I am an athlete, how can I take care of my hip?
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The hip is an important joint, it is the one that carries the weight of our body and allows a large part of the movement, although we can say that it is better protected by muscles than the rest of the joints that only have tendons, it is important to take care of it to ensure its long-term well-being.
For athletes who practice high-impact activities such as basketball, soccer or American football, it is necessary to find healthy habits for the protection of their hip in order to avoid painful wear and tear at the age of 50.
What should I know about my hip?
As mentioned at the beginning it is a joint surrounded by muscles, these provide exceptional protection that prevents twisting injuries from being possible, however, the hip problem is seen in the long term.
The frequent impact, the shocks between the joint are what cause wear and tear over time, if this is not taken into account the athlete will suffer from early and painful wear and tear.
The way in which the risk in the hip region can be reduced is by strengthening the muscles that protect it, these are abdominals, glutes, adductors and hamstrings. By strengthening them, the joint stops perceiving impacts since the muscles are responsible for cushioning the impact and taking care of the hip.
It is important for athletes to prepare themselves with this information, take care of their hip by strengthening the muscles around them. This is the reason to meet major league athletes with a well-worked muscular body.
What is the key to avoiding hip injuries?
The key is to perform a series of exercises indicated for strengthening the muscles that cover the hip, during the sports season and even out of season.
Yes, keeping these muscles ready even before returning to play is the key to avoiding injury. Generally, when the athlete stops training and the muscle loses its texture and suddenly resumes the sports training routine, this causes damage to the joint.
At the same time, stiffness can also be an enemy of your hip, it is necessary to include stretching routines for the area to ensure that the muscles that help you achieve stability are flexible enough to withstand the impact of your routine movements.
What exercises can I do to strengthen my muscles?
In addition to the usual sports training, which may coincide with some of these exercises listed here, you will need to do personalized strength and stretch training for the muscles around your hip.
1. Lateral leg raise:
This exercise focuses on the external lateral gluteus and external abdominal gluteus. It is a simple movement that can be performed with or without weight.
Lying on his side on the floor, the athlete must lift one leg without exceeding the limit that his own body indicates, the movement is repeated at least 12 or 15 times per set.
2. Hip bridge:
With this movement you manage to work the buttocks and harden the pelvic area as long as you do it with a constant pelvic retroversion (This is possible with the abdominal force that tries to bring the pelvis to the navel).
It is performed lying on the back against the floor, knees bent with the soles of the feet on the floor, the idea is to raise the hip as far as possible with active pelvic retroversion and return it to the ground.
It can be a static exercise or not, you can keep your hips elevated for several seconds or go up and down repeatedly.
3. Leg deadlift:
This activity allows the hamstring to strengthen and stretch at the same time, as well as helping other muscles involved in balance.
Standing with both feet together, the athlete should raise one leg with the knee bent at 90 degrees, then move that same leg backwards and the trunk forward. The final position should be with the whole body parallel to the ground with the balance on the other leg.
4. Adductor extension:
At this point it is time to stretch and release the hip, with this exercise you will be able to extend the adductors which are the muscles that are in the crotch and you must be careful not to overexert yourself.
Lie on the floor near a wall and bring your buttocks together to it, raise your legs to the wall as if you were sitting opposite. Once you’re ready, start rolling one leg down the wall like a beat until you feel a pain-free extension.
Repeat the movement several times, and then move on to the other leg.
These have been all the recommendations for you to start taking care of your hip as an athlete, do not forget to include these movements in your workouts from now on.
If you think you have an injury because you feel pain in your hip, do not hesitate to contact Dr. José Felix Castillo, he will be able to offer you quick and effective relief.
