Hip extension, everything you need to know to learn how to stabilize the pelvis, reduce back strain and improve your athletic performance

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Tamara Villa

The
hip extension you use some of your biggest and strongest muscles. It is a movement involved in many daily activities, such as getting up from a chair, climbing stairs, and walking. It is also directly linked to many sports that use explosive strength and power.

It is a reality that we spend more and more time sitting down and with an inactive way of life in general. Because of this, the hip extensor muscles can weaken over time. This may make you wonder how you can
keep extensor muscles strong of the hip to help you in your life and daily activities. Here’s how to do it.

What is hip extension?

Hip extension occurs when you extend or
‘open’ the hip joint so that the angle between the pelvis and the thigh increases. It can mean moving your leg behind you when you’re standing or using your hip extensors to propel your body forward on your leg as it begins to flex in front of you.

For practical purposes, think of things like
walking, getting up from a chair, or climbing stairs. But it is also a movement associated with many sports activities, such as running, jumping or kicking. For example, your hip extends when you bring your leg back before kicking a soccer ball.

On the contrary, the
hip flexion It occurs when the angle between the pelvis and the thigh is reduced. For example, when squatting, sitting at a desk, or moving forward before kicking a football. One thing is hip extension and another is hip flexion.

Woman training hip extension/PEXELS

Hip extension is based on three main muscles and the first one is the glutes. The main muscle involved in hip extension is the
gluteus maximus, which is the largest muscle of the buttocks. He
gluteus medius it also helps with hip extension, although to a lesser extent.

Then there are the three muscles of the
hamstrings (long head biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus), which help support the buttocks with hip extension. And finally we have the
posterior head of adductor magnus, located on the inner thighs, which also supports hip extension. Together, these muscles help stabilize the pelvis and propel the body during movements such as walking, running, jumping, and standing.

Why are hip extension exercises so important?

Hip extension exercises are important to strengthen the muscles responsible for hip extension; that is, the gluteus maximus, hamstrings, and adductor maximus. Strengthening these muscles helps
ensure they are doing their job correctly and they don’t rely on surrounding muscles (for example, the muscles of the lower back) for help, which can lead to pain and injury.

However, when the hip extensors and abdominal muscles are weak or the hip flexors (iliac, psoas major, and rectus femoris) are tight, the pelvis can tilt forward and downward, causing a
excessive pressure on the lower back and increases stress on the back. This is known as an anterior pelvic tilt. Sitting for a long time and being sedentary can result in tighter hip flexors and weaker hip extensors.

Woman training hip extension/PEXELS

and if you are
fitness and sports loverDon’t forget that having strong hip extensors can enhance your athletic performance and give you a competitive edge, especially in sports and activities that rely on hip extension for running, jumping, lunging, or other explosive movements.

Deadlift, hip thrust, squat or lunge are some of the most common hip extension exercises in training rooms and at home. Virtually everyone includes them in their programs for different reasons, either to
increase the muscles of the buttocks and legsto improve your health or to increase sports performance.



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