The Importance of Exercising and Stretching for Hip Health
Hip health and mobility are critical to a comfortable lifestyle. This is especially true when you consider that the hips connect the upper and lower portions of the body. The femur or the thigh bone and the pelvis are the two major bones that make up the hips. Three small bones called the pubis, ischium, and the ilium then compose the pelvis.
Bones, ligaments, tendons, nerves, blood vessels, muscles, cartilage, synovial membrane, and fluids compose the hip joints which encompass the entire area. These pieces all work together to ensure optimal function of the hips. Their main goals are supporting the weight of the upper body and acting as the nerve center of the lower. Many lower-body movements such as walking, jumping, and kicking are a possibility because of the hips. In an ideal world, everything will work together in unison.
The Impacts of a Sedentary Lifestyle
A sedentary lifestyle can be extremely detrimental to the function and health of the hips. It can put a ton of compression and stress on the hips and especially on the iliopsoas muscles. This is the result of sitting for long periods of time driving a car or truck, lounging on the couch, or working at a computer. Frequent breaks to stand, stretch, and move around a bit are recommended to help fight negative effects. It also might be a good idea to think about investing in an ergonomically correct chair. When given enough time a sedentary lifestyle can actually lead to some seriously detrimental effects such as lower back and hip pain, lack of range of motion and mobility, pain or difficulty while walking, reductions in speed and agility, and bone deterioration.
Benefits of Stretching
Staying active and stretching have amazing benefits for not only the hips, but the entire body. By stretching regularly, you are strengthening the muscles of the hip region. Therefore leading to improved support of both the upper and lower body. The hip muscles are often called the iliopsoas which is a combination of the iliacus, psoas major, and psoas minor. By stretching these muscles you help to improve their functionality and reduce any negative effects from a sedentary life. Two excellent stretches that help to assist this family of muscles are the bridge and the lunge.
These and many other hip stretching exercises help to decrease your risk of injuries, improve your performance in physical activities, enable your muscles to work more effectively, and help your joints access their full range of motion according to the Mayo Clinic. Another benefit of stretching is that it enhances the blood flow to the muscles and helps with overall wellness. Improved circulation has been linked to reducing inflammation, chronic pain, and increasing comfort. In addition to stretching and staying active, a PEMF device has been shown to be effective in helping to maintain hip health and functionality.
Benefits of PEMF
PEMF is not a direct treatment or cure for any known hip problems. However, it has been shown to be a helpful addition, when added to your current fitness and wellness plan. This is because of its potential to improve blood flow to the hips and its assistance in microcirculation. In fact, PEMF has been shown in a recent study by Pulse Centers XL Pro to increase blood flow by 20% in rats. PEMF helps to assist the body’s natural wellness functions and allows your cells to do their job better. This is accomplished via exercising the cell helping to address the underlying dysfunction and ultimately help to improve bone and joint function.
Conclusion
When it comes to hip health and functionality a combination of stretching and PEMF therapy can go a long way. Using both of these tools in harmony can be an extremely effective way to ensure the optimization of hip mobility and function. Many have reported amazing benefits when using the two of these treatment options together. However, If you are experiencing hip discomfort or pain it is always a good idea to contact your primary healthcare provider before engaging in any kind of treatment. Once you know more about your ailments you can then begin to plan and research your best options for treatment.