In the spirit of giving dads their time in the limelight (which is still not enough time), let me offer another free, simple fitness tip that will get your body limbered up in no time.  It’s call the hip flexor stretch and you need to be stretching these muscles regularly.

Why are you tight in the hips?

• Because you sat all your life as a student in school for hours.  That’s bad (I’m holding out for the school that teaches kids to move throughout the day!!).  This leads to shortened muscles around the front of the hips and eventual tightened muscles in the low back.
• You probably sit too long at a computer or in your car.  We don’t move like our bodies were intended.  So, muscles like the hip flexors (located just above the front thigh) and erector spinae (low back) become shortened and weak.
• You might also be dealing with an injury.

The right exercise can remedy many of these causes!
How can you tell if you’re tight in the hip flexors? This is where a fitness pro is essential in helping your technique.  One way is to see how your shoulder and hip are aligned with each other.

Watch the video to understand how you can stretch these areas out, as you follow the descriptions below:

1. Genuflect with one foot in front and one knee right under your body.
2. Make sure your forward foot is a foot’s length in front of that knee. (see video for this)
3. Now, tuck your hips under and lunge forward into the front leg.  Keep your back straight, hips and rib cage separated, and keep the hip tuck going.

4. Hold for thirty seconds and switch sides.

Congratulations, Dad! You’ve just limbered up an area most dads don’t even know their tight in.

Stay tuned for Tip #4 tomorrow.  It will knock your socks off!