Strengthening the Hip Abductor & Groin

Hip abductors, which are muscles that make up part of the buttocks, move your hip joints and legs away from the center of your body, such as when doing a lateral crab walk or side kicks. They also work with muscles that attach to the groin, such as your adductors and pelvic floor muscles, to stabilize the hips and legs when you walk. Strengthening both muscle groups can prevent injuries and improve movement patterns and physical control that are necessary for many sports and activities.

  1. Floor Exercises

    • Floor exercises are ideal for those who are recovering from surgery or an injury to the groin, hips or lower back. The supine position places the least amount of stress on the joints and reduces the need for added balance if a person has a greater risk of falls. Although most of these exercises have little transference to specific sports skills or performance, they are often used as an initial step to increase strength, mobility and stability to the hips. Some floor exercises simply contract the hip or groin muscles with very little movement or none at all. Exercises include hip bridges, side-lying hip abduction, supine knee squeeze and prone hip extension.

    Standing Exercises

    • Once hip mobility, stability and strength are established, progress to standing hip exercises that challenge your balance and coordination. These exercises incorporate more muscle groups to work your hips, including your abdominal muscles, legs and back. Start with isolation exercises that target the hip abductors and groin, such as standing hip abduction and resistance band adduction. Then, perform integration exercises that use multiple muscle groups, such as clock lunges, step-ups and body-weight squats.

    Advance Strength Training

    • Advance strength training for your hip abductors and groin often involves high-intensity exercises to produce maximum strength and power, which are necessary for conditioning in many sports, such as football, wrestling and track and field events. Depending on your fitness level and goals, the exercise modality varies, ranging from the use of traditional free weights to plyoboxes for jumping and landing. Sample exercises include barbell squats, Olympic lifting, kettlebell deadlifts and swings and power step-ups. Start with a lighter weight to master technique and breathing before progressing to a heavier weight. If you are new to these exercises or training methods, work with a qualified strength coach or fitness professional before attempting to train on your own.

    Sample Exercise

    • Hip abductor and groin exercises can be used as a warm-up before you workout or play. Rather than stretching your hip and leg muscles for 30 seconds, move them repetitively throughout their range of motion. This increases your neural stimulation and muscle elasticity to prep your mind and body for the upcoming training. One simple exercise is the lateral leg swing for which you swing one leg out to your side and then across the midline of your body repetitively with your hands placed against a wall for support. Start with small swing before gradually increasing your range of motion. Maintain a steady breathing pattern as you swing 10 to 20 times per leg.