You can begin stretching your hip muscles right away by doing exercises 1 and 2. Make sure you only feel a mild discomfort when stretching and not a sharp pain. You may do exercises 3, 4, and 5 when the pain is gone.
1. HIP FLEXOR STRETCH - Kneel on both knees and place your uninjured leg forward, with the foot resting flat on the floor. From this position, lean forward at the hip and attempt to press your pelvis down toward the floor while slightly arching your back until you feel a stretch at the front of your hip. Hold this position for 30 seconds. Repeat 3 times.
2. QUADRICEPS STRETCH - Stand and hold onto a table or counter. Grasp the top part of your ankle on your injured leg and pull your foot toward your buttock until you feel a stretch on the front part of your thigh. Hold this position for 30 seconds. Repeat 3 times.
3. HEEL SLIDE - Sit on a firm surface with your legs straight in front of you. Slowly slide the heel of your injured leg toward your buttock by pulling your knee to your chest as you slide. Return to the starting position. Repeat this 20 times.
4. STRAIGHT LEG RAISE - Lie on the floor on your back and tighten up the top of the thigh muscles on your injured leg. Point your toes up toward the ceiling and lift your leg up off the floor about 10 inches. Keep your knee straight. Slowly lower your leg back down to the floor. Repeat 10 times. Do 3 sets of 10.
5. RESISTED HIP FLEXION - Stand facing away from a door. Tie a loop in one end of a Thera-Band and put it around your injured ankle. Tie a knot in the other end of the tubing and shut the knot in a door (near the bottom). Tighten up the front of your thigh muscle and bring your leg forward, keeping your knee straight. Repeat 10 times. Do 3 sets of 10.
1. HIP FLEXOR STRETCH - Kneel on both knees and place your uninjured leg forward, with the foot resting flat on the floor. From this position, lean forward at the hip and attempt to press your pelvis down toward the floor while slightly arching your back until you feel a stretch at the front of your hip. Hold this position for 30 seconds. Repeat 3 times.
2. QUADRICEPS STRETCH - Stand and hold onto a table or counter. Grasp the top part of your ankle on your injured leg and pull your foot toward your buttock until you feel a stretch on the front part of your thigh. Hold this position for 30 seconds. Repeat 3 times.
3. HEEL SLIDE - Sit on a firm surface with your legs straight in front of you. Slowly slide the heel of your injured leg toward your buttock by pulling your knee to your chest as you slide. Return to the starting position. Repeat this 20 times.
4. STRAIGHT LEG RAISE - Lie on the floor on your back and tighten up the top of the thigh muscles on your injured leg. Point your toes up toward the ceiling and lift your leg up off the floor about 10 inches. Keep your knee straight. Slowly lower your leg back down to the floor. Repeat 10 times. Do 3 sets of 10.
5. RESISTED HIP FLEXION - Stand facing away from a door. Tie a loop in one end of a Thera-Band and put it around your injured ankle. Tie a knot in the other end of the tubing and shut the knot in a door (near the bottom). Tighten up the front of your thigh muscle and bring your leg forward, keeping your knee straight. Repeat 10 times. Do 3 sets of 10.
