The hip joints must be very mobile

The hip joints sometimes cause trouble even at 20 years old. The guy was working at a construction site when he began to feel pain in his hips. His job, which required bending, balancing, heavy lifting and standing for long hours, became grueling.

He was advised to have a massage, writes xrust. It helped, but the relief only lasted a day or two. He eventually saw a physical therapist, who explained the problem: His gluteal muscles weren't strong enough to move his hips properly with all the repetitive motions he was doing at work.

The hip flexors took the brunt of the work, leaving them tight and overused. A physical therapist started him on a mobility and strength program, and after eight weeks he was able to return to most activities without pain.

Experts say your hip joint cannot function properly if it cannot move through its full range of motion or if muscles such as the glutes and hamstrings are weak. Other joints and muscles will take the load, even if they are not strong enough to handle the load. This can lead to muscle imbalances, pain, or strain injuries from the back to the ankles.

Stretching certainly helps, but you also need to strengthen the muscles that control your hips. Your hip joint is a ball-and-socket joint that allows your leg to move in three planes: forward and backward, side to side, and rotation. When you walk, run, jump, or bend, muscles including the glutes, hamstrings, hip flexors, and adductors contract and stretch to move your legs in the desired direction. If these muscles are tight or not working properly, it limits the freedom of movement of the hips.

Prolonged sitting is one of the main causes of tightness in the hips. In a sitting position, the gluteal muscles are not used, leaving the small hip flexors and lower back to provide support. These muscles become overworked, so they may become sore or feel tight when standing up.

Make mobility exercises a daily routine. To test hip mobility, try touching the middle of your shin without bending your knees, or placing one ankle over the opposite knee while sitting. Problems with any of these movements could be a sign of limited hip mobility.

Doctors say that even if you're not experiencing pain, mobility exercises can still improve the range of motion in your joints and prevent future strains.

Start by spending five minutes at the beginning and end of your day doing exercises that engage your hips in all planes of motion, such as forward and backward leg swings, seated internal rotations, and controlled hip rotations while on all fours. You can also do a few exercises every time you get up from your desk.

You can work the adductor muscles, which help stabilize the pelvis and allow the hip to externally rotate, by doing exercises like the side plank with hip abduction and the clamshell with a resistance band. To strengthen the hamstrings, which extend the hip, try the glute bridge with a resistance band.

Single-leg exercises can help improve balance and control, which is especially important for people over 65. Try moves like reverse lunges and single-leg squats using only your body weight.

Pauses during the exercise, also called isometric holds, can help you identify weak spots or areas of compensation. For example, at the bottom of a lunge, try not to let your front knee roll inward—this can be a sign of weak glutes.

If you focus on proper form, consistent mobility and strength training can greatly improve the health of your hips.

Xrust The hip joints must be very mobile