Exercises for Gamers: Psoas Stretch
By Dr. Matthew Hwu, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS·
Quick answer
The psoas stretch loosens a hip flexor that gets stiff when you sit with your lower back arched. A tight psoas can pull on the lower back and make you overuse your back muscles. Half kneel on a mat or pillow, tuck your butt, tilt your pelvis back and lean into the front leg with your trunk upright until you feel a stretch at the front of the hip.
Reaching up with the arm on the kneeling side adds stretch. You can also rest your foot on a chair instead. Hold 15 to 20 seconds, four times, three times a day.
Exercise: Psoas Stretch
Frequency and Duration: 4x15-20, 3x/day
The purpose of this exercise is to stretch a commonly stiff/short muscle when we are in the extended position. This muscle can pull on the lower back and cause increased compressive stress at certain joints in our lower back along with cause us to overuse our lower back muscles.
There are two easy ways to perform this exercise: choose whichever one is more convenient for you. For those who have the 1HP mat, start in the half-kneel position. You can use a pillow or towel if you do not have a mat to support your knees. From there think about tucking your butt and tilting your pelvis backwards. Hold this and lean forward into the front leg while keeping your trunk upright. You should feel a stretch in the front of your hip. To increase the stretch, you can also reach up towards the ceiling with the hand on the same side of knee which is down
For those who do not have a mat, you can use your chair to perform the same stretch. Stand in front of your chair and place your foot (top-side) down on the chair and perform the same type of movement. Think about tucking your butt and tilting your pelvis backwards. Hold this and lean forward into the front leg while keeping your trunk upright. You should feel a stretch in the front of your hip. To increase the stretch, you can also reach up towards the ceiling with the hand on the same side of knee which is down
Hold for 15-20 seconds and repeat 4 times
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