"For runners, the hips can be one of the most confounding and frustrating parts of the physiological puzzle for efficient movement. Every runner knows how crucial hip strength is - and how mobile hips are essential for both fast and pain-free running. Yet healthy, happy hips remain elusive. For many of us, our hips stay stiff no matter how much we massage and stretch them."
"The hip - like the shoulder- is a ball-and-socket joint, where a round, spherical femoral head sits in a bowl-like acetabulum in the pelvis. Roughly 21 muscles cross the hip joint, where the ball of the femur connects to the socket of the pelvis. Hip efficiency means that, for any given motion, many - if not most - of these muscles work in unison to move the femur relative to the pelvis."
Hip efficiency determines how smoothly and powerfully the femur moves within the pelvic socket during running. Efficient hips involve coordinated activation of many of the roughly 21 hip-crossing muscles, allowing motion with minimal force and resistance and keeping the femoral head centered in the acetabulum. Runners exhibit varied hip outcomes: some remain stiff despite stretching; others plateau in strength despite targeted training; some maintain mobility with minimal work. Large prime movers like glutes, hamstrings, and hip flexors more effectively drive efficient hips. Centering the femoral head is a key factor beyond mere range of motion.
Read at iRunFar
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