Introduction
As an athlete, keeping your hips healthy is key to staying at the top of your game. If you play hockey, lacrosse, or any sport that involves lots of hip movement, you might have experienced hip impingement. This is when you feel a painful pinching sensation, especially during squats or twisting motions. If ignored, this pain can stop you from training and performing at your best.
In this blog, we’ll cover three simple exercises that can help relieve hip impingement pain and improve your mobility, so you can get back to performing at your best.
Exercise 1: Banded Pigeon Stretch
This is a great exercise for athletes as it targets the hip capsule, helping to loosen tight muscles and improve your range of motion. This is crucial for squatting, skating, or running without pain.
Step-by-Step Guide:
Set Up: Wrap a resistance band around the crease of your thigh, and secure the other end to something sturdy. Using a box, get into a pigeon pose, with your front leg bent at a 45-degree angle.
Stretch and Rotate: Lean into the stretch and rotate your torso toward your front leg. This will deepen the stretch in the back of your hip.
Repeat: Do this rotation 8 to 12 times 2 sets, on both legs trying to increase your range of motion with each repetition. After finishing one side, switch to the other.
This stretch works well because the band pulls your hip joint, creating more space and reducing that uncomfortable pinching sensation.
Exercise 2: Stretching Exercise
This exercise blends stretching and strengthening, focusing on the hip flexors and glutes—key muscles for athletes aiming to maintain strong and flexible hips.
Step-by-Step Guide:
Positioning: Stand in front of a box or elevated surface and place one foot on top. The leg you’ll be stretching is the one behind you, with both knees bent at 90 degrees.
Slow Descent: Slowly lower your body by bending the back knee, keeping your torso upright. Hold this position for 5 seconds, feeling the stretch in your hip flexor while engaging your front glute.
Return and Repeat: After holding, return to the starting position. Repeat this movement five times on each side, making sure your back stays straight.
This exercise stretches tight hip flexors and activates the glutes, which are essential for stabilizing your hips during athletic movements.
Exercise 3: Side Plank
Side planks with hip abduction help strengthen the hip external rotators, which are often weak in athletes with hip impingement. Strengthening these muscles can create more space in the hip joint, helping to reduce pain.
Step-by-Step Guide:
Start Position: Begin in a side plank position, with your elbow directly under your shoulder and knees bent.
Rotation: Lift your hips off the ground, creating a straight line from your head to your knees. Kick you top leg up and slowly move your hands up and down
Repeat: Perform 15 repetitions on each side, focusing on controlled movements and engaging both your hip and core muscles.
This exercise targets the hip stabilizers and challenges your core, making it a great addition to any athlete’s routine
Learn more about these 3 exercises in this video
You can also Strengthen your hips with these exercises in this video:
Check out this video for an effective lower body warm up:
Conclusion
Hip impingement doesn’t have to stop you from playing your sport. By doing these three exercises regularly, you can ease the pain, move better, and keep your hips strong.
At Myokinetix Physical Therapy and Performance, we’re experts at helping athletes recover from any injuries like hip impingement. Our team creates personalized plans to help you recover and come back stronger. Don’t let hip pain slow you down!
Book a call today and start your journey to recovery and top performance.