Doing a lot of squats (especially heavy squats) can cause some discomfort due to muscle pain, but if you have hip pain while doing this popular lower body movement, something is wrong. The muscles, ligaments, and tendons surrounding the hips may be too tight or unbalanced. Today we reveal the most common causes that favor this joint discomfort.
You are experiencing a hip shock
Exercises that involve movement of the hip joint can highlight an impact, which feels like pinched pain that is likely to worsen when you squat. Also known as femoroacetabular impingement , this occurs when the ball and socket of the hip joint do not fit together cleanly, resulting in friction and possibly pain, stiffness, and a clicking sensation.
To prevent this from happening, stretch the muscle groups around the hip joints to help reduce the tension and pinching that occurs in a squat. Choose the ones that work on your piriformis, hip flexors, and groin muscles to help stabilize your hip joints and reduce tension.
Piriformis Stretch
- Lie on your back and place one foot on top of a stability ball. Cross your other foot over your knee.
- Slowly move the stability ball toward you with the heel of your foot, while pressing your crossed knee outward until you begin to feel the stretch in the back of your hip.
- Hold this stretch for 30 seconds and repeat on the other side.
Hip flexor stretch
- Kneel on the floor, place your right leg in front of you and bend your leg at a 90 degree angle.
- Slowly move your body forward and tighten your glutes.
- Raise your left arm and stretch to the right until you feel a stretch in the front of your pelvis.
- Hold this stretch for 30 seconds, then switch and repeat with your left leg.
Butterfly stretch
- Sit with your back straight and legs comfortably in front of you.
- Lay your feet flat on the floor, bend your knees and turn your thighs towards the floor, ending with the soles of your feet touching.
- Slowly push your knees toward the floor until you feel a stretch in your groin.
- Hold the stretch for 30 seconds, rest and repeat.
Your hips are tight
If the hip muscles, specifically the hip flexors in the front, are too stiff, you may experience pain when squatting. Tight hip flexors can also cause poor posture and lower back pain.
And when the hip flexors are tight, people see less gluteus maximus activation when squatting, according to a study published in the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy in December 2015. This means that in addition to some pain At the hip, you may not even be reaping the full muscle building benefits of this exercise.
Prevention of hip pain can be simple and easy: stretch regularly and strengthen and maintain muscles properly , especially before trying to add significant weight to the squat. Preparing your hip flexors before squatting can save you a lot of pain and allow you to focus on working your thighs and glutes.
Simple hip flexor stretch
- Kneel down and place your left foot in front of you, bending your knee and placing your flat foot on the ground.
- Press your hip forward, pushing your pelvis down while keeping your shoulders back until you feel a stretch in your hip.
- Hold the stretch for 30 seconds.
- Repeat with the right foot and do the series again.
Quadriceps stretch
- Stand up straight and hold on to a table or chair.
- Bend one knee and grasp the top of your bent ankle with your hand on the same side.
- Pull your foot to your rear until you feel a stretch in your quads.
- Hold the stretch for 30 seconds and release.
- Repeat this stretch on the other side and do the set again.
Your hips are not well aligned
Hip pain during squats could also be the result of the hip joints becoming misaligned, which worsens when the hip ball and socket joint move during a squat.
This is the result of prolonged sedentary positions while you are at a desk or driving, which can shorten the hip flexors and alter the way the hip joints move . But the squats themselves could also cause hip misalignment. Exercises that occur through a single plane of motion can cause muscle imbalance if repeated too often.
This problem can be addressed with simple changes to your daily routine and additional stretching. First, be sure to take breaks during the day to stretch during prolonged periods of sedentary activity. And second, be sure to incorporate occasional movements through other planes while squatting (rotating, hitting, kicking, or lifting legs).
Runner stride
- Stand up straight and take a big step forward with one leg, putting you in a comfortable position.
- Slowly bend your front leg forward while keeping your rear leg straight.
- Tuck your tailbone underneath and keep pushing your front leg forward until you feel a stretch across the front of your rear leg.
- Hold the stretch for 30 seconds and repeat with the other leg.
Seated forward fold with wide legs
- Sit on the floor with your back straight and your legs directly in front of you.
- Spread your legs apart while keeping them flat on the floor, creating a V shape.
- Gently lower your upper body to the floor until you feel a stretch in your upper legs.
- Hold the stretch for 30 seconds.
