A few words about hip injuries

As I mentioned before, I ran a hilly race this weekend, and I have been paying for it ever since, mainly in my hip, deep inside where the femur meets the pelvis. I'm hardly an expert, and one should be wary of anybody dispensing health advice he got from Dr. Google, but here are a few things I have learned about hip injuries.

Some of the primary reasons for hip injury are over-training and muscular weakness in the back and lower body. Sure enough, running on unfamiliar surfaces and terrain [like hills] can cause hip trouble. Runner's World UK
says that the most likely cause for such pain is inflammation of the tensor facia lata, a short muscle with a long tendon that runs down most of the upper leg. New runners, like me, usually have weak muscles in this area, and you can follow the link above to find some exercises that might help.

Runners Rescue recommends taking a week off and doing strengthening exercises as well. They also make mention that weakness in the lower back can cause injuries of the hip and show exercises that might help.

The bottom line is that a runner cannot afford to just run if s/he wants to avoid injury. Cross training, weightlifting, stretching, and other strengthening exercises are just as important as fartleks, hill runs, and intervals. I have made the mistake of thinking that all I need to do is run, but I forgot that the body is an integrated machine composed of coordinating, complimentary systems. Sure, the legs are doing most of the work when I run, but the whole organism supports the movement. Hips, the back, and the butt, for starters, are the first of the non-leg areas of the body to feel the stress of running, and weakness in these areas can spell trouble.

Tags: injuries, wellness, running, jogging