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More than 23,000 people per day in the United States require medical attention for Ankle injuries and one of the most common causes, especially among active people, is running. Running is known to cause lower extremity injuries to both the ankles and knees, and the risk of injury increases with weak hip abduction and hip extensor muscles. The primary hip abduction muscles are the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus, both of which are located directly beneath the gluteus maximus and are responsible for moving the leg to the side and away from the body. The primary hip extensor is the gluteus maximus muscle, which is responsible for standing from a chair or lifting a squat. Strengthening these muscles can therefore significantly reduce the risk of lower extremity injuries.
Maintain balance
Running is a high-intensity, dynamic activity that requires physical effort, mental alertness, and the ability to maintain, achieve, and restore balance during activity (also known as postural control). Most runners can identify with the concept of postural control—a moment when they stepped onto an uneven pavement and felt an ankle twist and automatically correct, or a disaster when they stepped off the side of a treadmill belt but were quickly adjusted and held in stride.
Other common examples of postural control occur when a runner encounters an unexpected rough surface or needs to move seamlessly from pavement to grass. Postural control helps the runner easily adapt to surface changes and continue running. The strength of the gluteus medius and minimus muscles is directly related to the ability to maintain postural control and quickly restore it when the running environment changes. Therefore, strong hip abduction muscles are a key to preventing common ankle injuries from running (Gafner et al., 2018).
Proper running mechanics
While weak hip abduction muscles can lead to reduced balance when running, weak hip extensor muscles are known to negatively impact running mechanics. In particular, individuals with weak hip extensor muscles are more likely to stand too upright when running, which causes them to rely too much on knee extension to propel the body forward and can result in overuse injuries to the knee (Teng and Powers, 2016).
Recommended exercises to improve hip abductor and extensor strength
Research has shown a significant positive correlation between performance on balance tests and hip abduction strength, demonstrating that strong hip abductor muscles are required to maintain balance during running and prevent injury (Wilson et al., 2017). The exercises listed below work the primary hip abductors – the gluteus medius and minimus – in order from least advanced to most advanced. And because the gluteus maximus muscles are needed to maintain running mechanics and protect the knees, exercises that also train these muscles are marked with an asterisk.
- Seitlich liegende Hüftabduktion
- Sitzende Hüftabduktion der Maschine
- Stehende Kabelhüftabduktion
- Seitlicher Ausfallschritt* *
- Einbeinige Hocke* *
Example training for hip abductors and extensors
Workout #1
|
Exercise |
Representative |
Resistance |
Intermediate break |
|
Hip abduction machine |
8-15 |
65-85% 1rpm |
20-60 seconds |
|
Side lunge |
8-15 |
Body weight |
20-60 seconds |
Repeat the exercise sequence three to four times.
Note: The side lunge is only recommended with body weight. However, resistance can be added if necessary.
Workout #2
|
Exercise |
Representative |
Resistance |
Intermediate break |
|
Standing cable hip abduction |
8-15 |
65-85% 1RM |
20-60 seconds |
|
One-legged squat |
8-15 |
Body weight |
20-60 seconds |
Repeat the exercise sequence three to four times.
Note: The single leg squat can be performed with a partial motion range (ROM), as the full range of motion exercise is particularly challenging and is only suitable for the most experienced athletes. Only body weight is recommended.
The gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus muscles enable rapid postural adjustments during running and ensure proper running mechanics, both of which improve running performance and reduce the risk of injury. Maintaining these muscles is crucial to the success and enjoyment of running. Strength can be built and maintained with a few common hip strengthening exercises.
When building strength, it is also important to remain flexible. Learn how to stretch your clients safely and effectively in our Biomechanics of Assisted Stretching online course.
References
GafnerSC et al. (2018). Hip abductor fatigue affects sagittal plane kinematics and shank muscle activity during a single-leg forward jump. Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, 43,75-81.
Teng, H. L. and Powers, C. M. (2016). Hip extensor strength, core posture, and use of the knee extensors while running.Journal of Athletic Training,51, 519 – 524.
Wilson, BR et al. (2017). The relationship between hip strength and Y-balance test.Sports Rehabilitation Journal,27, 1-24.