Hip abduction refers to the movement of your leg away from your body’s midline. This action is done on a daily basis, when you get out of bed, step to the side, or get out of the car. Even though hip abductors are highly important muscles, they are often forgotten. But, you should not do so because these muscles contribute to your ability to rotate your legs easily, walk and stand. The gluteus minimus, gluteus medius and tensor fasciae latae (TFL) are the hip abductor muscles. They play a key role in your stability when you are standing, or walking. If these muscles become weak, you are likely to suffer from pain and it can also interfere with proper movement.
Some of the top benefits of doing hip abduction exercises are mentioned below.
Reduce knee valgus
When knees cave inwards, they seem to have a ‘knock-kneed’ appearance and this is referred to as knee valgus. It is commonly seen in older adults or young women or in people who suffer from muscle imbalances, or do not maintain proper form during exercise.
According to research, knee valgus often occurs because of lack of hip strength and this condition can be improved with the help of hip abduction exercises.
Better muscle activation
The core muscles and hip abductors are closely related, which means they are vital for athletic activity and balance. A lot of people develop weak gluteus muscles because they spend an extended amount of time sitting. If you are inactive for a long time, your body can ‘turn off’ these muscles and this makes them harder to use during exercise. This pushes your body to use other muscles that are not created for that task.
If you use the wrong muscles, it can lead to poor performance, pain and also difficulty with some movements. You can improve your overall performance with techniques that can increase activation of the gluteus maximus when you are doing squats like using a resistance band around the knees.
Reduce pain
When your hip abductors are weak, it can lead to overuse injuries, iliotibial (IT) band syndrome and patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS). This can result in pain behind the kneecaps if you are going down the stairs, or sitting for too long. People suffering from PFPS have hip weakness, which means that hip abductor strength is important for ensuring knee stability and health.
To put it simply, people can enjoy a number of benefits when they decide to do hip abduction exercises. They are often used in therapy settings and are also popular amongst weightlifters and bodybuilders. With these exercises, you can strengthen the important muscles that are required for injury prevention and stabilization. Some of the exercises that you can do for improving hip abductor strength include clamshells, squats, banded side steps and lying side leg lifts.
