Experienced persistent hip pain while running? Alleviate it with these six recommended exercises, all approved by a physical therapist.
In a quest to conquer running-related hip pain, an individual sought the expertise of Laura Wilson, co-founder of The Swiss Touch Physiotherapy. Last year, the author experienced severe hip pain that halted their running routine.
Laura Wilson identified that the author's glute muscles were not being used enough and their hip mobility was limited. This limitation in mobility could disrupt running mechanics, leading to compensation through the lower back, knees, or ankles.
To address this issue, Laura Wilson suggested six specific exercises that benefit glute strength and hip control. These exercises, when practiced consistently, improve mobility, hip muscle strength, and control, aiding in reducing pain and compensations while running.
The first exercise for running-related hip pain is the Side-lying hip abduction, which isolates the gluteus medius, helping reduce the risk of hip drop and excess strain through the lower limbs and lower back.
The second exercise is the Bridge with resisted hip abduction, which helps practice hip extension while maintaining lateral stability across the pelvis.
The third exercise is the Reverse Clamshells with Elevation, which strengthens the deep internal rotators of the hip, enhancing hip mobility crucial for proper movement and reducing pain.
The fourth exercise is Side-lying hip flexion and extension, which targets the hip flexors and extensors, helping improve running stride length and reducing compensations through the lower back.
The fifth exercise is the Tabletop Alternate Leg Lowering, which engages hips through controlled flexion and extension, improving core and pelvic stability, and maintaining mobility and control.
The sixth and final exercise is the Single-leg bridge, which builds unilateral strength in the hamstrings and glutes, improves the ability to extend the hips, and mimics the single-leg stance phase of running.
After doing these exercises for 12 weeks, along with some cat-cow poses, the author was able to return to running with pain-free hips. The author initially found it challenging to engage their glutes during the tabletop alternate leg lowering move and felt hip pain. However, after consistent practice, they found the moves easier, and their hip pain gradually reduced.
For instance, at the start, the author could only complete one set of 12 of the single-leg bridge move. After two weeks, they were able to do the full three sets. After four weeks, the side-lying hip flexion and extension move felt easier. After a week of practice, the tabletop alternate leg lowering move felt easier for the author.
These exercises, under Laura Wilson's guidance, have been instrumental in the author's journey towards pain-free running. The author is now able to run without the fear of hip pain, thanks to the improved glute strength and hip control gained through these exercises.
[1] Source: Personal interview with Laura Wilson, co-founder of The Swiss Touch Physiotherapy.
Participating in the exercise regimen suggested by Laura Wilson, which includes yoga poses such as cat-cow poses, enhanced the author's health-and-wellness, addressing running-related hip pain. Through consistent practice of these exercises, specifically the Side-lying hip abduction, Bridge with resisted hip abduction, Reverse Clamshells with Elevation, Side-lying hip flexion and extension, Tabletop Alternate Leg Lowering, and Single-leg bridge, the author strengthened their glute muscles and improved hip mobility in relation to sports and fitness-and-exercise. This journey towards pain-free running, accompanied by the guidance of Laura Wilson, also promoted the science of physical therapy and rehabilitation.
