Thanks to the contraction of your 600 or so skeletal muscles, your body can move in several directions. A skeletal muscle comprises fibers held together by fascia and typically attaches to two bones via the tendons. For each movement, one bone,...
Even when they are not on stage, you can tell trained ballet dancers by their tur-out, the lateral rotation of the legs that causes their toes to point outward. While you can emulate turnout by manipulating your knees and ankles, perfect turnout...
The hip is the most flexible joint in your body. Your hip is a true ball-and-socket joint that utilizes a number of structures, including muscles and tendons, to help you walk, climb, bend and stand erect. Muscles expand and contract, while your...
The hip rotator muscles include six muscles that lie underneath your buttocks, which are the piriformis, gemellus superior and inferior, obturator internus and externus and the quadratus femoris. They work together to internally and externally...
If rotating the hip inwardly is difficult and you feel stiff, chances are that the external rotator muscles are too tight and need stretching. Tight external rotators could lead to piriformis syndrome, a painful condition where the piriformis...
The sartorius muscle is the longest muscle in the human body, running from the hip to the knee. The technical origin is the anterior superior iliac spine (the top and front of the hip bone) and the insertion is the medial aspect of the proximal...
Having flexible, or open, hips are important in a variety of sports to improve speed and power. Open hips are also critical for flexibility and stability in the pelvis and femur. Tightness in the hips is attributed to a lack of flexbility in the...
Your buttocks, also called the gluteal complex, consist of the stabilizing muscles that keep your joints in place and the moving muscles that move your muscles and joints in different directions and speeds. They play a major role in many movement...
Excessive internal hip rotation can cause joint and muscle problems, such as arthritis, muscle spasms and bursitis, in your ankles, knees, hips and back, according to Anthony Carey, co-founder of Function First in San Diego, California. You can...
