Stretching the Psoas May Do More Harm Than Good
In yoga circles, the psoas—a deep core muscle that flexes the hip and brings the thigh and core closer together—is one of the most talked-about muscles, from both an anatomical perspective and, due to its nickname as the "fight or flight muscle," a nervous system perspective as well. In our sitting culture, the posas gets blamed for tight hips, low back pain, and poor posture, leading many people to believe that stretching it is the best solution. But what if I told you that stretching the psoas may be the last thing that you should be doing?
Please let me digress and remind you of some principles of functional anatomy. Muscles can be tight, weak, locked short, or locked long, depending on posture, overuse, and underuse patterns. The "locked short" scenario is a muscle that is chronically shortened due to overuse or poor posture. It may feel tight and resistant to stretching, but it is also weak in functional movement. An example of this is the hip flexors, also known as the psoas.
As the only muscle connecting the spine to the legs, the psoas is integral to lower body strength and upper body control. Additionally, by sharing fascial connections with the diaphragm, it is intrinsically connected to the way we breathe.
Why might your psoas feel tight?
Too much sitting - Many experts agree that excessive sitting keeps the psoas in a shortened position, causing adaptations that lead to a "locked short" scenario and a feeling of being tight.
Weak core muscles- An unstable core puts the onus on the psoas to stabilize the spine and overcompensate for other weak muscles.
Chronic Stress - The psoas responds to stress by tightening as a protective response.
In each of the above scenarios, stretching may actually backfire by further increasing instability, increasing or causing back pain, and doesn't address the root cause. Especially in regards to nervous system regulation, aggressively stretching a clenched muscle may in fact increase stress in the body-mind, causing the psoas to clench further in a protective response, thrusting you further into fight or flight, making breathing more shallow and rapid, further tightening fascial connections, and thus, creating a cycle of chronic stress and all the bio-psycho responses that follow.
What to Focus on Instead
1. Release - Slacken the psoas with poses like Constructive Rest and Legs on a Chair. Somatic movement, Breath Awareness, and Yoga Nidra are all wonderful practices for nervous system regulation. The goal here is to create a sense of safety, allowing the tension to release organically.
2. Stabilize - Take the strain off the psoas by engaging the glutes, hamstrings, spinal muscles, and lower abs to support the pelvis and spine. This will contribute to more functional movement patterns and increase coordination.
3. Strengthen - Targeted exercises, such as planks, ab work on multiple planes of motion, and bird dogs, help the core support the spine, reducing the burden on your psoas.
So remember, the psoas is not a muscle to stretch mindlessly; it is a muscle to befriend and understand. Balanced strength, mobility, and nervous system regulation are all crucial for functional movement.
👉 Try this FREE Psoas Activation Mini-Practice on Better Yoga.
Wishing you all balanced movement,
Kari
