by GRP runner Andrew Tario

Many runners have a stretching or foam rolling routine, but it seems that far fewer runners have a dedicated routine for hip strengthening and activation. Runners use their hips constantly while running, and maintaining strong hips can both help prevent injuries in the lower body and help encourage better running form, especially at the end of a hard workout, long run, or race. Try the following three exercises before or after your run to strengthen your hips and adductors and keep you running happy and healthy.

Quick Details:

• This hip circuit is great for runners of all levels who are trying to strengthen oft-neglected muscles in the hips and adductors.

• This circuit can be done pre-run to activate the hip and adductor muscles, or post-run as a strengthening and injury prevention routine.

• The number of repetitions and sets can be adjusted to fit time constraints and ability level.

Items Needed:

• Yoga mat/rug/towel

• Resistance band

• Chair

Exercise #1: Clamshells

Lay on your side with your legs stacked on top of each other and your knees bent. Place the resistance band around both legs, just above the knee (see first photo). Then, slowly, while keeping your feet together, raise your top leg as close to perpendicular to the ground as you can get (see second photo). Slowly bring your top leg back down to rest on your other leg. Try to repeat this for 3 sets of 10 repetitions on each side, making sure that you are going slowly through each motion.

Exercise #2: Leg Raises

Lay on your side with your legs stacked on top of each other and straight out. Place the resistance band around both legs, just above the ankle. Slowly raise your top leg as high as it can go, then slowly bring it back down. Again, try to repeat this for 3 sets of 10 repetitions on each side. See photos below for instruction.

Exercise #3: Adductor Leg Raises

For this exercise, pull up a chair that has a seat roughly 18-24 inches off the ground. This exercise is much easier using a chair without any horizontal supports underneath the seat. While laying on your side, place one foot on top of the seat, with your other leg directly beneath it on the ground. Slowly bring your lower leg up until your foot taps the bottom of the seat, then gently bring it back to the floor. This exercise strengthens your adductors, a muscle group on the inner part of the leg that is susceptible to overuse by runners. Again, try to do 3 sets of 10 repetitions on each side for this exercise.