Strong Hips, Happy Runs: New Research Confirms Hip Strength's Crucial Role in Preventing Injury
It seems logical that staying strong, especially through the hips, would be a slam-dunk strategy to reduce running-related injury. However, research evidence linking strength training to fewer running injuries has been limited - until now.
New Research Changes the Game
Finally, we’re starting to see research confirming the role of strength training in injury prevention. Exciting new research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (Leppänen et al. 2024) has provided compelling evidence that hip and core strength training significantly reduces running-related injuries.
This study divided runners into three groups:
Hip and Core Strength Group: Completed 8 hip and core focused exercises with 4 levels of difficulty to allow advancement as strength improved.
This progression is key and a commonly overlooked component of strength training in both research and real life!
Foot and Ankle Strength Group: Focused exclusively on strengthening the foot and ankle complex.
Control Group: Performed static stretching routines (which previous research has shown to be ineffective for injury prevention).
A few other notes on the protocol:
All participants performed strength exercises 2-4 times weekly, with two sessions supervised by physiotherapists, typically scheduled before running workouts.
To minimize variables, all groups followed identical running programs to ensure training loads remained consistent across participants.
The Results Are Clear
After following these groups through their training cycles, the findings should make every runner take notice:
39% fewer injuries in the hip and core strength group compared to the control group
52% fewer "substantial" injuries that significantly disrupted training or required medical intervention
No significant difference between the foot/ankle group and the control group
In the researchers' own words:
"A physiotherapist-guided hip and core-focused exercise programme was effective in preventing lower extremity injuries in novice recreational runners. The ankle and foot programme did not reduce lower extremity injuries and did not protect against acute lower extremity injuries when compared with static stretching."
Why Hip Strength Matters More Than You Think
What makes hip strength so crucial for runners? Several mechanisms likely explain this connection:
Improved biomechanics: Strong hips translate to better movement down the chain, keeping your knee from diving in, your shin from being overloaded and your plantar fascia from getting cranky.
Enhanced stability: The hip complex is a big driver for how you move through the pelvis, and prevent excessive drop or rotation that can stress tissue above and below.
Better force absorption and generation: Strong hips distribute impact forces more efficiently and generate more power for propulsion. Aka, they help you run faster and be more resilient to injury!
Reduced fatigue-related form breakdown: When your form deteriorates due to fatigue, strong hips act as a safeguard against injury-producing movements.
Why Didn't Foot and Ankle Strength Help?
An interesting aspect of this study was the lack of benefit from foot and ankle strengthening. The researchers suggest this may be because the exercises weren't sufficiently challenging to build meaningful strength for running demands.
For perspective, research shows that with each running step, your soleus muscle (deep calf) experiences forces up to 6.7 times your body weight.
The bodyweight calf raises used in the study likely didn't adequately prepare these structures for such intense loading.
What This Means for Your Running
So, how do we apply these research insights to your running journey?
These findings are exciting to us at The Runner’s Academy because they demonstrate what we've long known to be true: more strength means more resilience.
And more resilience means healthier, more joyful running for the long haul. So we absolutely consider hip strength as we assess, treat and train runners.
Here's what we recommend:
The Essential Hip Strength Program for Runners
Based on this research and our clinical experience, we have several ready-to-use resources to help you build strength:
Free Resources on Our Blog
Strength training for the time-crunched runner - A run-specific workout in 20 minutes or less.
Strength training blueprint for runners - A no-fuss formula to level up your strength training.
The Ultimate Guide to Preventing Running Injuries - We tackle the most common questions, myths and need-to-knows to help you stay healthy for the long haul.
Video Series
Top core strength exercises - we’re switching up what “core” means for runners, by approaching it through the lens of the demands of running.
Hip Activation Series - Key exercises for strength and mobility
Core Progressions for Runners - Build a stable foundation
Rotational Core Strength - Often overlooked but critical for runners
Hip Flexor Strength for Runners - Target this crucial running muscle group
Making It Work For You
Having these resources is just the first step—how you use them matters too. The study emphasized that exercises should "feel heavy and be performed until fatigue, but with good quality." This is key, as we have an abundance of research demonstrating that moderate to heavy loads are essential to reap the benefits of strength training. Many runners are showing up with good intentions, but significantly underloading.
This progressive overload principle is essential—your hip exercises should be challenging enough to stimulate adaptation.
Beyond Hip Strength
While this research highlights the importance of hip strength, we should note that injury prevention is multifaceted. A comprehensive approach includes:
Smart training load management: Gradual progression of mileage and intensity
Recovery strategies: Quality sleep, nutrition, and stress management
Running technique modifications: When appropriate for your individual biomechanics
Ready to Build Bulletproof Hips?
If you're a runner looking to stay injury-free and improve performance, our physiotherapy and chiropractic team specializes in running-specific assessments and personalized hip strengthening programs.
Our team of experienced clinicians with a passion for levelling up how we support runners will evaluate your strength, movement patterns, and running mechanics to develop a targeted plan that keeps you running strong.
Remember, the best treatment for running injuries is prevention—and strong hips are now scientifically proven to be a key part of that equation!
The Runner's Academy is a multidisciplinary clinic dedicated to helping runners of all levels find joy on the run. Offering services in Toronto, Hamilton and virtually, we've put together a team of Physiotherapists, Chiropractors and more on a mission to understand where you're at, where you want to be and how we can use our knowledge of running injuries and performance to get you there.
References:
Leppänen M, et al. (2024). Effects of two exercise programmes on lower extremity injuries in recreational runners: a randomised controlled trial. British Journal of Sports Medicine.