Get To Your Core!

Looks like I have some of this too.
Tested positive for the upper portion of the leg not going to 90 degrees. Lower leg seems to be fine though.

This might explain why my right hip has been sore lately.

I have started using a foot rest (as I have a desk job, and sit while commuting on a bus) and find that it is helping.

Looking forward to the solutions.

My psoas was so tight that it pulled the top my left foot in while standing up. A D.O. used a muscle energy & strain/counterstrain technique to release it. It was an immediate relief of hip and groin pain. A few days later the pain returned even with psoas stretches. The piriformis was also involved.

I need to stop sitting and driving, Definitely could feel some tightness. How do we fix this?

Enjoying the films – keep up the good work. Personally I’m Ok and flexible (luck and yoga!)but there’s always more to learn.

In fact, I’m studying body work (FMM and yoga) and TCM and 5 Element acupuncture so am thrilled to find you and your site, as so much of what you are doing is in full accord.

My upper legs were flat but my lower legs were not at the 90 degree level. Plus both lower legs also went outward to the side. Is this unusual? I’m a 49 year old acrobat and I feel that my hamstrings and hip flexors are tighter than usual. Regardless of how much I stretch, within an hour or so they tighten up again.

Thanks for the video, I too had some difficulty with the Upper crossed test, but, most of my pain and discomfort has been hips and psoas. so I am looking forward to the exercises for lower.

Much appreciation

I seemed to be okay with that test but I had to do it on my bed which is quite firm. I will try it again later when the deck dries off.

I tried to do this, most of my furniture is to low to the ground. My legs are not at a 90 degree angle. I would say 115 to 120 degree angle. They bounce back when I consiously move them to 90 degrees.

Both hips got to 0′ but my knees were both at ~45! When I pulled my lower leg to 90′ at the knees my hip and thighs got an awful stretch that I had to ease off right away! Ow. I feel old! Please, what is the exercise?? Thanks. I’ve only just joined and I think this is a great mission and very generous of you. I’ve had core amnesia for almost all my life I think. I want to change that!

Uncle! Uncle! Nothing touched anything below my butt. Heck, I m us be lucky to be able to walk upright.

Thighs slightly above 0, calves at 90. Due to pain in the quads thighs were not going below 0 until I swung my calves forward and my thighs came down below 0.

Found this website while looking for help with a torn groin muscle, or at least that is what my Chiro is calling it! I love my Dr but I am beginning to think that he is not as well informed as I would like him to be. I get relief from pain always but I want healing, health, wholeness. Did the above test; left side was able to hang but felt uncomfortable stretching from deep within. Did not even try right side as the groin muscle is still healing. (BTW-pulled groin while cycling!)

What is next? How do I stretch properly from here and maintain core, balance & strength?

Didn’t do so well with this one, but not surprised. Leg off counter and lower leg at about 45 degrees. Really need to get some good exercises for piriformis and hip muscles. Getting worse by the day.

I faied both tests and have been suffering alternate lower lhs back pain and rhs upper neck and shoulder pain. Looking forward to eliminating both!

my left side was almost horizontal but my right was sitting up at about 30 degrees. How do i go about fixing this problem???

I did not do well. Thighs were almost horizontal, but tight and uncomfortable in that position. Leg below knee was not anywhere near vertical. I have definitely identified piriformis syndrome by the area of my pain, and have done the stretch for this a few times which improves the hip movement temporarily, but makes some of the pain go lower into the groin area. Please advise me as to what stretch to add. Thanks!

was able to do this with a lot of pain in my back.

Both thighs about horizontal, but shins at about 140 degrees to the thighs. This is after two weeks of twice-a-day stretching of the hip flexor that my physiotherapist prescribed.

Think I passed this test judging it by myself. My main problem seems to be the upper crossed syndrome.

I’m in good shape on this one, Steve! Good 90-degree angle on the dangle and upper leg is elongated! Ken has issues however!

Do you have a free online video that gives execises that would help?

So if you have this problem, what do you do about it?
 

Thighs below 90 but lower leg at about 100 so looks like my quads are a bit tight but psoas ok. I do get lower back pain and sciatica intermittently after a ruptured disc at L5/S1 some years ago, predominantly on the L and both legs feel heavy and somewhat unresponsive when I have it. Erector spinae muscles are overdeveloped and hypertonic and I'm trying to correct my posture and work on strengthening and activating glutes because I think I'm using my lower back to power my walking and putting extra strain on the lumbar area. Any advice would be great.

Thanks for this test as well but unfortunately my results we're very good which I guess is why I have such pain and problems with my hip.  Now I just need to know what exercises to work on.

Well, from what I can tell I wasn't too bad on this test.  My thighs came down below the 90* angle… my shins were out just slightly, according to my observing husband, but almost at a 90* angle.  So, not sure this helps me to figure out what's with my low back/ hip pain and problems… Any other self-test suggestions to help me decipher the implications?

Failed miserably – I developed my bilateral adhesive capsulitis in shoulders, carpel tunnel and sciatic pain when I started dental hygiene school a year ago.  Hoping your exercises will help me get right before I have to start working!

Glad I did well with this one.  The lower leg was not quite at 90 degrees but the back and upper legs were like you showed.  Although I sit and drive a lot I also walk and do leg stretches during my walks so I guess that has been helping.

I think this is the route of my problems, as soon as I pulled the knee into my chest the extended leg raised off the table and my lower leg came up too. I find it weird though because I do lots of flexibility work in these areas, especially hip flexors and glutes/piriformis and have done for some time now.

No surprise on this one…both left and right side I am not able to rest the back of my thigh on the table entirely definitely need some help here!

I couldn't tell at what degree my right leg rested but it could not rest horizontally. My left leg was fine.