Strong hips are vital for good running form, because weak hip flexors can cause an uneven stride and the knock-on effect can be injury elsewhere.
The problem is that the hips are a notorious area of weakness in runners according to certified personal trainer and physical therapist Dr Kaylee Kuzma.
If you want to know if your hip flexors are weak, and can't afford to see a physical therapist in person, you can do this quick test: stand on the spot and bring your knee up towards your chest and let go, trying to hold the knee as high as possible. If you can keep it up at full height for a minimum of five seconds that is a sign you have strong hip flexors, but if your knee drops when you let it go this can indicate a degree of weakness.
Thankfully, Kuzma has demonstrated some of her favorite hip-strengthening exercises in an Instagram Reel.
The first two exercises require a resistance band, and you'll find plenty of great options on sale for Black Friday.
The modified side plank hip abduction doesn't require any equipment, and you can work on progressing to hip abductions while holding a full side plank over time.
Captain Morgan isn't an especially well-known exercise, so if you need a primer, try this video Captain Morgan guide from NASM-certified trainer Katie Orlic. You'll also need a gym ball, and of course, there's a discounted one available in the Amazon Black Friday sale.
Finally, the hip hikes are also difficult to get right without instruction, but the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital have provided this video hip hike demonstration.
Remember, these are Kuzma's favorite exercises and she hasn't programmed these as a workout. If you plan on adopting some of these strengthening exercises, start conservatively, ensure your form is perfect and progressively increase the challenge over time.
Do tight hips make you run slower?
While it's the hamstrings and glutes that do most of the work as you push off to run, the hip flexor muscles dictate how far behind your body your leg can go, as well as how high you can drive your knee up. So if you have limited range of motion at the hips because they are tight, this will slow down your run and increase the risk of injury.
