The hips are one of those body parts that most of us don't really think about until they bother us. When you come to the gym, you strengthen yourselfhip musclesspecific probably not high on the agenda. But if you are someone who...spends most days sitting, you're probably familiar with the hip pain and tightness that comes with it. Maybe you've even started making somethinghip extendsto fight it. But actually strengthening the hip area is something that will not only make you feel better, but also help you move better.
Quick anatomy lesson. When we talk about the hips, we are talking about any muscle that crosses the hip joint, for exampleLaura MirandaD.P.T., M.S.P.T., C.S.C.S., a New York City-based trainer and creator of the Pursuit training program. Of which there are many, including:all glutes, hamstrings, inner thigh muscles, and psoas muscles (deep core muscles that attach the pelvis to your spine). Each of these muscles has a specific role, but in general, the hip muscles stabilize your pelvis and thigh as you move. They also allow you to flex the hips, lift your legs out to the side (abduction), and bring your legs back together (adduct). In short, they're doing a lot, and if they're weak, tense, or otherwise not functioning optimally, not only can you end up with crooked hips, but other body parts can overcompensate and take on too much work, leaving you with other, seemingly unrelated problems ,such as knee pain.
Most functional exercises (exercises that mimic everyday movements, such as squats, hip hinges (e.g. deadlifts), lunges and step-ups) stretch and strengthen your hip muscles in some way. So if youweight trainingWhen you perform a series of movements like this, you're likely working these important muscles without even realizing it. On the other hand, if you focus mainly on training methods that involve doing the same movement over and over again, e.g.raceofmisusechances are your hips aren't as strong as they should be. And it can negatively impact not only your training, but the way you go through life in general.
To help you strengthen these important muscles, Miranda has put together a list of exercises below. They containdynamic heatingmovements designed to activate your hip muscles and prepare them for the bigger movements to come; functional movements that train basic movement patterns such as the squat, hip hinge and lunge; functionalplyometric exerciseswho trains explosive power; and a few movements that let you move in different planes of motion or directions.
You can do these moves all together as a single workout, or, as Miranda suggests, split them in half and do the first part one day and the second part another day - "but do the warm-up with each move," she says. The first three movements are not only intended to 'wake up' the muscles, but also to prepare your brain for the movement patterns to come. For that reason, she says doing the first three moves "would be a great warm-up for any workout."
