Do you commonly feel pain in your hip after running? If you said yes, then you may want to consider working with a physical therapist. 

Running is a common way to stay fit, but it’s also likely to lead to a wide variety of injuries. One study on running injuries found that up to 11.5% of running injuries involve the hip joint. Physical therapists offer effective treatment techniques for hip pain after running, and one of the most commonly used techniques is therapeutic exercises. A few of the exercises that your therapist may recommend for your hip pain include: 

1. Double hip rotations

Purpose: This exercise can help reduce post-run hip pain by stretching the glutes and lower back. 

How to perform double hip rotations:

• Lie down flat on your back, and bend your knees so that your feet are flat on the floor. 

• Slowly rotate your knees to the left while keeping your shoulders planted on the floor. 

• Hold this stretch for 20 to 30 seconds. 

• Return to the starting position and rotate your knees to the right. 

2. Standing hip extensions

Purpose: This exercise is intended to build up strength in the glutes and hip flexors, which can reduce hip pain after running. 

How to perform standing hip extensions:

• Stand behind a stable chair and place your hands on the back for balance. 

• Slowly raise your right leg up toward your butt without bending your knee. 

• Lift your leg as high as you can, activate your glutes and hold for three to five seconds.

• Slowly lower your foot back to the ground. 

• Repeat these steps until you’ve done eight to 10 repetitions with each leg. 

3. Standing hip abductions

Purpose: This exercise can help boost strength in your inner thighs and hip abductors and lead to less post-running hip pain. 

How to perform standing hip abductions:

• Stand up straight with your feet together.

• Place your hands on a stable chair or countertop for added stability if necessary. 

• Keeping your left leg straight, raise your right leg to the side as far as you can. Do not lift your leg so high that your hip rolls backward.

• Hold this position for three to five seconds. 

• Lower your right foot back to the ground, and repeat these steps with your left leg. 

• Continue to repeat these steps with each leg until you’ve done eight to 10 repetitions per side. 

Find help for hip pain after running at Continuum Wellness

You don’t have to continue feeling hip pain after running. Our Continuum Wellness team can help you find effective ways to treat and prevent this type of pain. First, we’ll do a free screening of your hip to identify the cause of your pain. Next, our specialists will build you an individualized therapy plan to help you meet your goals, which may include therapy methods like: 

• Therapeutic exercises
• Sports therapy
• Joint mobilization 
• Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM)
• Dry needling
• Cupping
• Total motion release

You can even get therapy right from your home thanks to our at-home care and virtual therapy services. 

Contact our team today for more information about how we can treat aches and pain from running or to schedule your initial appointment.