How to Practice Hip Flexion with Strength and Control

By Dav Jones, Senior Yoga Teacher and Teacher Trainer

Hip flexion might seem simple – just lifting the leg toward the chest. But beneath that ordinary movement lies a rich orchestration of muscle synergy, joint mechanics, and fascial tensioning that reveals the complexity of human motion.

Whether in yoga, running, martial arts, or simply climbing stairs, hip flexion is one of the most essential movement patterns of daily life. For yogis, it’s the hidden powerhouse behind transitions, arm balances, forward folds, and core work. From a kinesiologist’s lens, training hip flexion isn’t about brute strength – it’s about coordination, neuromuscular timing, and controlled mobility.

Breaking it down:

• Hip – the ball-and-socket joint where the femur meets the pelvis. 
• Flexion – decreasing the angle between thigh and pelvis/trunk. 

In practice, hip flexion is when you draw your knee toward your chest. This happens in countless yoga poses – Boat Pose (Navasana), Garland Pose (Malasana), Chair Pose (Utkatasana), and advanced transitions like jump-throughs and Lolasana.

But true hip flexion isn’t just “lifting the leg.” It’s a complex interaction of the iliopsoas, rectus femoris, adductors, and hip stabilisers – all working in synergy while maintaining pelvic-lumbar integrity.

Primary Movers:

• Iliopsoas (psoas major + iliacus): The deepest hip flexor, critical for leg lift and lumbar spine stability. 
• Rectus femoris: The only quadriceps muscle crossing both hip and knee – adds power to hip flexion but can pull pelvis anteriorly if unbalanced. 
• Tensor fasciae latae (TFL): A small but influential stabilizer that resists external drift. 

Secondary Support:

• Adductor longus + brevis: Help with flexion and keeps thighs compact, especially in yoga transitions. 
• Sartorius: Assists hip flexion with abduction and external rotation (classic in poses like Janu Sirsasana).

Stabilizers & Synergists:

• Transversus abdominis (TVA): Creates core pressurization to support lumbar spine during lift. 
• Obliques: Prevent rotational collapse. 
• Glutes & hamstrings (eccentric): Control pelvic tilt to avoid “dumping” into the lower back. 

Fascial Lines:

• Superficial Front Line (SFL): Runs from tibialis anterior → quadriceps → rectus abdominis → sternocleidomastoid, working as one continuous chain in hip flexion. 
• Deep Front Line: Involves psoas, diaphragm, and pelvic floor, coordinating breath with core engagement. 

This is not just “lifting the leg” – it’s a symphony of anterior activation balanced by posterior eccentric control.

Physical Benefits

1. Core-Hip Integration 
   • Teaches the abdominal wall and hip flexors to work as a team. 
   • Regulates intra-abdominal pressure, reducing lumbar shear. 
2. Postural Efficiency 
   • Balances anterior-posterior chain tension, reducing swayback posture. 
   • Protects sacroiliac alignment during forward bends. 
3. Athletic Application 
   • Improves sprinting, kicking, climbing, and martial arts efficiency. 
   • Enhances explosive power (rate coding + fast-twitch recruitment). 
4. Joint Longevity 
   • Strengthens hip capsule stabilizers, preventing impingement. 
   • Improves mobility by pairing concentric shortening with eccentric posterior chain control. 

Mental & Energetic Benefits

• Focus & Precision: Each lift demands cortical engagement for motor planning. 
• Resilience: Training patience through incremental progress. 
• Energetics: Hip flexion awakens Apana–Prana balance – grounding energy meets upward movement.

1. Set the Foundation

Lie supine (on your back). Spine neutral, pelvis stable.
Press lower back gently toward the floor to activate TVA.

Kinesiology note: This prevents anterior pelvic tilt and lumbar compression.

2. Initiate the Lift

Exhale → draw one knee toward chest.
Lead from the hip crease (iliopsoas), not the thigh muscles alone.

3. Control the Pelvis

Avoid rocking the pelvis upward.
Engage obliques + deep core to stabilize the sacroiliac joint.

4. Breathe with Movement

Exhale → flex.

Inhale → maintain or slowly release.
Coupling breath with hip flexion engages diaphragm –TVA synergy.

5. Progressions

• Seated lifts (Dandasana leg lifts). 
• Hollow body hold with hip flexion. 
• Boat Pose (Navasana) with isometric hip flexion. 
• Dynamic Lolasana drills (knees-to-chest lifts on blocks).

Variations of Hip Flexion Training

• Isometric Holds (static hip flexion in Boat Pose). 
• Concentric-Eccentric Drills (slow leg lifts/lowering). 
• Closed-Chain Flexion (deep squats, chair pose). 
• Explosive Flexion (jump tucks, martial arts kicks). 
• Yoga-Specific Integration: Transitions in Ashtanga (jump-throughs, arm balances).

Key Principles of Training Hip Flexion

1. Core First → Initiate lift from deep stabilizers, not rectus femoris alone. 
2. Scapular Support → In arm balance applications, pair hip flexion with shoulder protraction (Lolasana, Bakasana). 
3. Breath Coupling → Exhalation naturally enhances hip flexion via diaphragm–psoas synergy. 
4. Motor Learning → Micro-drills rewire the nervous system for controlled mobility.

Contraindications and Cautions

• Hip impingement or labral tears – avoid deep flexion. 
• Lumbar disc herniation – skip aggressive forward flexion. 
• Pregnancy – avoid compressive hip flexion past the first trimester. 
• Recent abdominal surgery – delay hip flexor loading.

From a kinesiologist’s perspective, hip flexion is more than a leg lift – it is a fundamental pattern that links breath, core stability, pelvic integrity, and fascial line continuity.

Every controlled lift is a dialogue between stability and mobility, contraction and release, effort and awareness. Training hip flexion refines neuromuscular intelligence, improves performance in yoga and athletics, and protects the spine from overload.

In short: hip flexion is not about “crunching forward” – it’s about integrating the whole system to move with strength and grace.

Ready to build strength, stability, and grace in your arm balances and core-powered transitions?

Join me in my online yoga classes on Patreon or explore deeper practice through the DJY Mentorship Programs, where we dive beyond the shapes into the biomechanics and artistry of yoga