Tight hip muscles
My doctor says I have very tight hip muscles and although I now try and do lots of stretching, I wondered if there were any supplements that might help?
The best remedy for tight muscles that I know of is Yoga because it works to lengthen and stretch muscles sequentially. It also emphasises the importance of counter poses to balance the work on both sides of the body.
The muscle that causes most problems with tight hips is the piriformis. (Look this up in any anatomy book and you will be surprised by how such a relatively small muscle can cause such big problems). One of the best ways to start to lengthen this muscle is to lie on your back in bed, bend the knees, bring the soles of the feet together and then allow the knees to gently release out to the sides. Help them to do this by propping pillows under them for extra support. It may not look very elegant but do this every night for 10 minutes before sleep and you will soon feel the benefits.
Muscles are largely made up of protein and essential fatty acids and almost every micronutrient (i.e. vitamins, mineral and amino acids ) you can think of plays some role in their contraction, relaxation or repair. Vitamin E, for instance, is involved in contraction; the amino acids lysine and arginine are involved in building muscle and vitamin C guards against muscle wasting.
If you have to choose just one nutrient for your problem, choose magnesium which can help relax tight muscles. However, it can neutralise stomach acidity so take as directed on the bottle but away from meals.
*Finding a good Yoga teacher is more important than the type of Yoga you do. To find one in your area, call The British Wheel of Yoga on 01529-306851. If you live in the Henley area and want to join my new autumn classes call 0870 7518825 for details.