8 Hip Strengthening Exercises for Runners from a Trainer
Photo by Marques Jackson Photography.
By Marnie Kunz,
Certified trainer and run coach
These hip strengthening exercises for runners will help you run strong and ward off injuries. Runners have notoriously tight hips, which can lead to decreased range of motion, slower running times, and injuries. Strengthening your hips will help you run more efficiently and prevent running injuries. These are my top hip strengthening exercises for runners based on my experience as a trainer and running coach. Add a few of these hip stabilization exercises to your routine to become a stornger runner.
Related Post: 10 Common Running Injuries and How to Prevent Them
Benefits of Hip Strength for Runners
There are many benefits of doing hip strengthening exercises for runners. Here are a few of the most significant rewards of strengthening your hips:
Improved running performance. Strong hips help you generate more power and speed when you run, reducing hip weakness and running gait issues. This can help you run faster, run longer, and avoid injuries.
Reduced risk of injuries. Weak hips can lead to imbalances in your running gait, increasing your risk of injuries such as IT band syndrome, runner's knee, and hip pain. Strong hips help to stabilize your pelvis and prevent these injuries.
Prevents and eases osteoarthritis. According to Harvard Health Publishing, hip strengthening exercises can help prevent and reduce symptoms of osteoarthritis. If you have arthritis, hip exercises can improve your range of motion, allow you to move more efficiently, and reduce tightness in your hip adductors.
Improved running economy. Running economy is the energy you expend to run a certain distance. Strong hips can help you run more efficiently, saving you energy and improving your performance.
Smoother, more efficient running stride. Hip strength helps you maintain a smooth running stride. This can make running more enjoyable and help you avoid injuries.
Better balance and coordination. Strong hips help you maintain your balance and coordination when you run. This can help you avoid falls and other accidents.
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If you are a runner, including hip strengthening exercises in your strength training program is essential. There are many different hip strengthening exercises that you can do, so you can find ones that are challenging but not too difficult. You should start with basic exercises and gradually progress to more challenging ones.
Hip Strengthening Exercises for Runners
Try these hip strengthening exercises for runners to improve your running performance and prevent injuries. Add at least two of these exercises to your weekly strength training program to build your hip strength and power. The exercises get progressively more challenging as you go down the list, so I recommend starting with the first exercises and building up to doing the more advanced ones over time.
Also, many of these exercises also will help strengthen muscles and joints near your hips, such as your quads, groin, and butt muscles (including your gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus).
Related Post: 10 Best Hip Stretches for Runners
1. Bridge
The bridge is a staple glute and core exercise that also targets your lower back muscles and hamstrings.
Bridge exercise.
How To Do It:
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Rest your arms by your sides.
Push through your feet and raise your glutes off the floor so your body forms a straight line from the top of your chest to your knees.
Slowly lower your glutes back to the starting position.
Repeat to do 3 sets of 10 reps.
2. Hip circles
You can hold your hands on your hips for this exercise, or for more support, hold onto a wall or stable object to help you balance.
How To Do It:
Stand with your feet hip-width apart, head and neck facing forward, and shoulders back.
Place your hands on your hips or hold onto a wall or object for help balancing.
Raise your right leg to the side and make small circles with your foot.
Keep your core muscles tight and posture upright, with your head facing forward.
Do 20 circles in each direction.
Repeat with the left leg.
Do 2 to 3 sets on each leg.
3. Clamshell
Clamshell exercise.
The clamshell is a beginner–friendly hip strengthening exercise for runners. The clamshell is one of the best hip exercises that targets your hips, thighs, and glutes and will help you run more efficiently. To add more intensity to this exercise, you can put a resistance band around your thighs.
How To Do It:
Lie on your side with your hips, knees, and ankles stacked on top of each other. Bend your knees at a 45-degree angle with your feet behind you.
Keep your feet together and raise your top knee up toward the ceiling. Squeeze your glutes as you raise your top leg.
Lower your knee back to the starting position.
Repeat to do 3 sets of 10. Switch sides and repeat.
4. Side leg raises
Side leg raises.
Side leg raises are among the best hip strengthening exercises for runners targeting your inner thighs and glutes. Adding ankle weights or a resistance band above your ankles can make these adaptable exercises more intense.
How To Do It:
Lie on the ground on one side with your head and body facing forward and your hips stacked and core engaged.
Raise your top leg as high as you can without losing your form.
Return your leg to the starting position.
Do 3 sets of 10 on each leg.
5. Lateral band walks
Band walks.
Lateral band walks strengthen the hip abductor muscle group, connecting your hips and glutes. This is a beginner-friendly exercise that can be intensified by using a heavy-duty resistance band.
How To Do It:
Place a resistance band loop around your thighs, above the knees.
Bend your knees slightly and keep your shoulders back and head facing forward.
Squeezing your glutes, take a step to the side.
Follow your step with a side step on your other leg to walk sideways with your knees slightly bent in a half-squat position.
Take 10 steps on each leg and repeat to do 3 sets.
Donkey kicks.
6. Donkey kicks
Donkey kicks strengthen your hips and glutes and can be adapted to your fitness level. Use a resistance band loop around your thighs or ankle weights if you want a more challenging exercise.
How To Do It:
Begin on your hands and knees with your core muscles tight and your head and neck in a neutral position.
Lift one leg, bending at the knee and kicking back with your heel going up toward the ceiling.
Return to the starting position.
Do 3 sets of 10 on each leg.
7. Single-leg bridge
Single leg bridge.
The single-leg bridge is an advanced version of the glute bridge exercise. Once you master the glute bridge, you can try this variation. The single-leg bridge strengthens your core, glutes, and hamstrings while stretching your hips. If you want to add even more intensity, you can hold a dumbbell across your hips for this exercise.
How To Do It:
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
Straighten and raise one leg into the air.
Lift your hips off the ground, squeezing your glutes.
Slowly lower your body back to the ground.
Repeat to do 2 to 3 sets of 10 on each side.
8. Side planks with leg raises
Side planks with leg raises.
This advanced plank exercise will help stabilize you when you run and reduce excess side movements. For this plank variation, your hip hinges to the side. Side planks with leg raises target your core muscles and glutes and can reduce your risk of overuse injuries when running. Planks also help strengthen your core muscles, which can alleviate low back pain.
How To Do It:
Place your forearm on the ground so your hips are stacked, and feet, knees, and head are facing forward.
Engage your core muscles for balance. Do not let your hips fall or rise too high. Your body should form a diagonal line with the ground.
Raise your top leg as high as you can while maintaining your form.
Lower your leg.
Repeat to do 10 leg raises on each side. Do 2 to 3 sets.
Do two to three of these hip strengthening exercises for runners at least twice a week to improve your hip strength, mobility, and running form.
FAQs
Should runners strengthen hip flexors?
Yes, running requires strong hips to properly lift the legs, and weak hip muscles can lead to injuries. Hip strengthening exercises for runners will improve your running form and efficiency.
Does hip strength help running?
Strong hips will help you run with more power and speed and reduce excess side motion when you run.
How often should runners do hip exercises?
Add hip strengthening exercises to your training program two to three times per week. This will improve your hip mobility so you have a better range of motion in your hip joints.
Need a training plan to get your fastest race time or improve your strength? Check out our customized training programs in the Runstreet Training Center.
Happy running to you! 😊
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Marnie Kunz is a NASM-certified trainer and USATF- and RRCA-certified running coach, a dog lover, an Akita mom, and the founder of Runstreet. She is based in Brooklyn, New York.
