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Gaining internal hip rotation good for touching toes?

4 min read

Asked by: Dwight Pasch

What is hip internal rotation good for?

Hip internal rotation occurs any time you move your thigh bone inward, activating muscles such as the tensor fasciae latae, the upper gluteus muscles, and the inner thigh muscles. You can use hip internal rotation exercises and stretches to improve internal rotator range of motion and help prevent lower body injuries.

How can I increase my hips internal rotation strength?

a) Seated Hip Internal rotation

  1. Sit on a tall chair so that your feet are not touching the floor.
  2. Place a ball between your knees to prevent the knees from moving.
  3. Do not move the pelvis throughout the exercise.
  4. Lift your foot out towards the side.
  5. Hold the end position for 3-5 seconds.
  6. Repeat 20 times.

Why is hip internal rotation important for athletes?

One big factor affecting an athlete’s ability to activate their glutes is their ability to extend the hip properly during running gait. Put simply – a lack of internal rotation at the hip will inhibit a runner’s ability to extend the hip properly, thus diminishing the chances of them using their glutes effectively.

What causes poor internal hip rotation?


Also a lack of internal rotation in the hips can lead to a pinching. Pain just high up in that fold of the hip.

What muscles do hip internal rotation?

Muscles that Internally Rotate the Hip

  • Gluteus Medius (anterior fibers)
  • Gluteus Minimus.
  • Piriformis (when flexed past 90 degrees)
  • Tensor Fascia Latae.
  • Adductor Longus.
  • Adductor Brevis.
  • Gracilis.


Why is hip internal rotation important for squat?

Enhancing hip internal rotation ranges of motion, while maintaining the ability to execute this pattern, can grossly improve your mobility, deepen your squat depth, build strength, peak performance, and decrease stress on your knees and hips – aka keep you injury-free.

How can internal rotation be improved?

And it's just as good for improving internal rotation you're going to do the cross body stretch. And then some soft tissue work. So you're going to take your arm. And you're going to go across your

How do you strengthen weak hips?

Hips play an important role in knee alignment, so strengthening your hips can also improve knee and leg pain.



5 Great Exercises to Strengthen Your Hips

  1. Knee lifts. Knee lifts stretch your hip flexors, thigh muscles, and gluteal muscles. …
  2. Leg raises. …
  3. Butterfly pose. …
  4. Seated marching. …
  5. Hip circles.


Why is internal rotation important?

Without sufficient internal rotation, the pelvis cannot move as far forward over the stance leg, and we instinctively shorten our stride. In fact, without full internal rotation, the body employs various compensatory techniques to get by.

How much internal hip rotation should you have?

Problems caused by limited hip internal rotation



The reference value for hip internal rotation is 45°. Without hip internal rotation, the body is forced to compensate for daily activities, such as bending over to pick something up or sitting down on a chair. This can then create multiple issues around the body.

How do you increase hip flexibility?

You can do this stretch daily to help loosen your hip flexor.

  1. Kneel on your right knee.
  2. Put your left foot on the floor with your left knee at a 90-degree angle.
  3. Drive your hip forward. …
  4. Hold the position for 30 seconds.
  5. Repeat 2 to 5 times with each leg, trying to increase your stretch each time.


What are the symptoms of tight hip flexors?

What begins as tight hip flexors can eventually give way to:

  • A sharp or sudden pain in the hip, pelvis or groin area.
  • Cramping, tender or sore muscles along the upper leg.
  • Swelling or bruising on the hips or thigh.
  • Pain in an adjacent muscle group, like your glutes or core.
  • Decreased strength along the groin area.

Can weak glutes cause tight hip flexors?

Lower Cross Syndrome (LCS) is a common muscular imbalance that causes low back and hip pain. Often seen in individuals with a sedentary lifestyle, LCS involves muscles in the low back and hip flexors that become tight over time while the abdominal muscles and glutes become weak.