Athena Vale
The psoas muscle is a vital part of the body, acting like a guy-wire between the spine and thighs to hold the body's natural V shape. To activate the psoas, you can try exercises such as the 90-degree leg lift, the bridge pose, or the standing slumpy psoas. These exercises can help to strengthen the psoas and prevent injuries.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Exercise | Bridge pose |
| 90-degree leg lift | |
| Standing slumpy psoas | |
| Pelvic floor exercise | |
| Dumbbell twist | |
| Leg lift | |
| Leg flexion |
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What You'll Learn
Bridge pose
To activate the psoas muscle, you can try the bridge pose. Here's how to do it:
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
- Place your hands on your rectus femoris and tensor fasciae latae (located just below your hip bone). Focus on keeping these muscles relaxed during the exercise.
- Breathe into your lower abdomen and sides, performing slight transverse abdominal activation.
- Grasp your ankles, bringing your fingers around the front of the ankle. If you can't reach, use a belt around your ankles and hold onto that instead.
- Slowly lift one leg off the floor, initiating the psoas muscle without engaging the rectus femoris and TFL.
The bridge pose is a great way to activate the psoas muscle, which is important for maintaining a healthy posture and preventing injuries. By performing this exercise regularly, you can strengthen and lengthen the psoas muscle, improving your overall stability and movement.
In addition to the bridge pose, there are other exercises that can help activate and strengthen the psoas muscle. For example, you can try the standing slumpy psoas exercise, where you start by sucking one leg in and driving the knee up. From there, you can progressively add load to build strength, such as by using a dumbbell.
Another exercise involves contracting your abdominal muscles and buttocks, tucking your pelvis upward, and drawing your lower body off the floor until your body forms a straight line from your knees to your shoulders. Gently lower your body back down, allowing each vertebra to touch the floor sequentially. Repeat this movement slowly and with control for 10 repetitions.
Remember, when activating and strengthening the psoas muscle, it's important to keep the lower front belly relaxed. If you feel any tension or hardness in that area, adjust your form or modify the exercise as needed.
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Leg lifts
Slowly lift one leg off the floor, initiating the psoas without engaging the rectus femoris and TFL. The initiation should happen through the psoas. You can also try this exercise with your legs against a wall.
For an added challenge, try the standing slumpy psoas exercise. Start by sucking one leg in and driving that knee up. You can progressively add load to build strength, just like any other gym exercise.
If you're just starting out, you can modify the leg lift by bending your knees. Even with your knees bent, the psoas has to work harder as it's holding up the weight of your torso and legs against gravity.
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Dumbbells
You can also try the following exercises with dumbbells:
- Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet slightly off the floor. Hold a moderate weight dumbbell slightly above your hips in front of your chest. Rotate your chest to one side while keeping the weight in alignment with your shoulders. Twist to the opposite side, leading with your shoulders and twisting from your core for 10 reps on each side.
- Lie on your back with your legs extended and your arms resting at your sides. Contracting your abdominal muscles and buttocks, tuck your pelvis upward and draw your lower body off the floor until your body forms a straight line from your knees to your shoulders. Gently lower your body toward the floor, allowing each vertebra to touch the floor sequentially. Repeat 10 times slowly and with control.
- Lie face up on the floor. Squeeze your abs and lift your legs to a 45-degree angle with your torso. Reach your arms forward by your sides, creating a V-shape with your body. As you progress, you can extend your arms overhead or hold weights to elevate the challenge.
The psoas is one of the main hip flexor muscles, connecting the lower to the upper body and aiding in hip flexion (bringing the knees closer to the chest) and stabilising the pelvis. Strengthening this muscle through exercises like glute bridges, standing marches, and boat poses can help improve overall mobility, curb injury risks, and bolster your workouts.
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Abdominal breathing
To activate your psoas muscle, you can try the following exercises:
Breathing in through your lower abdomen and into your sides can help to activate your psoas muscle. This is because it helps to activate your deep muscles, including your transversus abdominals, pelvic flooring, and diaphragm. These muscles work together with your psoas to help centre the femoral head.
Bridge pose
To do the bridge pose, grasp your ankles, bringing your fingers around the front of the ankle. If you can't reach, put a belt around the front of your ankles and grasp it with both hands.
Standing slumpy psoas
This exercise involves sucking your leg in and driving your knee up. You can progressively add load to build strength, just like any other exercise you would do in the gym. For example, you can place a dumbbell on your knee.
90-degree leg lift
Place your hands on your rectus femoris and Tensor Fasciae Latae (located just below your hip bone). Focus on keeping these relaxed through hip flexion. Slowly start to lift one leg off the wall, initiating the psoas, without engaging the rectus femoris and TFL.
Pelvic tuck
Contract your abdominal muscles and buttocks, tuck your pelvis upward and draw your lower body off the floor until your body forms a straight line from your knees to your shoulders. Gently lower your body toward the floor, allowing each vertebra to touch the floor sequentially. Repeat 10 times slowly and with control.
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Pelvic tucking
To activate your psoas muscle, you can try the following exercises:
Contract your abdominal muscles and buttocks, tuck your pelvis upward and draw your lower body off the floor until your body forms a straight line from your knees to your shoulders. Gently lower your body toward the floor, allowing each vertebra to touch the floor sequentially. Repeat 10 times slowly and with control.
Bridge pose
Grasp your ankles, bringing your fingers around the front of the ankle. If you can’t reach, put a belt around the front of your ankles and grasp it with both hands.
90-degree leg lift
Place your hands on your rectus femoris and Tensor Fasciae Latae (located just below your hip bone). Focus on keeping these relaxed through hip flexion. Breathe in through the lower abdomen, breathe into the sides, performing slight transverse abdominal activation. Slowly start to lift one leg off the wall, initiating the psoas, without engaging the rectus femoris and TFL. The initiation should happen through the psoas.
Standing slumpy psoas
This exercise works the psoas muscle in the proper way to start building strength. Once you’ve got good activation, you can add some external load, like a dumbbell, to this. Place the dumbbell on your knee, suck that leg in, and drive that knee up. You can then progressively add load to build strength.
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Frequently asked questions
Try the 90-degree leg lift. Place your hands on your rectus femoris and Tensor Fasciae Latae (located just below your hip bone). Focus on keeping these relaxed through hip flexion. Breathe in through your lower abdomen, breathe into your sides, performing slight transverse abdominal activation. Slowly start to lift one leg off the wall, initiating the psoas, without engaging the rectus femoris and TFL.
Try the bridge pose. Grasp your ankles, bringing your fingers around the front of the ankle. If you can’t reach, put a belt around the front of your ankles and grasp it with both hands.
Try the standing slumpy psoas. Place a dumbbell on your knee, suck that leg in, and drive that knee up. You can progressively add load to build strength.
