In this post:
- stretch and release the TFL. The tensor fascia lata is a common culprit in IT band issues.
Author: Nick Ortego is the owner of N 2 Action, a wellness studio in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, offering personal training, health coaching, yoga, and assisted stretching.
Also find more on the Nick Ortego Fitness YouTube Channel
Transcript: Hey it's Nick Ortego here and I'm going to show you how to stretch and release a little muscle in your hip that has a big effect on your entire kinetic chain. It's called the tensor fascia latae or TFL for short. If it's tight or short, it can be a culprit in IT band syndrome. It can also throw the mechanics of your hip out of whack while you're running, which will lead to possibly knee pain and other problems. But the way to stretch it is to bend both knees and then take one shin and place it under the other leg. So it's kind of like figure four except the ankle is under the knee. Then I take my knee line it up with the hip. And then start to lay on my back. So from here what I want to do is be sure that my opposite hip opposite side of my pelvis is down as much as I can take it down. This knee, I want it to be pushed as low as I can to the ground I'm stretching out that tensor fasciae latae right there. I'll show you this angle. I've got this hip down, this knee pushing it as low as I can. After I do that I can massage right under the iliac crest. That's my pelvis bone and a little bit to the front side. I can massage that muscle, apply a little bit of pressure to it with my fingers, and release it as I'm stretching it. If it's tight you may see that your knee doesn't want to go that way or that your opposite hip is wanting to rise up a little bit. Play around with that. Try for about a minute or two at a time. You got any benefit from this video? Then leave a comment below. If you'd like to get more content that's not available on the blog or the regular YouTube channel, then click the link that's connected to this video and you will have a chance to sign up for the Run Better Now VIP Club. Thank you.