The Importance of Training Your Hips
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As you age, you start to lose a significant amount of lean muscle<\/a> every decade without regular resistance training. Since your hip muscles\u2014including the glutes\u2014are large muscle groups, they experience the most muscle loss through aging, says Dr. Derek Ochiai<\/a>, Board-Certified Arthroscopic Hip Surgeon and Sports Medicine Expert in Arlington, VA.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e<\/p>\n Your hip joint is one of the most mobile joints in the entire body, as it can move through multiple planes of motion. In this day and age, it\u2019s common to walk shorter distances and spend most of your day sitting, which means underusing those essential hip muscles.<\/p>\n \u201cThe lack of movement compounded over the years leads to degeneration,\u201d explains Dr. Amir Hakim, PT, DPT for FYZICAL Therapy and Balance Centers<\/a>. \u201cIn addition to that, even when we do move, we only move in the sagittal plane (front and back). The hips rarely get any lateral or rotational movement. These factors also result in weakness and atrophy of the glutes, which work to stabilize the hip joints. This is where the old adage comes into play: You don\u2019t use it, you lose it.\u201d<\/p>\n That\u2019s where these exercises come in clutch.<\/p>\n Dr. Ochiai makes it clear that \u201clow-load hip exercises are good, but they do not substitute for heavier weight training.\u201d He stresses, \u201cBoth are important. Low-load daily exercises can help with balance (avoiding falls) and maintaining range of motion. These exercises are things like single leg balance drills (having something to support you nearby, to avoid a fall) and air squats.\u201d<\/p>\n