*Absolutely beautiful day! I am out for a snack and walk during my lunch. As I stroll along I am reminded of my age and lack of exercise by all of the popping and creaking of my body! Ugh... I am out of shape! Gotta make some changes starting now. This is what I Googled when I got back from my lunchtime walk in the park...
Strengthen your hip flexors to get rid of this noisy problem.
We always tell our clients to listen to what their bodies are saying. Sometimes, we mean that literally–as with the case of a popping hip. Runners may feel the sensation or hear the sound of snapping or clicking when their hip is flexed and extended. This occurs when a muscle or a tendon moves abnormally over a bone. In the hip, this can happen at the iliotibial band (outside of the hip) or the iliopsoas tendon (pelvic area). Runners should take it as a sign that their medial hip rotators (part of the hip-flexor group) are weak and inflexible. Strengthening them and increasing their range of motion will stop the pop and prevent hip bursitis (inflammation of the sacs that let muscles move smoothly over bone), a painful condition that can disrupt your running.
REHAB
Work on building range of motion and strength in your medial hip rotators. The "Get Flexible" exercise can be done before and after a run, as well as throughout the day. The "Get Strong" move should be done at least twice a week after you run. If the popping becomes more frequent and is increasingly uncomfortable, see a doctor. Torn cartilage in the hip joint may be responsible, which sometimes requires surgery.
Get Flexible
–Sit straight in a chair with both feet on the floor directly under your knees.
–Place your right foot on the thigh of your left leg, resting the ankle just behind the knee.
–Contract the muscles in the hip and outer thigh of the right leg as you gently lower the right knee toward the ground.
–Use your right hand to gently press the right knee down while stabilizing and holding the foot in place.
–Hold for a second or two, release, and repeat 10 times. Repeat with the other leg.
Get Strong
–Loop a stretching rope around the arch of your right foot, keeping the ends to the outside of your leg.
–Lift the rope up to remove any slack.
–Place your left hand on your right thigh to stabilize the leg and keep your upper leg from lifting.
–Rotate the lower part of your right leg away from the center of your body. Gently pull on the rope to extend the range of motion.
–Hold for a second or two, release, and repeat 10 times. Repeat with the other leg.
By
Jim and Phil Wharton
Published
March 7, 2008