As we age, maintaining strength in the muscles that support our hip joints becomes increasingly more important to preserve joint health and function. Unfortunately, few people address these key muscle groups until they notice a marked decrease in performance.
The delay in attending to these muscle groups can result in premature hip weakness and undermine joint stability.
This week, I’ll discuss one key muscle group involved in hip function and will introduce an exercise designed to help it.
The hip adductors are located along the inside of your thigh and are essentially responsible for moving your hip inward toward your body’s midline. These muscles are at an extreme mechanical disadvantage based on their location and their size relative to the body part they are required to move (the leg). So training this muscle group is important.
Strengthening the hip adductors is most typically done through normal cardiovascular exercise. Repetitive motions like running and swimming help the hip adductors achieve a high level of muscular endurance over time. This is certainly a good start and can help to reduce one’s risk for injury down the road. However, a more comprehensive program should include specific strengthening exercises.
Hip adduction exercises should include activation of the muscle group either dynamically or in an isometric fashion. Either way, the goal is to move (or try to move) the thighs inward toward each other against resistance. This action will activate the hip adductors and generate force that should improve muscular strength and endurance.
The design of the hip adductor muscles can make them susceptible to strain, so use extra caution during strength training to avoid injury. Selecting a lighter weight and keeping the repetition ranges high are good strategies for maximum safety during the initial training stages.
This week’s exercise can be added into an existing routine for almost any fitness level. The Adduction Hip Raisewill not only activate the hip adductors, but also challenge the abdominal and gluteal musculature at the same time.
Select a small, squishy ball (sometimes called yoga balls or Pilates balls).
Lie on your back with your knees up and feet on the floor.
Place the yoga ball between your knees.
Tighten your abdominals and “hollow” out your midsection by pressing the lower back against the floor to eliminate the natural lumbar curve.
Squeeze your knees together and lift the hips off the floor. Lift until your hips and thighs are parallel, then hold for two seconds at the top.
Slowly reverse direction until you just barely touch the floor and repeat.
Perform two sets of 12.
This exercise is also a great option for people who can’t perform squats or leg presses due to knee issues but who want to strengthen the gluteals. This movement all but eliminates knee involvement, thereby allowing for hip extension and activation without additional injury risk.
Whether you’re looking to strengthen the gluteals or the hip adductors, you’ve got a two-for-one movement here. Enjoy!
Matt Parrott has a doctorate in education (sport studies) and a master’s in kinesiology and is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine.
ActiveStyle, Pages 32 on 10/28/2013