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Imagine this! It is a bright sunny morning. The cool breeze is blowing slowly. It would be to run outside. Your hips have that nagging pain that has started from when you don’t know. It is so uncomfortable that you’ve given up running for almost a week now.

But why did the hip pain start at all?

The most common reason many of the times are weak hip flexors and is most prevalent in runner and athletes.

That is the reason that strengthening hip muscles for runners is so crucial.

Initially, everything will be fine but gradually injury starts to creep in.

The symptoms will be so subtle that you may not even notice it.

However, we have provided exact information below and ways to strengthen it.

You would need to dedicate 15-20 mins regularly to work on hip flexors.

If you are a beginner then you may need more detailed instructions and a more customized way of strengthening them.

You may take a look at Unlock Your Hip Flexors. This is the best in the industry training, however, it is not free.

Since it comes with a 60-day money-back guarantee, you can learn everything that this program has to offer and then cancel it after the trial period is over.

Hip Flexors Strengthening For Runners and Non-Runners: Why is it needed?

Ah! that’s a million-dollar question.

And tight hip flexors can cause slow running

But hold on. We will get to that. But first, let me explain what hip flexors are. 

Hip Flexors are a group of muscles around the upper thighs, inner thighs and in the pelvic region. 

They allow you to perform all major movements like running, walking, jumping, skating, hiking, etc. 

In fact, if you just simply stand, your hip flexors will come into play to stabilize you and to make you stand. 

Hip Flexor Muscles

Hip Flexor Muscles

 Image curtsy Wikipedia

These are the muscles that make up your hip flexors 

Psoas major muscle – These are very deep muscles that connect your spine to your legs. It runs from your lower back through your pelvis, through the front of your hip to the top of your femur or your thigh bone 

Iliacus muscle: The iliacus is a flat, triangular-shaped muscle that lies deep in the pelvis. It runs from the pelvis to your thigh bone (femur). Its helps to flex and rotate your thighs. 

Rectus femoris muscle: This muscle is one of the four quadriceps muscles, which connects your pelvis to the patellar tendon of your knee. Best exercises for them are squats and lunges 

Pectineus muscle: It is a flat, quadrangular muscle present at the top of your inner thigh (also called the groin muscle). It is primarily responsible for hip flexion. Also, when they contract, they help to pull your legs together. 

Sartorius muscle: The sartorius muscle is a long thin muscle that runs from the top of the thigh from the pelvis to your knee. It is the longest muscle in the human body and helps flex the knee and leg.  

If you are a runner with a weak hip, this increases your chances of injury.

Not only for runners or athletes, but the hip flexors also play an important role in your day-to-day mobility as well.

How do you end up having weak hip flexors?

This is a curse of our sedentary lifestyle.

If we sit for hours at one place, we end up shortening and tightening these muscles which in the long run end up weakening your hip flexors.

If you think after office gym sessions will keep you safe, then think again.

It can work, only if you stretch yourself up before starting any workout.

Otherwise, you will be stressing out the already tight hip muscles. Your risk of injury will be much more.

In fact, the most common sign is that you will have hip flexor pain after running.

Now back to the question Why Hip Flexors Strengthening For Runners is needed?

The hip plays the most important role in moving you forward by flexing and/or contacting your thighs and knees.

If you don’t put time strengthening them then you risk having an improper alignment of hips.

This will increase the chances of hip and knee injury.

In fact, if you have IT Band Syndrome, then your weak hips are the major reason.

Not only that, but you are also prone to Plantar Fasciitis, Shin Splints and Achilles Tendonitis

So, if you strengthen your hips, you will minimize the chances of these injuries over time.

Here I’ve outlined some steps to strengthen your hip flexors. Follow these and you should be able to make considerable progress.

If you want a more professional training and free (60-day money-back guarantee), then go for Unlock Your Hip Flexors.

This is the best in industry program and you can get rid of our weak hip flexors permanently.

Also, since this is a step by step guide, you will have a minimal learning curve and you will get a better result quickly.

How to find out if you have weak Hip Flexors?

Since the hip flexors helps you to stabilize yourself, you will be off balance if your hip flexors are weak.

Try to perform any of these tests:

Balance Test: Stand on a level group and curl up your toes. If you can hold the pose for 2 min without being all over the place, you have decent strength in your hips. 

Pistol Squat: Try to perform a pistol squat. If you can perform it properly without being wobbly, your hip flexors are just fine. If you fail the tests, you need to start working on strengthening your hips.

What happens if you have weak hip flexors?

When you have weak hip flexors, you will end up having the below issues: 

  • Imbalance in the way impact is distributed in the spine causing soreness in the lower back.
  • You will have weak abdominal muscles and your ab exercises may not work as efficiently as they should on your abs, resulting in a more bulged belly.
  • You will have weak hamstrings.
  • Tightness in the lower back.
  • Tightness in hip flexors themselves.

Can weak hip flexors cause back pain?

Weak hip flexors can cause back pain.

If there is an imbalance in your hip flexors, gradually some trigger points develops.

This starts giving you back pain, if you don’t focus on strengthening your hip flexors. 

Are tight hip flexors weak?

Tight hip flexors are weak. However, this is only one scenario.

Weakness and tightness doesn’t go hand hand in hand.

Also, sometimes weakness is confused with tightness many times as the outer manifestation is almost the same.

To find out if your hip flexor is actually tight or are weak try out the steps provided in the below video.

You will have a better understanding and you can then work accordingly on your hip flexors with this new information.

Exercises to Strengthen your hip flexors

There are a lot of exercises that you can perform to strengthen your hips.

If you don’t want to invest in a professional program like this, they you can always try to do this yourself.

Though a professional program will cut down on the time and can provide you an injury free experience.

If you decide to do this yourself, perform these exercises 3 times a week:

1. Side Leg Raises

  • Lie down straight on one side with your legs stacked on top of each other.
  • Lift your top leg till it reaches 45 degrees.
  • Hold it for 5-10 secs Return to neutral position
  • Repeat it 15-20 times per leg

2. Bird Dog

  • Get on all fours on the ground. Focus on a point in-front of you Breath in.
  • Raise your left arm and right leg parallel to the floor.
  • Keep your heel pointing towards the back wall thus engaging your entire leg.
  • Hold the pose for 5-10 sec.
  • Then repeat on the other side.
  • Do 15-20 reps.

3 Reverse Lunge with Knee Lift

    • Stand tall with feet hip width apart
    • Extend your right leg behind and lower into a lunge
    • Using your glutes pull the extended leg to your chest
    • Simultaneously return to one legged standing position
    • Return to normal standing position
    • Repeat on the other leg
    • Do 15-20 reps

4. Single Leg Bridge

  • Lie on your back with both legs bent
  • The heels of your feet should be near your glutes
  • Hands on both sides of the body or tucked behind your head
  • Using your glutes, start raising your hips
  • The upper back and the feet should remain on the ground
  • Lift your hip as much as possible, then stretch your right leg in-front of you
  • Hold for 5-10 secs Put down your feet and lower your hips
  • Repeat with the other leg
  • Do it 4-5 times

5. Donkey Kicks

  • Get on all fours
  • Lift and extend your legs, keeping your hands on the ground.
  • Keep the knee slightly bent, kick upwards, with the sole of your shoe facing the sky.
  • Repeat 15 to 20 times on each side

Stretch For Mobility

The above exercises are great in strengthening the hip muscles.

But strengthening is not enough.

You have to make them flexible as well.

A stiff back will result in a bad posture which will only aggravate the problem

This is especially true if you have a desk job.

Try to stretch your back as much as possible, throughout the day.

You can start with this simple stretch:

  1. Begin standing in a lunge position with your right foot forward.
  2. Lower your left knee to the ground and push your hips forward.
  3. Keep going slightly until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings.
  4. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds
  5. Repeat with the other leg

Conclusions

Hip flexors are one of the most important muscle groups in your body.

They help to maintain your mobility. If you don’t take proper care of them you will end up loosing your mobility.

So, strengthen them, stretch them and if possible engage in some professional program like this one.

Which ever method you choose, make sure you stick with it and be consistent

Be Happy And Be Mobile!

Want to strengthen hip flexors as a runner? Here are the best hip flexor exercises that a runner can do. Perform these exercises regularly and you will be able to immensely strengthen your hips.

Want to strengthen hip flexors as a runner? Here are the best hip flexor exercises that a runner can do. Perform these exercises regularly and you will be able to immensely strengthen your hips.

How to strengthen hip flexors for runners? Hip flexor strengthening for runners can not only improve your run but will also help you avoid injuries. Here are some exercises for strengthening your hip flexors.

How to strengthen hip flexors for runners? Hip flexor strengthening for runners can not only improve your run but will also help you avoid injuries. Here are some exercises for strengthening your hip flexors.

Madhusree Basu

Madhusree Basu

Author, Admin

Blogger and a fitness enthusiast. She loves running and Yoga and everything in between. She started running to manage her weight and to eat to her heart’s content. A true foodie at heart she shares whatever knowledge she has gained throughout the years about weight management and fitness.

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