Friday, December 21, 2012

Hip Pain After Running? Try These Exercises

June 7, 2011 by  
Filed under Featured, Fitness and Exercise

hip pain after runningThe most effective way to prevent injury as a new runner or a long-time pro who feels hip pain after running and/or  is returning after an injury is to build up slowly from your base mileage. Tendinitis and other overuse injuries occur so frequently because uninformed runners don’t give their bodies the time they need to adapt to running longer distances.

Normal exercise doesn’t place nearly the same amount of strain on specific areas of the body that running does. This is because other muscles may need to take over the job of small tendons and muscles that have weakened as a result of being overworked. When this happens, your running form is altered, unduly stressing areas of your body that can’t handle the strain. As a result, running injuries occur.
Exercises That Stabilize the Core and Pelvis


A highly effective way of preventing running injuries from occurring is to do exercises that stabilize your core, according to top sports-injury medical professionals. These exercises strengthen the small muscles supporting the spine and pelvis. As a result, the likelihood of injury is significantly reduced because strong core muscles give you better control of your running movements and more effectively spread the impact of your running footfalls.

The Swiss ball is an extremely effective core-strengthening tool because strong core muscles are needed in order to maintain good form while keeping the ball stable.  Anterior, lateral, and posterior core muscles can be strengthened with the following three exercises using a Swiss-ball.

1). Leg Curls. With your feet on top of the ball, stretch your arms out to form a T, palms facing the ceiling. As you push your hips upward, push your heels downward, bringing the hamstrings into play, and pull your feet back toward your butt, keeping your hips straight. Your goal is to perform 20 repetitions per set.

2) Prone Bridge. Hold your body in a bridge position by placing your forearms on top of the Swiss ball. Try to maintain a straight spine and legs, and keep your body in a neutral position. Stop if you feel any pain in your back; either your anterior muscles need rest, or you aren’t holding the position correctly. Work on this exercise until you can hold the position for 90 seconds.

3) Side Bridge. Position your feet flat against a wall, with your bottom leg back and top leg forward, while placing your hip on the ball. Keep your spine straight as you rest your side on the ball and hold this position, slowly building up to 90 seconds on each side. *Tip: Hold your hands at your temple to increase the level of difficulty, across your chest to reduce it.

Lastly you can avoid hip pain after running by simply making sure you are wearing the right shoes. Surprisingly, many injuries are caused by wearing the wrong shoes or shoes that are worn out. Purchase your running shoes at a store that specializes in them; expert staff are available to fit you with the right shoes which will reduce your chance of sustaining a running injury. A condition known as pronation, or excessive rolling of the foot, which places undue stress on the outside of the hips and knees and can lead to injury, can also be avoided by wearing running shoes with the proper fit.

Footwear Evolved - Gravity Defyer

Photo Credit: mikebaird

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