With a strained hip flexor muscles, it can be difficult as simple a task as tying your shoes. Your hip flexors include the large muscles at the back of your hips -- gluteus maximus -- and in your inner groin -- illacus-psoas. Use different strategies to tie your shoes and exercises in the gym to help you stabilize these muscles so they can heal. Check with your doctor, physical therapist or chiropractor before doing therapeutic exercise.
Spare Your Hip Flexors
Avoid deep flexion in your hip such as squatting down completely to tie your shoes if this action is painful. Instead, sit on a flat, hard surface, such as a firm chair or bench, and cross your right ankle over your left thigh, flexing your foot slightly. You should be able to tie your shoe, because now your hip is rotated externally and not straining the three hip-flexor muscle groups.
Wear Shoes Without Laces
The most obvious alternative to tying your shoes is to temporarily wear only shoes that do not require tying laces: boots, "slip-on" shoes, clogs or footwear with Velcro fasteners or clogs. The idea is to avoid the deep flexion of your knee. It is nearly impossible to tie your shoes with your legs fully extended to straight, so changing to shoes without laces is one solution.
Leg Press
Do standing leg presses to help keep your gait steady as you heal. Select a setting on a leg press so that your hips are at about a 90-degree angle, your feet are hip-width distance apart and your knees directly over your ankles. Choose a very low weight or no weight, depending on the degree of muscle strain, and start with three sets of eight to 12 reps. Begin with your knees flexed and bent, and press with your feet, extending your legs to straight. Pause for a moment before flexing your knees and hips to return to the starting position. This will strengthen your quadriceps at the front of your thigh and your glutes.
Seated Hip Abduction
Select a very low weight or no weight, and with knees bent, move your legs apart. Slowly return to the starting position. This works the small muscles of your side hip muscles that give stability to your lower back, which can become shaky with hip flexor muscle strain. Do three set of eight to 12 reps.
Seated Hip Adduction
Select a low weight or no weight, and set the machine so your legs are apart in a V shape. Draw the your together, pause, then return to your starting position. This works your inner thigh muscles, the adductor muscles. Do three sets of eight to 12 reps.
