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Exercise - Introduction to Stretching

Stretch Hip Flexer

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Margie Weiss
MG Gymnastics
www.bodybyweiss.com  
(703) 675-1553

Margie Weiss has been in the fitness industry all of her life, having been a national gymnast as a child, and mother/trainer to three international athletes. Owner-coach of MG Gymnastics, her team produced international stars for 15 years. Former owner of 2 Gold's Gym franchises, Margie is also a certified personal trainer, specializing in youth sports conditioning. She has trained international athletes, including her children. Her son, Michael, is a 2-time US Olympic figure skater and 3-time US National Champion. Currently, she is GGX (Group exercise director & instructor) for 3 Gold's Gyms, where one of her programs boasts 500 classes per month; she supervises 175 instructors. Having published many articles in the fitness field, she enjoys seeing progress in each of her participants. But the things that makes her most proud of the lives she has affected are her 5 grandchildren, all of whom live very close. Seeing their smiles makes every day worth smiling about!

Stretch Hip Flexer

In this video series, "Basic Stretches," group-x director/ personal trainer, Margie Weiss, describes a variety of safe and effective stretches for the major body areas people need to work. Complete with safety cues, the stretches are similar to the ones Margie uses with international athletes, to keep them flexible enough to avoid injury in their strenuous sports. The variety of exercises for the target areas show any viewer a workout suitable for his/her needs and abilities. EVERYONE needs to stretch: it is one-third of the fitness equation. Start young, and continue forever!!

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Margie Weiss: My name is Margie Weiss and this is basic stretching. The exercise were going to do now, is for the hip flexor, which is in the front of the hip. It goes hand-in-hand, with another stretching exercise that we do, which is called the forward fold, where it gets the back of the hip area. So, this area is really critical to everybody who does squats, lunges, walks on treadmill, on an elliptical, the hip flexors tend to tighten up, which can give you some back problems. So, its a real important stretch to do. Now, the best hip flexor stretch is done in pairs with the partner, but were going to do that in another video. If you dont have a partner to push and pull you and put you in the right position, this exercise is pretty darn good. Youre going to get up one knee. So, foot has to be beyond the front knee, so you take that foot and slide it forward, just a little bit that way when you bend the leg, notice that the hips tip forward, but the wait of your body is overtop the hip flexor, which is this area from the waist right here, is what you are trying to stretch.

Keeping in the back nice and straight and the belly in and breathing out you can sink down, so that the weight of the body gets on to that back hip flexor. If youre not feeling it all there, its probably because this foot is too close in and then youre not going to feel it. So, youve got to really step out on it and think. Now, if you want to go to the next position a little bit harder, youre going to take your far arm, if its your right knee, its your left arm. So, youre going to reach it straight up in the air, and Im going to give you three hands position to place.

You can take that hand and angle it slightly forwards over the front knee. Youre going to feel that, in the outer hip flexor, a little more to the out part of the center of your core. If you take this arm, put it right over your ear and drop directly side ways, youre going to feel it in the main position right and up front of the hip. But, if when you take the arm and angle it back just slightly, youre going to feel it just inside, towards the midline of your body, towards your bellybutton. So, any of those three positions, may be tight for you and may be they all are, so youre going to want to stall on each of those positions, you want to breathe so that the muscles relax and you want to hold it, 20-30 seconds. If its too hard on your knees to do this, you can always go up on to the back foot, lifting that back leg up off the ground, and do the same exercise.

Youve got to really tuck your hips under though, in order for this to work. So, that your hip is pressing forwards and you are leaning to the side. So, again this is for your hip flexor and if you do this exercise, you also want to do the forward fold because thats the opposite exercise.

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