Before we get into the dirty details of how to stretch your psoas, I just wanted to express gratitude for everyone who has followed the journey this far.
We started this blog back in July of 2019, and we’ve made some pretty awesome steps forward. That being said, we are far from over and we know that there is a lot for us to accomplish. If you find any value in this post, please share this on Pinterest, Facebook, or Twitter.
Doing so allows us to reach more people, and create a bigger impact to the world. God wants us to spread a positive message and we hope that you can help us in doing so.
Thank you and enjoy the article.
what is your psoas?
The illiopsoas muscle (or psoas muscle for short) is the only muscle that connects the spine to the legs.
Another phrase for the psoas muscle might be the muscle of the Soul. Because when you stretch it, you feel it deep within you and you feel like you’re about to explode.
the psoas muscle is responsible for walking, jogging, or running. Or any other physical activity where the leg moves up or down.
By Improving the strength of the psoas muscle, we are able to improve flexibility, balance and power.
The reason for tight Psoas muscles points back to being seated for so long. When we sit, our Psoas activates and stays activated for the duration of our seated position.
When we lay down, it becomes fully relaxed.
why stretching your psoas can benefit you
stretching your psoas provides many benefits. Some of the most important include:
- Improve mobility throughout your body
- Comfort when walking or running
- Ability to become stronger in your hips while working out
- Stress reduction
- More relaxation when sleeping
In David Goggins’ famous book, “Can’t Hurt Me” David spoke about how he had a lump on the back of his head. This had been there for at least a year and scientists had told him that there was no way that it would be removed since it was so close to his head.
Rather than accepting this news and living with a lump on the back of his head for the rest of his life. He chose to fight it. And after months of stretching the psoas muscle, the lumps somehow went away completely.
This might sound a little crazy but there have been studies that show how impactful stretching something so tight can relieve stress throughout your body.
While the example above may be a bit extreme, stretching the psoas muscle has so many benefits that people don’t realize yet. This is still a new discovery in the stretching world for many people so there are going to be many more breakthroughs in the years to come.
Equipment needed for stretching your psoas
While these are not necessities, they will definitely help your stretches be deeper, more pinpointed, and impactful.:
Lacrosse Balls
In my personal recommendation, these affordable lacrosse balls are going to be your best bet since it is well built for stretching, especially getting deep into those muscles like the psoas muscle.
(I do get a commission from sales earned from these links at no cost to you)
However, it’s also small enough to not get in the way of other muscles in the surrounding area.
You’re able to focus on one area, and maximize your stretching efficiently.
Tennis/Golf Balls
We like tennis balls and golf balls as well because they are also small and can change your stretching experience based on the ball you choose.
For example, if you choose to stretch with the tennis ball, this soft squishy material gives you less of an aggressive stretch, and more of a beginner to moderate stretch.
The next would be the golf ball. The golf ball provides a more intense stretch since it is small and very tough, you’re definitely going to feel it right on the muscle of your soul.
Kettlebells
When people ask how to stretch your psoas, they are probably not expecting “kettlebell” as an answer. A really good way to dig deep into your muscle is to grab a middleweight kettlebell, place it on top of your psoas muscle (which is to the side and just below your belly button) and gently Rock the way back and forth hitting that spot.
Resistance Bands
The resistance band is great mainly for opening up your hips and a piece of your psoas. it’s not the best for hitting directly on your psoas, but it will definitely stretch it along with your hip flexors. When you can stretch both your hip flexors and your psoas oh, you’re going to unlock the power of your hips.
How to stretch your psoas 101
I’ll do my best to break down how to stretch your psoas muscle with a lacrosse ball in five easy steps
- lay on the ground.
- Take the lacrosse ball, place it on your psoas. (to the side and just below your belly button)
- Moving in a circle formation, gently rotate your body around the ball hitting all parts of the muscle.
- Breathe deeply while moving the ball
- Once you stretch one side for 30 to 60 seconds, switch to the other side.
Stretching with a Kettlebell
I bet you never thought you would be stretching with the Kettlebell before. Not only are kettlebells great for working out, they are great ways to increase Mobility by providing yourself with added resistance through stretching.
You can get our recommended kettlebell here.
Nonetheless, we’ll go over the steps of how to stretch your psoas muscle with a Kettlebell.
- Lay on your back and grab kettlebell and gently place it on the psoas muscle. (just to the side and below your belly button)
- Gently press down on the weight and move the Kettlebell in small circles so it can hit all parts of the psoas. As a result, this will be almost a mini semi torture psoas muscle massage for you.
- start with a lighter weight because this really hits your psoas muscle hard.
- Don’t forget to breathe deeply and in control.
- Repeat on the other side of your muscle.
once you start to get more advanced and want a deeper stretch, increase the Kettlebell weight.
Resistance Band Stretches For The Psoas Muscle
Like kettlebells, resistance bands are great for increasing Mobility, flexibility, and explosiveness. Resistance band increases tension the farther you get from the Anchor Point, allowing you to really maximize the tension throughout the entire lift.
Setup:
- Wrap/tie the band around a strong structure.
- Put your leg through the loop and place the band under the glute.
- Face the structure and get at a distance to where there is resistance but not too much where it slingshots you forward.
- Maintain a nice tall posture while sinking your hips forward in the lengthening that core muscle.
- Hold for 30-60 seconds as needed.
- Switch sides and repeat.
How to stretch your psoas while watching TV
This is where it gets super fun. while I don’t encourage watching TV for extended periods of time, if you’re going to do it, you might as well make it productive. So what better way to watch TV then to blast your psoas muscle while doing it?
Set up your lacrosse ball on the floor, and position yourself in a comfortable state, You’re going to be here a while so get used to it.
And repeat the lacrosse ball stretch from above but simply watch some TV. Focus on your breathing as it will get a deeper stretch for you throughout the routine.
How to stretch your psoas to reduce stress
One of the most important things to remember when doing the stretches is listen to your body. Don’t try to push your body to its absolute limit everyday or else it will never recover.
Learning how to be present in the moment and embrace the stretches you are dealing with then moving on to the next task will be your best friend in terms of improving your health.
We are constantly in a state of thinking about the next thing without fully being present in the now. Stretching can bring out the present moment so you can embrace it.
Remember, Breathe Deep, don’t let your mind wander. Embrace the now, it is all you will ever have.
Everything that has ever happened has happened in the now so take full advantage of it and love it for what it is.
Conclusion
When it comes to how to stretch your psoas, there are many ways to do it. We hope that we have given you a few ways that you can apply it to your own life. Therefore, making your daily habits more comfortable.
Just by stretching a little bit every day, you’re going to open up your body. Therefore, you will feel more comfortable, and more efficient in everything that you do.
So please take these stretches seriously, and be careful, we want to see you achieve the best version of yourself.
If you found any value in this, please share this on Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, or any other wild and wacky social media platform. This way, we can continue to spread the message of kickers of earth.
We truly appreciate all the support that has been given to us so far. We look forward to continuing the impact that we are creating.
Bonus Resources
If you found this helpful and want to read more about how to improve as a field goal kicker and punter, check out my book, “The Art Of Kicking” Also, I created a kicking and punting journal to track your progress called, “The Art Of Kicking JOURNAL” both can be found at these links as well as on Amazon. Check them out, they’ve already helped hundreds of field goal kickers and punters!
Thanks for reading and stay amazing!
- Eric
