Logan Steele
The abdominal muscles play a crucial role in controlling the movement of the spine, pelvis, and rib cage during various physical activities. While a single abdominal muscle doesn't typically work in isolation, the abdominal muscles as a whole can influence hip rotation. For instance, the contraction of abdominal muscles can, in theory, assist other hip extensor muscles in stretching a tight hip capsule or flexor muscle. Additionally, the abdominal muscles can stabilize the pelvis, preventing excessive anterior tilting caused by strong contractions of the hip flexor muscles. External hip rotation, which involves the thigh and knee rotating outward, is facilitated by several muscles, including the gluteus maximus, psoas major, and small muscles like the gemellus and obturator groups. Strengthening and stretching exercises for the hip external rotators are essential for stability, movement, and injury prevention.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of muscles crossing the hip joint | 21 |
| Hip external rotation muscles | Gluteal muscles, psoas major, iliacus, psoas minor, gemellus, obturator groups, quadratus femoris, gluteus maximus, hamstrings, rectus abdominis, obliquus externus abdominis |
| Hip external rotation exercises | Lying on the stomach with both legs extended, lying on the side with knees bent, all-fours position, seated position with legs bent |
| Abdominal muscles | Rectus abdominis, external obliques, internal obliques, transversus abdominis, pyramidalis, quadratus lumborum |
| Abdominal muscle functions | Control movement of the spine, pelvis, rib cage; counter-rotation between upper and lower parts, arm and leg; decelerate anterior pelvis tilting |
| Abdominal muscle exercises | Curl up, abdominal draw-in, plank, pilates, partial sit-up, pelvic tilt, hip flexor stretch and squat |
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What You'll Learn
Hip external rotation exercises
The hip is a ball-and-socket joint that allows the leg to rotate inward or outward. Hip external rotation occurs when the leg rotates outward, away from the rest of the body. This movement is essential for everyday actions such as stepping sideways or getting in and out of a car.
The gluteus maximus is the most powerful external hip rotator muscle, but there are 21 muscles that cross the hip joint, each playing a role in the movement and stability of the hip. The hip external rotators can become weak due to prolonged sitting, injury, surgery, or inactivity, increasing the risk of injury.
To improve hip mobility and prevent injuries, here are some exercises to strengthen the hip external rotators:
- Lie on your left side with your legs stacked and bent at a 45-degree angle. Ensure your hips are stacked and use your left arm to prop up your head. Stabilize your upper body with your right hand on your hip. Keeping your feet together, move your right knee upward and open your legs. Repeat 10-20 times before switching sides.
- Start on all fours, keeping your back straight and parallel to the ground. Draw in your belly button to engage your abdominal muscles. Lift and bend your right knee outward and away from your body, opening your right hip. Hold briefly, then return to the starting position. Repeat 10-20 times, then switch sides.
- Lie on your stomach with both legs extended and place your palms flat on the floor under your chin. Rest your cheek or chin on your hands. Bend your right knee and rest your right ankle on your left calf. Lift your right knee off the floor, engaging your external hip muscles. Lower your knee and repeat 20-30 times before switching legs.
- Sit in a chair with your legs bent at a 90-degree angle and feet flat on the floor. Place your hands on your knees. Move your legs in opposite directions to open your hips. Hold this pose for up to 30 seconds with the help of your hands.
- Stand in front of a bench or couch, balancing on your left leg. Lift your right leg behind you and lean forward, aiming to make your leg and torso horizontal to the ground. Use your hands on the bench for support if needed.
- Lie on your front and tie a theraband around the ankle of your right leg. Attach the theraband to a secure object. Bend your left leg to a 90-degree angle and let the right leg fall outward with the pull of the theraband. Rotate your lower leg inward, pulling against the band. Control the leg as you rotate back to the starting position.
Remember to work within your body's range of motion and consult a doctor if you experience any pain or suspect an injury.
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Hip rotation and abdominal muscles
The hips are the central pivot point of the body, supporting its weight during movement and when standing. Hip external rotation occurs when the thigh and knee rotate outward, away from the body. This movement is important for everyday actions such as stepping sideways, getting in and out of a car, or playing baseball.
The abdominal muscles play a crucial role in hip rotation. These muscles work together to control the movement of the spine, pelvis, and rib cage during gait. For example, contraction of the abdominal muscles can assist other hip extensor muscles in stretching a tight hip capsule or hip flexor muscle. Additionally, abdominal muscles can help to stabilise the pelvis, preventing an excessive anterior tilt that may contribute to low back pain.
There are 21 different muscles that cross the hip joint, and these muscles are involved in either the movement or stability of the hip. The gluteal muscles, including the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, gluteus minimus, and tensor fasciae latae, are important for hip external rotation. The gluteus maximus, in particular, is the most powerful external rotator muscle of the hip.
To improve hip external rotation and maintain flexibility and stability, various stretches and exercises can be performed. These include exercises that target the abdominal muscles, such as the curl-up exercise, which targets the rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, and obliques, as well as the hip flexors. Other exercises such as the pelvic tilt and partial sit-up can also be beneficial for abdominal muscle strength and lumbar spine health. For the hips specifically, exercises like the figure-four stretch and side-lying leg lifts can help strengthen the hip external rotators and improve mobility.
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Hip rotation stretches
The hip is the central pivot point of the body, supporting its weight during movement and when standing. Hip rotation is one of the main actions of the hip, along with flexion, extension, adduction, and abduction. The hip external rotator muscles can become weak due to injury, surgery, or prolonged periods of inactivity, and weakness in these muscles increases the risk of injury.
A regular program of stretching and strengthening exercises can help maintain flexibility and strength in the hip external rotators, which is vital for stability, movement, and injury prevention.
Passive Internal Rotation Stretch
- Lie on your side, with your feet stacked on top of each other, knees bent about 90 degrees, and heels in line with your butt.
- Lean backward as far as is comfortable, while squeezing your left glutes to keep your left hip pushing forward.
- Hold this passive stretch for 10-20 seconds.
- Switch sides and repeat.
Clamshells
- Start in the same position as the Passive Internal Rotation Stretch.
- Keeping your hips stacked on top of each other, lift and open your top knee, feeling a squeeze in your glutes.
- Slowly lower with control, and repeat for 10 reps.
- To make it harder, add a mini resistance band around your thighs.
Reverse Clamshells
Starting in your “open clamshell” position (feet stacked and top knee lifted), keep your top knee in the same place as you lift your toes, rotating your thigh toward the floor.
Hip External Rotation Stretch
- Lie on your left side with your legs stacked.
- Bend your knees to an angle of approximately 45 degrees.
- Check to make sure your hips are stacked one on top of the other.
- Use your left arm to prop up your head.
- Use your right arm to stabilize your upper body by placing your right hand on your right hip.
- Keeping your feet together, move your right knee upward as high as you can, opening your legs.
- Engage your abdominals by tucking in your belly button. Make sure your pelvis and hips don’t move.
- Pause with your right knee lifted, then return your right leg to the starting position.
- Repeat 20 to 30 times.
- Do the same on your right side.
Pigeon Pose
- Start on all fours on the floor.
- Bring your right knee toward your right wrist.
- Place your right ankle in front of your left hip, with your shin as close to perpendicular to your left leg as possible.
- Slide the left leg back, keeping it extended, and point the toes so that the heel is pointing toward the ceiling.
- Breathe in, lengthen the spine, pull in your belly button, and come up onto your fingertips.
- Breathe out and lower your upper body to the floor.
- If possible, rest your arms and forehead on the floor.
- Stay in this position for five slow, deep breaths.
Hip External Rotation Exercise
- Lie on your stomach with both legs extended.
- Place your palms flat on the floor under your chin.
- Rest your chin or either cheek on your hands.
- Keep your left leg extended.
- Bend your right knee at an angle just less than 90 degrees, bringing the leg toward your torso.
- Rest the inside of your right ankle on your left calf.
- Gently lift your right knee off the floor. You should feel your external hip muscles activate.
- Lower your right knee to the ground.
- Repeat 20 to 30 times, and then switch legs.
Hip Flexor Stretch
- Start sitting on your butt, with your legs splayed out as wide as is comfortable, and knees bent (90-ish degrees is great, but having your feet farther away to make it more than 90 degrees is fine too).
- Your hip and knee should be both bent 90 degrees, with your knee directly in front of your right hip.
- Keeping your knee in the same spot, slowly swing your lower leg across your midline, rotating your thigh to the outside - this is your external rotation.
- Then swing your lower leg to the outside, rotating your thigh to the inside - this is your internal rotation.
- Slowly repeat, rotating the top of your thigh to the outside, then inside, for 5 reps in each direction.
- Be mindful to try and keep your knee quiet and hips level.
Seated Hip Stretch
- Start from a seated position on the floor with feet flat on the floor, knees bent, and shoulder-width apart.
- Keeping your right leg bent, rotate it down and to the right so that the exterior of this leg touches the floor.
- Adjust the position so that your right thigh extends forward from your body and your right calf is at a 90-degree angle to your right thigh.
- Keeping your left leg bent, rotate it down and to the right so that the interior of this leg touches the floor.
- Adjust the position so that your left thigh extends to the left of your body and your left calf is at a 90-degree angle to your left thigh.
- Your right thigh should be parallel to your left calf, and your right calf should be parallel to your left thigh.
- Lift your right leg, bringing your left leg closer to your body.
- You should feel the stretch in the outer area of your hip and buttocks.
- Hold for about 30 seconds, then do the other side.
Chair Stretch
- Sit in a straight-backed chair with your legs bent at a 90-degree angle and your feet flat on the floor.
- Put your hands on your knees.
- Keeping your knees bent at a right angle and your feet on the floor, move your legs in opposite directions to open your hips.
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Hip rotation and injury prevention
Hip rotation is essential for stability, mobility, and injury prevention. It refers to the movement of the thigh bone in the hip socket, which allows us to turn our legs inward or outward at the hip joint. This movement is crucial for everyday activities such as stepping sideways, getting in and out of a car, or playing baseball.
The hip joint is supported by 21 muscles that enable its movement and stability. These muscles include the gluteal muscles (gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, gluteus minimus, and tensor fasciae latae), the psoas major and iliacus (which form the iliopsoas muscle), and the rectus femoris. The gluteus maximus is the most powerful external rotator muscle of the hip.
Weakness in the hip external rotators can increase the risk of injury. Prolonged sitting, injury, surgery, or inactivity can contribute to this weakness. Therefore, it is essential to maintain hip external rotator strength and flexibility through regular stretching and strengthening exercises. These exercises can include:
- Lying on the stomach with both legs extended, bending one knee towards the torso, and gently lifting the knee off the floor.
- Lying on the side, keeping the knees together and bent at a 45-degree angle, and raising the top knee.
- Sitting on the floor with bent knees, rotating the legs down and to the sides to form a 90-degree angle, and holding this position.
- Sitting in a chair with bent knees, moving the legs in opposite directions to open the hips, and holding this pose.
In addition to targeted exercises, maintaining a healthy weight, wearing supportive footwear, and incorporating activities such as yoga or cycling can also help improve hip rotation and prevent injuries.
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Hip rotation in everyday actions
Hip rotation is an important part of everyday actions, such as walking, running, stepping sideways, or getting into or out of a car. The hip is a ball-and-socket joint attached to the uppermost part of the leg, allowing the leg to rotate inward or outward. Whenever we put our weight on one leg, we rely on our hip external rotator muscles to stabilize the hip joint. These muscles include the gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus, tensor fasciae latae, and the psoas major and iliacus, which form the iliopsoas muscle.
The gluteus maximus, a large muscle in the hip/buttocks area, provides most of the power used for hip external rotation. The gluteus maximus, along with the hamstrings, also functions as a force couple with the abdominal muscles to posteriorly tilt the pelvis. This is a short-arc, bilateral hip extension movement, which requires a slight flexion of the lumbar spine.
The abdominal muscles can also theoretically assist other hip extensor muscles in stretching a tight hip capsule or hip flexor muscle. For example, coactivating the abdominal and gluteal muscles while performing a passive-stretching maneuver of the hip flexor muscles may provide an additional stretch to these muscles. This can be beneficial in educating the patient about controlling the biomechanics of this region of the body.
Exercises and stretches can help to maintain flexibility and strength in the hip external rotators, which is vital for stability, movement, and injury prevention. For example, one stretch involves lying on the stomach with both legs extended and then bending one knee to almost 90 degrees, bringing the leg toward the torso. Another exercise involves lying on one side, bending the knees to a 45-degree angle, and then raising the top knee as high as possible without straining.
Internal hip rotation exercises are also important for everyday movements, such as walking and running, and can help prevent pain and injury in the lower body.
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Frequently asked questions
The hip external rotators are a group of muscles that help to stabilise the hip joint and enable basic movements such as standing, walking, and extending the legs away from the body.
The hip external rotators are essential for maintaining stability and enabling movement. They also help to prevent injuries by keeping the hips strong and flexible.
Abdominal muscles work in harmony with other muscles to control the movement of the spine, pelvis, and rib cage during physical activity. They can also assist in the external rotation of the hip and help to stabilise the pelvis.
There are various exercises and stretches to strengthen the hip external rotators, such as:
- Lying on the stomach with both legs extended, bending one knee towards the torso, and gently lifting it off the floor.
- Starting on all fours and engaging the core to keep the back straight and parallel to the ground.
- Sitting on the floor with bent knees, rotating the legs down and to the sides, and adjusting the position to create a 90-degree angle between the calf and thigh.
Weak hip external rotators can lead to difficulty in performing everyday actions that require stabilising the hip joint on one leg, such as stepping sideways or getting in and out of a car. They can also increase the risk of injuries and contribute to low back pain.
