Pilates exercise: kneeling hip flexor stretch

Kneeling hip flexor stretch:- Start Position

Kneel with your right knee on the ground and your left knee up (see diagram).
Pelvic Neutral
Anchor your scapulas.
Chin gently tucked.

Kneeling hip flexor stretch:- Action

Zip and hollow and breathe in.
(Breathing out): lean forward while keeping your torso and pelvis upright.
(Breathing in): maintain "Zip and Hollow", and at the same time, return to the start position.
Five times each leg!

What this exercise does-

Teaches you to move your hip joints into extension while not moving your lumbar spine. You will find that your abdominal muscles working hard to achieve the desired lumbo-pelvic stability!
Stretches the Rectus femoris. This is a much neglected stretch.

Kneeling hip flexor stretch: (Scroll right>>>>...)

Kneeling hip flexor stretch:
Start Position:-	Action:-
Comment This stretch covers all the hip flexors but especially the iliopsoas muscles. The Rectus femoris (part of the Quadriceps group), is the most frequently injured of the quadriceps muscle group(3), and it can be emphasized by bringing the foot of the back leg up and resting it on a chair or against a wall (not shown).

Watch Points for the Sir Galahad

The aim is to maintain a stable pelvis, not to do an all out stretch! Do not let the Rectus femoris and other hip flexor muscles cause your pelvis and torso to deviate.
Maintain chin tuck and scapular anchor!

Comments

All the hip flexor muscles tend to shorten and become over-tense. This means that during walking or running, the hip flexors de-stabilize lumbo-pelvic movement.

Reference

Shirley A Sahrman: "Movement Impairment Syndromes" Publ. Mosby, 2002 ISBN 0-8016-7205-8
Bruce Thomson Engage Gluteus maximus!
Chris Mallac: Rectus femoris Stretch
Consequences of Office Chair Sitting(3): Tight Hamstrings, Iliopsoas Trigger Points, Erector Spinae Muscle Fatigue.