The phrase "the lower body is important" is heard in various sports, including soccer, skating, and ballet. In order to effectively utilize overall strength and increase movement speed, it is crucial to keep the hips flexible and to use the lower body effectively.
The point to release tension in the hip joint lies precisely in the center of the buttocks. Here, muscles connect the sacrum (the triangular bone at the base of the spine) to the femoral head (the top part of the leg bone), affecting the tension and stiffness of the hip joint. These muscles are used when turning out in ballet or making sharp turns in soccer.
When these muscles become tight, they restrict the movement of the hip joint, leading to poor lower body movement. Despite their significance in athletic performance, these muscles are challenging to care for.
The buttocks contain large muscles like the gluteus maximus, making it difficult to locate these smaller muscles beneath. Yet, the sciatic nerve passes through this area, and stiffness here not only reduces hip flexibility but also causes pain in the legs.
For athletes, stiffness in these muscles can lead to a discrepancy between the intended and actual movement direction during maneuvers like direction changes. This sluggishness affects gameplay, such as slower dribbling in soccer or altered jump trajectories in skating.
Even for non-athletes, symptoms like leg pain during walking in daily life may be attributed to the stiffness of these muscles.
To address this, a targeted massage technique called the TAD method can help loosen the hip joint:
- Lie face down on the floor.
- Bend your knees at a 90-degree angle and assess how far you can comfortably open your legs outward.
- Move your legs from the inside to the outside while exploring the muscles in the buttocks.
- Once you locate the muscle in the middle, apply pressure with your fingers and massage for about a minute.
- Check the angle of your legs again. If they can open further than initially, it indicates success.
By relieving tension in the buttocks, the connection between the upper and lower body can be strengthened, leading to improved hip flexibility and enhanced performance.