Tensor Fascia Lata

⚙️ The Setup:

Gear: Use a firm massage ball (or similar).

Position: Lie on your side, propping yourself up on your elbow.

Leg Placement: Your bottom leg should be straight, and your top leg can be slightly bent in front of you for balance.

👣 Step-by-Step Guide

1. Find the "TFL Pocket"

The TFL is small and sits high up on the front-side of your hip.

Locate Your Hip Bone: Find the top, pointy bone on the front of your hip (the Anterior Superior Iliac Spine, or Iliac Crest).

The Placement: Place the ball in the fleshy pocket just below that front, pointy hip bone. It should feel like a small slab of muscle before the bone curves around to the side.

2. Sink and Adjust

Gently lower your weight onto the ball.

Adjustment: If you feel sharp pain or are pressing directly on bone, roll the ball 1 inch backward (toward your glute) or 1 inch down (toward your knee).

Once you find the muscle, just settle in. Use your elbow and feet to control the pressure.

3. The "Pin and Float" (Active Release)

Keep the ball completely still on the tender spot.

Slowly move your top leg (the one not resting on the ball):

Float Forward: Gently slide your top leg forward 6 inches (hip flexion).

Float Back: Gently slide your top leg back 6 inches (hip extension).

This slow, small movement is the "pin and stretch" for the TFL, helping to unstick the muscle fibers where they attach to the hip bone.

4. The "Micro-Roll"

The TFL is a small muscle, so you do not need to roll far.

Roll about one inch down (toward your knee) and hold for 30 seconds.

Roll about one inch backward (toward your Gluteus Medius) and hold for 30 seconds.

Spend most of your time on the high, front-side attachment point.

💡 Quick Tip: IT Band Protection

The TFL is the root cause of IT band tightness.

Never roll the ball directly down the center of your outer thigh (where the IT band is). The IT band is a very thick tendon, and rolling it causes inflammation without providing true release. Stick to the fleshy TFL area high on the hip.