But you don’t need a physio to do this yourself. For the hip flexors, a seated straight leg raise is a good indicator of weakness. Simply start sitting on the floor with your legs out in front of you and try to raise your leg up towards your body without bending your knee. The force of gravity will provide resistance; if you struggle to lift your leg and keep it there, that’s a good indicator of weakness in your hip flexor.

If you want to really test your hip flexor, you can also add some further resistance in the form of some ankle weights or with the help of a friend gently pushing down on your leg.

3. You’re experiencing pain in your knees, hip or back

Experiencing pain in the joints around the hip isn’t uncommon with weak hip flexors, Mills explains. “Weak hip flexors can contribute to hip, knee or back pain, as the joints are overcompensating for the weak hip flexors,” she says.

While tight hip flexors can cause pain in the hip and back, this pain is typically accompanied by a feeling of stiffness or tension.

4. Your hip clicks during a single leg stretch

A single leg stretch – where you lie on your back with your legs pulled into your chest before extending one out fully – is a great way to get to know your hip flexors, Mills says.

“Clunking and clicking in the hip when doing exercises that require you to bend the hip and then straighten out the leg like a one leg stretch can be caused by tight or weak hip flexors (or often a combination of both),” she explains.

4 signs you need to strengthen – not just stretch – your hip flexors