Running Shouldn’t Hurt—But for Many, It Does
Hip pain affects up to 25% of runners—and it’s one of the top reasons people stop running altogether.
If you’re a runner who’s ever felt a nagging ache deep in your hip, you’re not alone—and it’s not something to brush off.
Maybe it’s a dull pain that starts in mile three, or a sharp twinge when you go uphill. Maybe you’ve chalked it up to “getting older” or “overtraining.” But what if just one change in your strength or alignment could change everything?
💭 Imagine running pain-free—strong, efficient, and confident in every stride.
💭 What if a short pre-run routine could save you months of physical therapy or even surgery?
Common Causes of Hip Pain in Runners
Runners are prone to specific hip diagnoses due to the repetitive nature of the sport. These include:
🔹 Piriformis Syndrome
Compression or irritation of the sciatic nerve by the piriformis muscle—often felt as deep buttock pain, sometimes with tingling or numbness down the leg.
🔹 Hip Impingement (FAI)
When the femoral head and hip socket pinch during movement, often caused by structural variations or alignment issues like anterior pelvic tilt. This causes sharp pain with flexion, rotation, or prolonged sitting.
🔹 Pelvis and Femur Misalignment
An anterior pelvic tilt pushes the femur forward in the socket. Add in habitual “butt clenching” (common among runners seeking core stability), and you have a recipe for hip compression and limited mobility.
Glute Max 101: The Forgotten Powerhouse
The gluteus maximus has three fiber directions, each with a unique role in hip function:
- Upper fibers: Help abduct and externally rotate the hip
- Middle fibers: Power hip extension during neutral movement (like walking and running)
- Lower fibers: Propel the leg backward during push-off
When we only train glutes in one direction (think squats), we miss essential activation across all fibers—especially the middle and lower, which are critical for running efficiency and hip stability.
The Top 4 Physical Therapy Exercises for Runners with Hip Pain
These four exercises target underactive areas, improve alignment, and reduce overuse patterns like femur-forward positioning and glute med overcompensation.
1. Airplane
Single-leg hinge with torso rotation challenges all glute max fibers and hip control.
✅ Improves joint centration and dynamic alignment
🕒 Do 2–3 sets of 6–8 reps per leg
2. Lateral Lunges
Encourages glute loading in the frontal plane—something most runners neglect.
📊 Research shows strong glute max EMG activation here (greater than standard squats).
🕒 Do 2–3 sets of 8–12 reps
3. Lateral Band Walks
Targets upper glute max and glute medius while encouraging pelvis stability.
✅ Prevents dynamic valgus and hip drop
🕒 Do 2–3 sets of 10–15 steps each direction
4. Bridge with Foam Roller March
Instability forces deeper hip stabilizers to engage while training glute max in extension.
🧘 Foam roller also helps calm overactive tissues
🕒 Hold bridge for 30 seconds, alternate 10 slow marches, 2–3 rounds
***Click the link below for our video***
Mistakes Runners Make (That Keep Them in Pain)
❌ Stretching piriformis or hip flexors alone, without strengthening
❌ Ignoring pelvic alignment and glute max recruitment
❌ Assuming bigger muscles = stronger hips (overworked ≠ efficient!)
❌ Focusing only on the painful area without zooming out to movement patterns
What You Can Do Right Now
- Mirror Check: Is your pelvis tipped forward? Do your glutes look flat from the side? That’s a sign of under-recruitment.
- Try the 4 Exercises above for two weeks, 3×/week. Keep notes on how your hip feels.
- Stop Butt Clenching—it’s not helping. Learn to stabilize with control, not tension.
- Schedule a Hip Screen at Soma Vita Physio in Watchung, NJ—especially if the pain has lasted more than a few weeks.
Don’t wait until it gets worse—prevention and performance go hand in hand.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Final Thoughts
Your hips are built to be strong, stable, and mobile—not stiff, sore, or sidelined. If you’ve been pushing through pain or hoping it will magically go away, it’s time to act differently.
💡 Addressing alignment and glute activation now can mean fewer injuries, better performance, and pain-free miles ahead.
📍 Located in Watchung, NJ
Soma Vita Physio specializes in helping runners like you get to the root of hip pain through holistic, movement-based physical therapy. Whether you’re training for a marathon or jogging with your toddler in a stroller, we’ll help you move better—and feel better—for the long run.
