral view of the trunk, pelvis, and femur. Photo: Shutterstock
And like many body parts, the pelvis often struggles with these disparate roles. In runners, the guts and associated soft tissues can get tight. And when they do, they restrict functional hip motion.
How Guts Get Stiff And Restrict Hip Motion
As we first wrote, runners can lose gut mobility in the following ways:
- Immobility: Being too sedentary overall and via excessive sitting
- Dehydration: All fascia needs hydration to stay mobile, including the fascia around the visceral organs.
- Trauma: This includes relatively benign things like falling and landing hard on the pelvis or belly, as well as more serious things, like abdominal surgery. Both can cause fascial adhesions along the pelvis and hip structures.
- Illness: Sickness, particularly any infection or inflammation of the gut, can cause significant fascial restrictions around the pelvis.
I would also add:
- Gut inflammation: Even food sensitivities and other gut inflammatory issues, however minor, can cause chronic restrictions in gut mobility that can adhere to the pelvis and hip structures. Patients with chronic gut inflammation have significantly more fascial movement restrictions.
- Running impact: The pelvis must do more than simply carry the gut. The gut bounces in the pelvis three times each second while we run. Invariably, the combination of that trauma, frequent dehydration, and, at times, inflammatory foods eaten during endurance running can cause movement restrictions.
Stretch it Out: How to Mobilize the Gut and Hip
Thankfully, we have the following steps for freeing the hip from the gut.
[Disclaimer: Before attempting these or any online exercises, consult a licensed medical professional to determine if this is safe for you. This technique should never feel painful or exquisitely tender. If it is, cease immediately and consult a physician (as this could indicate inflammation, illness, or injury.]
Step 1: Perform Movement Pre-Tests
To determine how relevant a stiff belly is to your hip stiffness, perform some movement pre-tests:
- Toe-touch (forward flexion)
- Single knee to chest
- Runner’s lunge
The author performing a runner’s lunge. All photos courtesy of Joe Uhan unless otherwise noted.
- Side lunge
The author performing a side lunge.
- Crossover (iliotibial band) hip stretch
The author demonstrating a crossover stretch.
Note any asymmetry — side-to-side differences — and anything that feels stiff or uncomfortable.
Step 2: Grab the Belly
Prior to applying a hip-stretch, first we need to grab a hold of the belly. There are two grips we will employ. You will want to add a second hand to assist with the pull for both techniques.
- Diagonal pull: This pulls the belly up and in, away from the pelvis, femur, and other structures — such as the hip flexors, which run beneath the abdominal organs. This stretches the small intestine, abdominal peritoneum, and superficial fascia.
- Lateral pull: This pulls the belly inward, away from the rim of the pelvis, as well as key pelvic muscles, like the iliotibial band fascia and the quadratus lumborum, a stubborn low back muscle. This stretches the large intestine, abdominal peritoneum, and superficial fascia.
Step 3: Stretch Your Hip
Once you’ve “grabbed” your belly, then try any of the following stretches:
- Runner’s lunge: Pull on both the extension (straight leg) or flexion (bent leg) side.
A front view of the runner’s lunge stretch in extension. Note the author is pointing in the direction of the belly pull.
A front view of the runner’s lunge stretch in flexion. Note the author is pointing in the direction of the belly pull.
- Side lunge: Pull the belly while going into a wide-legged lunge.
The author demonstrating a side lunge with belly pull. Note he is pointing in the direction of the belly pull.
- Crossover (iliotibial band) hip: Pull the belly while stretching your lateral trunk and pelvis.
The author demonstrating a crossover stretch with belly pull. Note he is pointing in the direction of the belly pull.
Step 4: Move and Stretch What Feels Stiff
Once you are on your belly and in the stretch position, get creative. Move around. Oscillate in and out of the stretch, or add accessory movements like rotation, side-bending, flexion, and extension. Find any part between your hand and hip that feels tight. Spend more time on the tight area and leg.
[Editor’s Note: If you are unable to see the video above, click here to access it.]
Step 5: Re-Test
After stretching, re-test those stubborn motions. Then pat yourself on the back for solving your stubborn hip stiffness.
As a bonus, try your conventional stretches. If your hips move better but still feel stiff, try your conventional, or non-visceral, hip stretches. Now that the belly is free, you may be able to effectively stretch the myofascial and joint structures of the hip. Have at it!
Step 6: Re-Educate
Free hips? Don’t forget to strengthen into that new range of motion. This helps the brain recognize and fully utilize this new range. If you opened up the front of your hip, do some bridges. If your toe-touch or knee to chest is free, then work those hip flexors.
Conclusion
The hip is the most important joint system for fast, far, pain-free, and enjoyable running. The root cause of stubborn stiffness and pain in this area may lie beyond muscles, tendons, and bones. Stretch the belly and find out.
Call for Comments
- Give these steps a try if they seem healthy for you and let us know how it goes in the comments section.
- Have you found stiffness in your belly area to inhibit your range of motion before?
