Corrective Hip Strengthening
By: Ryan Krane, MS, CPT, PES, CES
Founder, Get My Body Better Online Series
The Krane Training Method™
Strengthening one’s hip muscles is extremely important to having total body strength, for eliminating aches and pains, and for preventing injuries. The hip muscles include the gluteus maximus, gluteus minimus, and gluteus medius. For the purposes of this article I am going to focus on the importance of strengthening all of these muscles.
Hip strengthening is an area of the body that most fitness enthusiasts neglect. Often many people focus solely on the quads with exercises such as front lunges and rarely allocate any time in their exercise routines towards hip strengthening exercises. When the hip muscles are weak, dormant, or underutilized they can lead to muscle imbalances, movement compensations, and injuries throughout the body.
The hips drive the direction of where the knees and feet are pointing. When the hip muscles are strong they have a higher likelihood of keeping both the knees and feet facing forward in a proper postural alignment. Strong hip muscles will relieve unnecessary pressure throughout the entire lower body and need to be performed on a regular basis.
Throughout this post I am going to share various hip strengthening exercises that one can perform in the convenience of their own home and/or office with limited equipment. The hip strengthening exercises included in this post will target all of the hip muscles mentioned above and when performed consistently and properly one’s chances of experiencing muscle imbalances and/or injuries are greatly reduced.
Outlined below are four easy hip strengthening exercises. All of these hip strengthening exercises need to be performed with correct technique and posture. For each exercise I will include a modification to make the exercise easier and harder.
Exercise # 1 Supine Abduction
This exercise can be performed anywhere with this resistance band. Always make sure to keep the unused leg down on the ground throughout the exercise. Perform 1-2 sets of 10-12 reps in a controlled tempo on each leg.
MODIFICATION:
Easier: To make this exercise easier you can either use a lighter resistance band and/or decrease the total number of reps on each leg.
Harder: To make this exercise harder use a stronger resistance band and/or increase the total number of reps.
Trust me when I say this that this exercise just works! It’s so simple to do and many of my clients perform this exercise in the comforts of their own home. Your body will thank you big time when you start doing this exercise at least 2-3 days per week!
Exercise # 2 Hip Extension
This exercise can be performed in the convenience of your own home and/or gym with this resistance band. Always make sure to avoid arching the back and not taking too big of steps, which will place unnecessary pressure on the lower back. Perform 1-2 sets of 10-12 reps in a controlled tempo.
MODIFICATION:
Easier: To make this exercise easier you can either use a lighter resistance band and/or decrease the total number of reps.
Harder: To make this exercise harder use a stronger resistance band and/or increase the total number of reps.
This is a great exercise to strengthen the gluteus maximus, which is the largest of the three butt muscles. By properly performing this regularly your chances of experiencing muscle imbalances and/or injuries are greatly reduced because your gluteus maximus will be working properly.
Exercise # 3 Lateral Tube Walking
This exercise isolates the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus and can be performed with this resistance band. Always make sure when performing this exercise to keep both feet, knees, and hips facing forward throughout the entire exercise. Aim to keep both the upper body still throughout the exercise. Perform 1-2 sets for 10-12 reps in each direction.
MODIFICATION:
Easier: To make this exercise easier you can either use a lighter resistance band and/or decrease the total number of reps.
Harder: To make this exercise harder use a stronger resistance band and/or increase the total number of reps.
This is a great exercise and my clients absolutely love performing this exercise. By properly performing this exercise at least 2-3 days per week your chances of experience pain in your body are greatly reduced.
Exercise # 4 Clamshells
This exercise isolates the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus and can be performed with this resistance band. Always make sure when performing this exercise to not move the pelvis and hips and to perform it in a controlled tempo. Aim to keep both feet on top of one another the entire time. Perform 1-2 sets for 10-12 reps on each side.
MODIFICATION:
Easier: To make this exercise easier you can either use a lighter resistance band and/or decrease the total number of reps.
Harder: To make this exercise harder use a stronger resistance band and/or increase the total number of reps.
This is a great exercise to strengthen the hips that can be performed anywhere. My clients love this exercise because of its simplicity and effectiveness and it is also an excellent exercise for anyone suffering from hip, knee, or back pain.
Always remember when performing this hip strengthening program to use correct technique and posture and always listen to your body. If pain persists take a few days off before resuming this program.
I hope you found this post education and beneficial. To learn more on the Ryan Krane Method visit: http://www.ryankrane.com
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