Unlocking the Benefits of running: hip strength and mobility
Running is an amazing form of exercise, often celebrated as one of the most accessible and effective forms of exercise. It’s simple: put on a pair of shoes, hit the pavement, and go. The benefits of running are well-documented—improved cardiovascular health, enhanced mood, increased endurance, and better overall fitness. However, there’s an important aspect of running that’s sometimes overlooked: the crucial role of hip strength and mobility in optimizing your running experience and preventing injuries.
When we talk about running, most people focus on cardiovascular benefits and leg strength. While these are undeniably important, your hips play a central role in your running mechanics. They’re the bridge between your upper and lower body, and their strength and flexibility are vital for efficient movement and injury prevention. If your hips are too stiff, you might begin to experience pain or compensation through other regions of your body such as your low back or hamstrings.
Movement efficiency is key to being able to increase strength, endurance and progress your stride or runs overall. Strong and mobile hips will allow you maintain proper form and stability through your run, as well as transfer energy and strength from your core through to your lower body. This supports your pelvis and surrounding structures, allowing for less pain and more function.
Enabling the transfers of energy, and the balance of strength and mobility helps your body prevent injury. If you do not have balance between strength and flexibility, you might find your body compensating, or creating imbalances, or asymmetries during movement/ running. This could cause one or two muscles to do the majority of the work required for running and result in imbalance, dysfunction and possibly pain, which overtime could lead to injury.
Strengthening and expanding your hip mobility will help reduce the risk of injury. Improving your hip mobility and stability will also help improve balance. Strong hip stabilizers help you maintain proper alignment and prevent overuse of other muscles. Improved hip mobility allows for a greater range of motion, which helps in navigating uneven terrain and adapting to changes in your running environment. Balance is important to maintain joint health, and is proven to increase the ability of walking later in life. Lessening your chance of falling can help further prevent injury- at any stage of life.
Strengthening and mobilizing the hips doesn’t have to be a time consuming ordeal. It can be a few minutes daily, or a few times a week pre/ post run. Here is a video of a few of my most recommended movements to help strengthen and mobilize the hips to prevent or alleviate any discomfort, imbalances or injury from running.
MOBILITY FOR RUNNERS