In 2005 famous pop singer Shakira sang the iconic line “My hips don’t lie”, and while her song arguably has nothing to do with actual hip health, she is onto something.
Hip injuries, specifically fractures, affect 260,000 – 300,000 individuals in the United States alone with numbers calculated to rise globally in the coming years according to a study published on OTA International. With this in mind, how do you ensure your hips stay happy and healthy? We at GulfPhysio.com are here to help!
Healthy Hips and How They Help You
Your hips, as you are undoubtedly aware, serve as the connecting element between your upper and lower bodies. However, your hips are much more than just that—they have a lot going on beneath the skin, quite literally!
The hips are a joint made up of two main parts, namely your thigh bone (Femur) and the hipbone (Pelvis). These parts surround the ligaments that hold them together and provide stability to the entire area. Your hips are also the largest weight-bearing joint in your body as they support your spine and internal organs. The muscles in your hips also support the joint and enable you to do activities like walking, jumping, and sprinting.
How Healthy Are Your Hips?
While hip-related pain can affect anyone at any age, hip-related pain does increase with age due to the natural wear and tear your joints undergo over the years.
Telltale Signs of Poor Hip Health
- Hip Pain / Discomfort – Hip discomfort is the most common indicator of poor or declining hip health. Numerous factors can result in hip pain; speaking with a trained medical expert can help determine the cause and the best course of treatment.
- Limited Range of Motion/ Loss of Flexibility – As mentioned earlier aging can cause wear and tear to the joint which not only causes pain but also a loss of flexibility and range of motion. Yet these issues can also affect younger individuals. This study from 2018 cites that as much as 11% of hip fractures occur in younger individuals.
- Poor Posture – A reality that we have today is the fact that many people remain seated for multiple hours a day. Whether at school, work, or even just at home scrolling on phones. Sitting still for extended periods of time results in weakening and stiffness in the hips, which worsens bad posture.
Testing Your Hip Mobility
Another way to test if you have healthy hips is by testing your hip mobility. Here are two exercises that do just that:
- Lying Knee To Chest
1. Lay flat on your back.
2. Slowly pull one of your legs to your chest.
3. If there is difficulty holding this position for more than a few seconds, you may have weak hip flexors.
- The Hip Switch
1. Sit on the floor with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle.
2. Without using the hands rotate to one side with your butt and heels staying on the floor.
3. Rotate to the other side, again with your butt and heels staying on the floor.
4. If you experience any pain or require the use of your hands to shift from side to side, it may be a sign of tight hip muscles.
Honing Healthy Hips
Keeping your hips healthy is important, it provides integral support throughout the whole body, allows full-body movement, and helps maintain balance.
Below are a few tips on how you can maintain your hip health even as you get older, making sure that you can live life to the fullest:
- Maintain a healthy weight – Having a heavier weight puts excess pressure on the joints and eventually leads to wear and tear.
- Eat smart – Maintaining hip health requires a balanced diet, supplemented with vitamin-rich foods like leafy greens, omega-3-rich fish, and vitamin C-rich fruits like peppers, strawberries, and oranges.
- Get Physical! – Regular exercise, including leg raises, step-ups, and hip circles, can enhance strength, flexibility, and reduce injury risk by strengthening hips and increasing mobility.
- Avoid injury – Accidents can happen suddenly and while there is no way for us to predict when or where they happen, we can prepare our bodies to be more durable against things like sudden falls. It has previously been mentioned that our bodies degrade over time, but this research from BMC Geriatrics found that exercise significantly reduced the risk of fall-related injuries in older adults.
That’s not all though, you can avoid injury better by training your body whilst you’re young has also proven to carry benefits into adulthood, this article from Harvard Health Publishing says that exercising along with other healthy habits slows down the aging process, and thus prevents common diseases and injuries as you gets older.
If you would like to know more about maintaining your hip health, read our articles “Healthy Hips: A Guide on Hip Mobility” or “Joint Degeneration and Aging” or learn more from our blog here.
Disclaimer
GulfPhysio.com and all of its content are for informational purposes only. All information is believed to be accurate at the time of posting and should NOT be construed as professional medical advice. Please seek a medical professional in the event of pain or injury.
