The hip complex is indeed a very complex joint –  no pun intended. It is responsible for almost every action we execute everyday. Like the shoulder, it is a a ball and socket joint which is capable of movements in all three planes of motion. In all my years in the fitness industry, I’ve noticed that the knee and hip joints of people seem to be the most vulnerable to injury. Some of you reading this have had your share of these joint pains. Some of these pains and injuies are due to falls, natural disasters and playing sports. However, many are a result of infrequent training of the hip complex and poor exercise selection leading to compensation of the knee and ankle joints.

If you look at the human body, you’ll see that the hip is located at the center of the body. This makes it come into play nearly every time we perform a task or action. Sitting, getting up, climbing stairs, playing sports, running and a plethora of other activities require hip involvement. But many of us have hip mobility issues, and because the body is one big chain of stack of joints, hip immobility can affect the knee and ankle joints. Many joint aches and pains can actually be resolved by strengthening the muscles of the surrounding joints. Even low back pain can be attributed to poor hip mobility. If the gluteus maximus muscle group is weak, it forces the opposing hip flexors to shorten and subsequently pull on the low back in seated positions. If the gluteus muscles, hip external and internal rotators are not trained often enough, it won’t be long before the knees, low back and even ankles are forced to compensate themselves in hip-dominant activities.

By strengthening the muscles of the hip, the lumbar spine is better equipped to handle everyday stress of life. Barbell squat, deadlift, single-leg squat, reverse lunges, hip thrust, step-up and certain quadruped exercises are some excellent choices for improving hip mobility and strengthening the muscles. Flexibility in the hip flexors, hamstrings, adductors and hip external rotators is also key to achieving and maintaining a strong and pliable hip joint. Active stretching and myofascial work will help improve flexibility in these muscles while keeping them lose and warm. The foam roller is arguably the most vital fitness accessory because of  its impact in reliving the body of aches, inflammation and tightness. Myofascial work via foam rolling or lacrosse and tennis balls may be advantageous over stretching because of its ability to go deep into muscle tissue.

Whether you’re an all-around gym enthusiast, an athlete or weekend warrior, hip mobility is crucial for long health and prevention of  injury. A training program that addresses strengthening of the hip muscles and improvement of flexibility will successfully achieve this goal.