For most of us, the groin muscles (adductors) tend to be tight, pulling the heads of the thighbones into the sockets. The thighbones are meant to be centered in the socket and stabilized by the abductors, which oppose the groin muscles. But when these abductors are weak and stressed, as they often are, the resulting imbalance causes grinding, deterioration in the joints and the hip pain you may be experiencing.

Yoga gives us the tools and the understanding, not just for the sake of our spiritual lives, but also for the health of our hip joints and the graceful aging of our bodies. Yoga aims for balance and harmony at every level of life, can help us stabilize and revitalize our hip, and to prevent hip pain and injury.

There are two sets of adductors or “groin” muscles. The shorter set extends from the pubic bone to the inner thigh, and is often injured. These muscles tighten from prolonged periods of sitting, driving, or postural stress. This tightness is increased by activities that torque the pelvis, such as running with bad form, carrying a growing child on one hip, or performing asymmetrical yoga postures improperly. This tension can also be brought on by emotional stress, which causes us to contract and huddle the thighs together.

The resulting injury is the classic groin pull. Sudden or forceful stretching, especially when muscles have not been warmed up, causes muscle fibres and tendons to tear. When a runner’s forward leg crosses over the mid-line, for example, the short adductor muscles tighten and strain. The stress increases when running uphill—including when running on a treadmill.

This course of Yoga helps with the balancing of these muscles  Looking to assist with hip pain and preventing further stress.