This year I’ve decided to actually make a conscious effort to strengthen my hips. I’ve always read that a good majority of running injuries and pains can stem from weak hips; shin splints, plantar fasciitis, runner’s knee, IT band syndrome… there is a chance those issues are all stemming from imbalances in the hips. Due to this information, I wanted to make sure I was doing what I could to help prevent those injuries.

And then I came across an article from Core Performance. (See my review of their book – Core Performance Endurance.) The article is about how crucial hip strength is, especially for women. Granted, their article is kind of geared toward selling their latest installment, Core Performance Women, which I have not seen yet, but it still puts forth some interesting things.

It seems that ACL injuries are on the rise for women and a lot of them stem from instability in the hips, forcing the knees to compensate and introducing a whole host of injuries. The exact reasoning for this is still under debate, but the basic theme seems that it is due to the structural requirements to facilitate having kids. (Good ole child-bearing hips!)

A couple years ago I downloaded the Nike+ workout “Yoga for Runners” from iTunes. Over time, I have evolved that into my own 15-minute flow that I try to do after each run. TRY… there are some days that time just seems to escape my grasp. But then again, I don’t want to be in the position where I have plenty of time due to being laid up on the couch nursing myself back to health.

One of the postures I have added to the routine is a low lunge. Sage Rountree has a series of Yoga for Runners video clips on Competitor’s website, and she does a good job of demonstrating the proper way to get into the stretch and to adjust it to meet your needs.

Another thing I do is to get into pigeon pose while I’m watching TV. A variation that most people could do during their tube time is the double pigeon pose, which is basically like sitting cross-legged, but with a little more focus on your leg and hip alignment.

Another TV time option is side-lying leg lifts. To do this you just need to lie on your side, making sure your hips are evenly stacked. Keeping your toes pointed forward, lift your leg as high as you can while still maintaining form. Slowly lower back down. I do about 30 reps on each side.

Yet still, even with these additions to my plan I wonder if there’s more I could be doing. The Core Performance article kind of scared me when it said, “Even if you think you already have the ultimate hip-and-glute workout routine, I assure you that you haven’t come close to addressing this key area.” Yikes… threatening! 😉

If you have any hip strengthening/stretching exercises you swear by, let me know in the comments. I’m always open to feedback from the community!