Do you sometimes experience pain, discomfort, or a feeling of “tightness” on the outside of your hips or knees? Often this might be a result of a tight IT (Iliotibial) band, a thick tendon connecting muscle to bone that runs from the outside of your knee up to your hip. When the muscles of the hips are tight, they can pull on the IT band which can create friction during movement. Strengthening and stretching the muscles and tendon as a part of your ongoing fitness/exercise plan can not only help alleviate (or prevent) pain and discomfort in hips and knees, but it can also help improve your balance and range of motion.

In this workshop, Samantha will teach and guide you through specific exercises designed to help you stretch and strengthen this often ignored body area so that both your yoga practice and day-to-day active pursuits can benefit!

Benefits of this workshop:

• Learn how your hip muscles work with your IT band and its connection to the knee

• Understand the movement problems that may result from a tight IT band, and how to help alleviate those problems

• Practice a series of exercises designed specifically to stretch and strengthen the hip muscles connected to your IT band

• Explore how to incorporate these exercises into your regular yoga classes (even if the teacher doesn’t cue them)

• Consider simple ways at home to incorporate these exercises into your day-to-day life as part of your preventive healthy body practice!