Vivian Grisogono

ADDUCTOR STRETCH, SITTING WITH LEGS STRAIGHT

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Benefits: This exercise helps to protect the hips.

It maintains and improves your ability to turn your hips outwards. It counteracts any tendency for the hips to turn inwards, as can happen during growth spurts in very active children and teenagers, through unbalanced physical activities at any age, or as a result of osteoarthritis (wear-and-tear degeneration) of the hips in middle-aged or older people. It helps prevent or limit the biomechanical effects of osteoarthritis in the hips, and can help to relieve pain.
Position: Sit with your legs stretched out comfortably sideways, feet turned out, knees straight, back straight, head up, hands resting lightly on your thighs or on the floor in front of you.
To stretch: Keeping your back straight, head up, lean forwards slightly from the hips, reaching with your hands in front of you on the floor, until you feel a slight, gentle stretching sensation along the inner thighs. Hold the position still for a count of 6, then relax completely.
Repetitions and frequency: 3-10 times 1-2 times a day.
Note: Avoid pain. Keep your back straight, head up. Do not over-reach. Be guided by a very slight sensation in your inner thigh muscles: do not aim at a strong sensation. Do not hold the stretch and then try to stretch further from the stretched position.
After injury: It should be done as soon as pain permits and within pain limits, after groin strains, adductor tendon and muscle tears, pulls and strains, and any hip region problems. Also beneficial after any leg injury which has caused a limp.