The Importance of Hip Mobility
- Jeremy Campbell, MS, PES, CPT
- Oct 27, 2017
- 2 min read
The Importance of Hip Mobility
Hip mobility is very important for all athletes, especially those who spend a significant amount of time sitting when they aren’t training or competing. Whether it’s the adult athlete/weekend warrior working 8-hour days at the office, or the high school/collegiate student-athlete spending hours in the classroom, sitting shortens and tightens the hip-flexors in addition to weakening the glute muscles, which will ultimately have a negative impact on hip mobility and athletic performance.
What is The Hip Joint?
The hip joint is a ball and socket synovial joint formed between the hip joint and the femur. One of the most important joints in the human body, it allows us to walk, run and jump, in addition to being the body’s epicenter for power and explosiveness.
The hip joint is very complex and has over 20 muscles associated with it, all of which work together to create joint mobility. A tight muscle or a group of tight muscles will undoubtedly affect the range of motion of the hip joint. Here is a list of all of the muscles that support the hip and allow it to generate force in a variety of positions and angles:
Hip Flexors (rectus femoris, pectineus, psoas, iliacus, tensor fascia lata)
Hip Extensors (gluteus maximus, semitendinosus, semimembranosus, biceps femoris)
Hip Rotators and Abductors (quadratus femoris, obturator internus, gemilli, gluteus medius, gluteus minimus, piriformis, sartorius)
Hip Adductors (adductor longus, adductor brevis, adductor magnus, obturator externus, gracilis)
As mentioned earlier, sitting impacts hip mobility in two major ways: it weakens the glutes and shortens the hip flexors. Both your glutes and your hip flexors play a prominent role in the activation of hips, so if weak and inactive, other issues arise, such as low back pain and/or knee pain/injuries. In regards to the low back, is not designed to take extra activity, its primary function is to provide support and stability. If there is poor hip mobility due to a weakened posterior chain, your hip extension is no longer sufficient, and the muscles of the lower back are forced to take over. A good example is the barbell back squat. If the mobility and strength in the hips are limited, the athlete will compensate with their back muscles, often allowing their lumbar spine to go into flexion.
Maintaining Hip Health and Mobility
Poor hip health and lack of hip mobility means the body must find a different (often inefficient) way to move. Maintaining hip health and mobility can be as simple as incorporating simple stretches and exercises into your daily routine. Some of those stretches and exercises include but are not limited to the following:
Hip flexor stretch
Pigeon Pose (various modifications)
90/90 stretch
Figure 4 stretch
Kneeling adductor stretch
Hamstring stretches (various)
I’ll do another post including pics and video of the stretches mentioned above. In the meantime, feel free to leave a comment with your favorite hip stretch!
Comments