Mobility Assessment

Hip Flexors

The first thing that we should do when we start exercising in the gym is assess how our body is moving and carrying itself. We can do that a few different ways. One way is to simply look at our static posture. If I notice a client’s hips are anteriorly rotated that tells me that they probably have tight hip flexors. The other two ways involve movement. One thing we need for optimal movement is stability. There are different ways to assess stability which is another subject. Another thing we need for optimal movement is mobility. Below is an example of a mobility assessment. These screens can be done for every joint in the body many different ways. There is a lot to look out for. This is a checklist I made to send to my clients after a session. If you are interested and local reach out and we can go through a full screen together. If you aren’t local look for a personal trainer with a good amount of time in the industry with some sort of special certification involving corrective exercise. For example, my special certification is NASM Corrective Exercise Specialist (CES).

The assessment below is easy to do. You may need to film yourself to see what your legs are doing. Even better would be to do it with a friend. If I had to choose my favorite one this might be it. Having mobile hips is so important for everyone. They say eighty percent of the population will experience back pain in their life and a major cause of that are tight hips. There are other ranges of motion in the hip like internal and external rotation that are just as important. Remember below is but one piece of the hip puzzle. This is one of my favorite assessments though because most people have tight hip flexors and it gives the information needed to combat “glute amnesia,” a condition that many of us cyclists suffer from.

Tight muscles on one side of a joint can weaken muscles on the other side. This has to do with something called neural drive. Neural drive is like a knob for our nervous system. As the knob is turned up more muscle fibers are recruited. If we tried to pick up a cup of water with our arm muscles with the same force as picking up a thirty pound weight we would end up with a face full of water. The knob is used to modulate. When a muscle is tight its knob is stuck, turned up. This can cause the muscles on the opposite side of the joint to have their knob stuck, turned down. This is called altered reciprocal inhibition. When the knob is stuck turned down the muscle won’t be as strong or as efficient as it could. With the assessment below we will see if our hip flexor knob is turned up. If it is that means our glute muscles’ knob might be turned down. Turned down glute knob = glute amnesia.

The assessment

You’ll need a surface that you can lie on with your legs dangling off without touching the floor. A massage table at the gym or bed at home can work well. Sit at the edge and lie down. Place a small rolled up hand towel underneath your low back and keep a light press down into it. This will keep your low back in a natural curved position and prevent it from arching up. If your back arches up it’ll ruin the assessment! Pull one knee into your chest and relax your opposite leg. There are three things you’re looking out for in your hanging, relaxed leg.

Psoas and Illiacus

If your knee is above your hip these muscles may be tight.

Rectus Femoris

If your bottom knee is straightened this muscle is tight. You want your shin to be pointed straight down towards the floor.

**Tensor Fascia Latae** **(TFL)**

If your leg goes out to the side (abduction) this muscle is tight.

A couple photos of better mobility

Knee about hip height (ideal might be even a fraction lower than this photo), shin perpendicular to floor, back not arched.

Knees are about hip distance apart from left to right - the knee doesn't rest out to the side

A few things that can help these tight muscles and glute amnesia

There is a four part corrective exercise process after finding tight muscles like this.

Inhibit - Foam roll (among other things) the tight muscles
Lengthen - Stretch the tight muscles
Activate - Active the opposing muscle (turn up the knob on the other side) - here a glute specific exercise
Integrate - Go and do a big movement involving the area you’re focusing on- examples here could be a squat or lunge

Even these steps can be broken down but a little goes a long way. Click on the muscle link to figure out where they are located and spend a minute or two pressing on the muscle with a foam roller. You’ll know you are in a good spot if it makes you say ouch. It should feel uncomfortable but tolerable. If it hurts lift some of your body weight off the roller. Try one of the stretches below for a minute. Google and perform any silly looking glute exercise like a clam shell, bridge, or leg lift. Go and do your exercise. You can do this every day and a bunch of times throughout the day. If we spend six hours a day at the desk or an hour and a half pedaling a bike, two minutes of this a couple times a week isn’t going to cut it. Make this sort of thing a habit. Periodically check in with the mobility assessment and see if it’s helping. Many times people feel better sensations in their hips instantly. My clients often achieve an increased range of motion after ten to fifteen minutes of this process. It really can have an immediate impact. The thing to remember is it is fleeting. We will go back to cycling and sitting at the desk and tighten up again eventually. So keep on keeping on.

Mobility Assessment

A Case for the Gym