The “King of the Hip”

The “King of the Hip,” or piriformis, is the culpret for many hip dysfunctions in athletes and non-athletes.

The piriformis is a muscle in the gluteal region and is one of six muscles in the lateral rotator group.

Function: The piriformis muscle’s primary function is to externally rotate the femur at the hip joint.

Now lets show you how to release/stretch this muscle.

1. Using a foam roller, position your glute area on top of the roller.
2. Gently move yourself a short distance forward and aft. After about 20 seconds, you’ll feel that you can roll approximately 4-5 inches in either direction.
3. Roll for 1 minute total per side. Following your foam-roll session, use a static stretch.
4. I will show 3 ways to do a static stretch to affect the piriformis.
5. Hold for 30 seconds per side
6. Lastly when stretching focus on quality, breathing, and listen to your muscles.