Prehab for Runners: Strengthen and Stretch Your Hip Flexors

We all know about Prehab for Runners these days. That is the concept of strengthening, activating, and stretching the muscles and joints used in running to prevent imbalance, poor performance and avoid injury. Many of the exercises are also used in the rehabilitation of running injury, hence the term prehab.

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Most of the Prehab for Runners exercises focus on the muscles of the hips, especially the glutes, as well as core-focused strengthening movements. Exercises like clamshells, bird dogs, planks, donkey kicks, and hip circles are very common and very important. If you’re doing them now, keep it up, if not, think about adding them.

Does your running 'prehab' routine include exercises for your hip flexors? It should. Check out these tips to make sure your hip flexors are strong and flexible. #running #runningtipsClick To Tweet

However, a part of the hip that sometimes might get left behind in your prehab routine is in the front, the Hip Flexors. The hip flexor complex, which is made up of the psoas, iliacus, rectus femoris, pectineus, and sartorius, are the muscles that allow you to flex your hip, lifting your thigh toward your torso. Visualize your running stride as you pull your leg through and forward and you’ll understand why strong hip flexors are important.

Hip flexors may not only be weak, they may be tight too, both of which can contribute to poor running form, increased injury risk, and other issues including pain in your Achilles, knees, IT band, hamstrings, and back. Yes, hip flexors are that important.

Add these strength exercises to your current prehab for runners routine and do the stretches daily, especially after a run or other workout.

Prehab for Runners: Strengthen and Stretch Your Hip Flexors

In all honesty, what caught my attention and caused me to do a little research about hip flexor strength was the feeling that I was shuffling along on my own runs. I could hear it! Like I wasn’t picking up my feet enough. It’s very annoying and possibly dangerous, especially if you’re running on trails. I also noticed this at home. I’d walk over a throw rug and, more often than not, I’d trip over it. Not good.

I realized that I needed to strengthen the muscles that were responsible for lifting my legs, my hip flexors.

Prehab for Runners: Hip Flexor Activation

Before your Prehab for Runners workout, spend a little time with your foam roller to activate your hip flexor muscles so that you will get more out of your workout. I grabbed my Intelliroll (of course) and do these movements. (Save 10% on your Intelliroll with the code coachdebbie.)

Step One

Start by rolling the psoas, one of the muscles of the hip flexor complex. It actually starts in your back, attaching to the vertebrae in your lumbar spine and extends through the pelvis to your femur. To roll your psoas, you will lay prone on your roller. If you’re using your Intelliroll, you can take advantage of the “body zone’ and raised edge to get just the right positioning for activation. Here’s Dr. K, the creator of the Intelliroll to explain how to roll your psoas.

Step Two

Move your foam roller to the top of the thigh to target the rest of the hip flexor muscles, Again, you can use the Body Zone of the Intelliroll. Roll with small up and down movements as well as side-to-side movements. 

Prehab for Runners: Strengthen

Do these exercises in order as they get progressively challenging. The Lying Leg Raise continues the warmup and activation for continuing on to the others.

Lying Leg Raise

Lie on your back with one leg bent and the other straight. Engage your core muscles by pulling them in and bracing (this will help protect your back). Raise your straight leg up to 90 degrees (or as high as you can without bending your knee). Hold for a second and lower. Complete two sets of 15 on each side. To increase the challenge, stop lowering your leg right before it touches the ground.

Standing Tethered Knee Raise

Attach a band to a bench or something stable and hook the band around your lower leg. Lift your knee up to about 90 degrees then slowly lower. Complete two sets of 15 on each side.

Standing Tethered Straight Leg Raise

Similar to the Tethered Knee Raise, you will keep the leg straight as you perform the Tethered Straight Leg Raise.

Bulgarian Split Squat

The Bulgarian Split Squat is a version of a one-legged squat with your back leg elevated on a bench or step. Stand facing away in front of a bench or step. Step one foot back onto the bench. Bend your front knee to about 90 degrees, keeping your knee in line with your foot. Press up through your heel to return to standing. Perform two sets of 10 repetitions on each side.

The Bulgarian Split Squat is a great exercise for runners. It not only strengthens and stretches your hip flexors, it also improves your balance, and strengthens your quads, glutes, and core.

Mountain Climbers with Sliders

Sliders are those devilish little disks that can increase the challenge of many exercises. If you don’t have sliders you can try using paper plates or just complete the Mountain Climbers the regular way.

Get into a plank position with your feet on the sliders. Make sure your wrists are lined up directly under your shoulders and your core is engaged. Draw one knee toward your same side shoulder. Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side. Perform two sets of 10 to 15 repetitions. This is also a great exercise for your core.

Prehab for Runners: Hip Flexor Stretches

As mentioned above, perform these hip flexor stretches after your runs as well as your strength workouts.

Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch

Get into a low lunge position with your left leg in front and lower your right knee to the ground. Press forward over the front knee and press the left hip forward. That’s your basic hip flexor stretch, now add some movement variations.

Variation One: From the position above, reach your left arm back toward your back foot. Return to starting position, then repeat several more times. Repeat on the other side.

Variation Two: From the position above, reach your left arm over your head then bend to the right. Return to your starting positions and repeat several more times. Repeat on the other side.

Foam Roller Hip Flexor Stretch

This stretch is like the Savasana of hip flexor stretches so I always save it until last. Lie on your back and place your foam roller under your sacrum. It should be below your low back and above your glutes., Bend your left knee and lay your upper body back. Take a breath and simply relax into the stretch in your right hip flexors. Hold for a few seconds then change sides. Repeat three or four times.

 

Adding these exercises to your prehab for runners routine will help you improve your form, decrease your injury risk, and help you run better.

 

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And Now It’s Time for the Runners’ Roundup!

 

 

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