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The psoas muscle is a deep-rooted muscle in the core that connects the lumbar vertebrae to the femur. It is an important muscle that many people don't think about, which is unfortunate because strengthening and stretching the psoas can improve how we feel and move. A weak and overstretched psoas can cause a lot of issues, including lower back pain, pelvic pain, and poor posture. In this article, we will discuss how to engage the psoas muscle to improve its strength and flexibility and reduce the risk of injury.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Muscle group | Hip flexors |
| Muscle type | Deep core muscle |
| Muscle function | Connects torso and legs |
| Muscle location | Originates from lumbar vertebrae |
| Muscle size | As big as a wrist |
| Muscle composition | Psoas major, psoas minor, iliacus |
| Muscle activation | Works with deep muscles |
| Muscle strengthening exercises | Hanging leg lifts, 90-degree leg lift, Full Boat pose, Bridge pose, Boat pose, Modified Gate pose |
| Muscle stretches | Pilates, yoga |
| Muscle issues | Tightness, weakness |
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What You'll Learn
Stretching and strengthening the psoas muscle
The psoas muscle is a central player in asana and other exercises. It is a primary connector between the torso and the leg and is important for posture and spine stabilisation. It is also crucial for everyday movements like walking and climbing stairs. When the psoas is tight or weak, it can cause muscle imbalances that hinder your ability to walk. Therefore, it is important to stretch and strengthen the psoas muscle regularly.
Stretching the psoas muscle
Stretching the psoas muscle involves moving the hip back into extension behind the body. Here are some stretches to try:
- Lie on your back with your body near the edge of the mattress. Bring one knee up to your chest and wrap your arms around the lower part of that leg. Let the other leg dangle off the side of the bed. This position helps the psoas muscle relax and lengthen.
- Lie on your side with your legs straight and stacked on top of each other. Use your bottom arm to support your head.
- Bend the knee of your top leg back and bring your heel towards your buttocks.
- Grab your ankle and pull your foot closer to your buttocks.
- While holding your foot close to your buttocks, squeeze your glute to push your hip forward. Then, pull your leg back further behind your body. Hold for 30 seconds, then relax. Repeat 3 times on each side.
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Step one foot back and bend both knees, lowering into a lunge position until you feel a stretch in the front of the hip of the back leg. Keep your torso upright and your pelvis tucked to avoid overarching your lower back. Hold the stretch for 20 to 30 seconds. Switch sides and repeat.
Strengthening the psoas muscle
Strengthening the psoas muscle involves lifting the leg in front of the body. Here are some exercises to try:
- Hanging leg lifts: Hang from a pull-up bar with a firm overhand grip and flex your hips and knees simultaneously as you draw your legs out and up towards your chest without using momentum.
- Loop a mini band around the balls of your feet and place your heels on an elevated surface with your toes pointed up. Lift your hips, engage your core and glutes, and bring one knee towards your chest while keeping the other leg straight. Slowly return the working leg and repeat on the other side.
- 90-degree leg lift: Place your hands on your rectus femoris and tensor fasciae latae (located just below your hip bone). Breathe into your lower abdomen and sides, performing slight transverse abdominal activation. Slowly start to lift one leg, initiating the psoas without engaging the rectus femoris and TFL. Avoid lifting the leg too high, as this will engage the superficial muscles instead of the psoas.
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Yoga poses to engage the psoas
The psoas muscle is a deep core muscle and the only muscle that connects the spine to the legs. It is a primary connector between the torso and the leg and is an important muscle for yoga practitioners. It is also important off the mat, as it affects posture, helps stabilize the spine, and can contribute to low back and pelvic pain if it's out of balance.
Boat Pose
From a seated position, place both feet on the floor and put your hands on your hamstrings as you lift your shins, keeping your knees bent. Straighten your legs to form a V-shape and reach your arms in front of you. Keep your spine tall and upright.
Modified Gate Pose
From hands and knees, extend one leg to the side and turn the toes in slightly to press firmly into the outside edge of the foot.
Pyramid Pose
From downward dog, step one foot forward between your hands and hop the back foot in slightly so you can turn the back toes in and press firmly into the outer edge of the foot. Soften the knees and fold the torso forward.
Tree Pose
From mountain pose, shift your weight onto one foot and bring the sole of the other foot to the inside of the calf or inner thigh. Keep your hands on your hips, bring them together in front of your chest, or extend your arms overhead.
Constructive Rest
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor. Rest your arms wherever is comfortable—either by your sides or out wide. You could also bend the elbows. Optionally, extend one leg out long at a time.
Navasana and Bakasana
Postures where deep hip flexion is required will activate the psoas.
Twisted Lizard Pose
From Adho Mukha Svanasana (Down Dog), step the right foot forward outside of the right hand. Keep both hands in the same line as the front foot. With your back knee down on the mat, bend the back leg, bringing the heel towards the buttock. Take the right arm behind you and hold the outer edge of the back foot. On an exhalation, bend the right elbow, pulling the left heel closer to the glute. Focus on lifting the front of the hip bones towards the navel to lengthen the psoas.
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Pilates exercises to engage the psoas
Pilates is a great way to engage and strengthen the psoas muscle. The psoas is a hip flexor muscle that connects the torso to the legs and is responsible for holding us upright. It is a deep muscle that is crucial for movement and overall well-being.
Knee Float
The knee float is a basic Pilates exercise that teaches you to activate and strengthen your psoas. The goal is to use your psoas to lift your knee into the air. If you don't engage your psoas during this exercise, your hip flexors and quadriceps will compensate, which can lead to tightness in the hip area and back pain.
Leg Circles
Leg circles are a reformer Pilates exercise that can help strengthen and improve the function of the psoas.
The Bridge
The bridge pose is a yoga pose that can be incorporated into a Pilates routine to engage the psoas. To do this, lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Grasp your ankles, bringing your fingers around the front of the ankles. Lift your hips towards the ceiling, engaging your glutes and core.
Standing Pelvic Tilt
Stand with your back against a wall, pressing your buttocks, shoulder blades, and head into the wall. Draw your lower back into the wall, engaging your abdominal muscles. This exercise helps to achieve a neutral spine and can be repeated to flex the lumbar spine.
Hanging Leg Lift
Hanging leg lifts are an advanced exercise that targets the psoas, as well as the core, grip, and upper back muscles. Hang from a pull-up bar with a firm overhand grip and flex your hips and knees to draw your legs out and up towards your chest.
Mini-Band Leg Raise
Loop a mini band around the balls of your feet and place your heels on an elevated surface with your toes pointed up. Lift your hips, engage your core and glutes, and bring one knee towards your chest while keeping the other leg straight.
Engaging the psoas through Pilates exercises can help improve posture, stabilize the spine, and prevent injuries. It is important to focus on correct form and listen to your body during these exercises.
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The role of the psoas in hip flexion
The psoas is a deep-seated core muscle that connects the lumbar vertebrae to the femur. It is the biggest and strongest player in a group of muscles called the hip flexors. When the psoas contracts, it pulls the femur and the spine closer together, resulting in hip flexion.
The psoas major muscle also stabilises the femoral head within the acetabulum of the hip during the first 15 degrees of movement. It has two segments, one on each side of the body, which assist with unilateral and bilateral motions. For example, when standing upright, unilateral contraction will cause flexion of the lumbar spine, with the body side-bending towards the ipsilateral side and simultaneous rotation to the contralateral side.
The psoas is an important muscle for posture, helping to stabilise the spine. A weak and overstretched psoas can contribute to common postural problems, such as a flattened lumbar spine, which can lead to injury. The psoas can become tight and weak from excessive sitting, causing myofascial pain, low back pain, and difficulty maintaining a standing position.
To strengthen the psoas, exercises such as hanging leg lifts, the 90-degree leg lift, and the full boat pose can be performed. These exercises target the psoas and help to improve strength and flexibility in the hip flexors.
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The psoas and its impact on the nervous system
The psoas muscle is a long, ribbon-shaped muscle in the lumbar region of the back. There is one psoas muscle on either side of the spine, connecting the lower back to the groin. The psoas muscle is a primary connector between the torso and the leg and is a key player in stabilising the spine and improving posture.
The psoas muscle is extremely sensitive, and this is likely due to its proprioceptive function in upright postures. The psoas acts as a proprioceptive sensor, sending information about spinal position and movement to the central nervous system. The psoas is also connected to the autonomic nervous system, which controls the body's unconscious functions, such as breathing, heart rate, digestion, and respiratory rate. The autonomic nervous system has two main divisions: the sympathetic nervous system, which stimulates the body for fight or flight responses, and the parasympathetic nervous system, which calms the body.
The psoas muscle is connected to the diaphragm, which is an important pathway of information for the entire body. When the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system is in fight or flight mode, the body's response can cause muscle tissue to become hypertonic or restricted. This can lead to harmful imbalances in the psoas muscle, which can contribute to physical conditions such as pelvic floor dysfunction, low back pain, pelvic unleveling, and functional scoliosis.
To keep the psoas healthy, it is important to understand its anatomy and engage in exercises that stretch and strengthen the muscle, such as the 90-degree leg lift, the full boat pose, and the bridge pose. These exercises can help release habitual muscle-holding patterns, improve low-back alignment, and create a more balanced posture.
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Frequently asked questions
The psoas is a deep-rooted muscle in your core that connects your lumbar vertebrae with your femur. It is the only muscle that directly connects the spine to the legs. It is important because it stabilises the spine and core and can cause significant pain when out of balance.
An easy test to check the strength of your psoas is to stand up straight and pull one knee up toward your chest as high as you can. Hold your leg in that position for up to 30 seconds. If you can do this without too much difficulty, and feel your abs working, your psoas is probably strong. If you struggle to hold your leg up or feel your back rounding, your psoas could be weak.
There are various exercises that can help engage your psoas muscle, including pilates, yoga, and strength training. For example, the "Full Boat" pose works the psoas, as well as the abdominals, the back muscles, and the quadriceps.
