Improved Hip Flexibility and Gluteal Function Following a Daily Lunge-and-Reach Stretching Intervention.
Brent A Ehresman, B J Lehecka, Damien Hiser and 2 others
PMID 40469644WHAT IT FOUND
A daily six-week lunge-and-reach stretch improved hip extension range of motion and single-leg jump distance in healthy young adults.
It did not improve hip extension strength or gluteal endurance. The intervention was simple, requiring only two and a half minutes per limb per session.
Key findings
01The stretching group showed significantly greater improvements in passive hip extension range of motion compared to the control group.
02The stretching group demonstrated significantly greater improvements in single-leg broad jump distance compared to the control group.
03There were no significant differences between groups for hip extension strength or single-leg bridge endurance.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study included only healthy, college-aged adults, so results may not apply to older populations or those with pathology. The control group's physical activity levels were not monitored, which could have influenced the comparison. Hip extension strength measurements used both a handheld dynamometer and a luggage scale due to equipment issues. The single-leg bridge test for endurance did not completely isolate the gluteus maximus, as some gluteus medius activity is expected.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the improved jump distance as evidence of increased gluteal strength. The study found no significant change in hip extension strength, suggesting the power gain may relate to range of motion or stretch tolerance rather than force production capacity.