When it comes to running, a key group of muscles help to keep you stable and strong through every step—that is, the hip abductors. These muscles along the outside (or lateral side) of the hip play a big role in supporting your stride and helping you stay pain-free, too.
Learn all about the role the hip abductors play in running, plus the best exercises to do to keep these important muscles ready to take on every mile.
What are the hip abductors and how do they influence my running performance?
“The main hip abductor muscles include the gluteus medius, gluteus minimus, and tensor fasciae latae or TFL,” explains David Otey, C.S.C.S., strength coach and personal trainer. “These muscles are responsible for lifting the leg out to the side, away from the midline.”
When it comes to balance and stability—you need to stay stable on one leg as you step through your gait cycle—as well as efficiency, these muscles are crucial.
“Running is a single-leg activity, and every step you take, the hip abductors are responsible for controlling the pelvis and femur [or thigh bone] through mid-stance, where ground reaction forces are the highest,” explains Blake Dircksen, P.T., D.P.T., C.S.C.S., a physical therapist. Translation: You need your hip abductors stable enough to withstand impact and powerful enough to keep you moving in a forward propulsion, without the hips or knees moving side to side as you go.
If your hip abductors are weak, this leads to excess movement through the pelvis, which is not only inefficient for your stride, but can also cause extra stress and strain on your lower spine and pelvis, and the muscles around that area, Dircksen says. This can up your risk of injury and keep you from clocking faster times.
Research proves the importance of strong hip abductors. Several studies show an association between weak hip abductors and IT band syndrome, a common injury among runners. Meanwhile, strong eccentric strength in the hip abductors can lower risk of patellofemoral pain (or knee pain) in new runners, according to another study published in 2015.
One thing to keep in mind when strengthening your hip abductors (something all runners should do!), is also making sure your hip adductors are also strong. “Imbalances in strength can create extra tension in the neighbouring joints, like the foot, ankle, knee, and hip,” explains Otey. Overactive abductors or adductors can pull your alignment out of whack, putting more stress on certain areas of the body and placing your joints in vulnerable positions.
To focus on building up your hip abductors, Dircksen suggests the below exercises.
5 Hip Abductor Exercises for a Stronger Stride
How to use this list: Incorporate one or all five of these exercises into your next lower-body or total-body strength training day. Follow the reps listed below for each exercise.