If it was possible for a body part to trend, hips would be topping the charts in 2023. From trauma-releasing stretches on TikTok to hip-opening yoga routines on YouTube, the internet seems to be awash with tips on how to look after this often-neglected part of our bodies.

The appetite for this kind of content is hardly surprising when you think about how much time those of us with desk jobs spend sitting down daily. Sitting down for long periods of time is bad for a whole host of reasons, but it’s particularly bad for your hip flexors – the five muscles that facilitate movement in the hip joint – because it causes them to shorten and tense up.

This can make exercises that require decent hip mobility – such as running and yoga – harder than usual and might lead to pain in the hips and other areas in that region.

It’s at this point when taking time to stretch out and release your hips can be beneficial, not least for reducing any aches or pains you might be experiencing. But tight hip flexors can cause issues all over the body and you might not always be aware of what’s going on. So, to help you figure out whether or not your hips are struggling, we asked the experts to talk us through the main signs of tight flexors. 

1. Your hips are imbalanced

When you lie down on the floor, are your legs equal in length? If one is longer than the other, that could be a sign that one of your hip flexors is particularly tight.

It’s common for clients to have one hip flexor tighter than the other, and this can cause imbalances in the hip,” explains PT and pilates instructor Aimee Victoria Long.

“The hip flexor being tight pulls the pelvis forward, resulting in the hip sitting differently in the joint,” she says. “This can cause all sorts of alignment issues further down the leg in the knee and ankle.” 

2. Your leg won’t stay flat during a ‘Thomas test’

This technical test measures the level of flexibility in your hip flexor muscles, which should give you a pretty good indication whether your hips are tight or not.

“To do this test, sit on the edge of a plinth or bed and rock backwards,” says Helen O’Leary, physiotherapist and clinical director at Complete Pilates.

“Pull one knee to your chest and allow the other to hang off the bottom of the bed – if your hip flexors are tight, you will not be able to get your thigh parallel to the floor or knee pointing lower towards it. Instead, the thigh will lift up and point more towards the ceiling.” 

3. Your lower back is affected

Your hip flexors are part of your core muscles, so their tightness can affect other muscles in this region, including the lower back. In turn, this can trigger pain.

Long explains: “Tight hip flexors can cause an anterior tilt of the pelvis [a forward lean], as well as cause opposing muscle groups like your glutes to switch off.

“This can result in your lumbar spine working overtime, triggering pain. On the other hand, posture correction and loosening your hip flexors can transform your lower back pain.”

An anterior tilt in the pelvis can also lead to something known as lumbar lordosis – a larger-than-normal inwards curve in the lower back. Checking for this curve is another way to tell whether your hip flexors are particularly tight. 

Images: Getty