With the gyms still being closed and the weather being beautiful outside, many people may be taking the opportunity to walk or run outside more to get in some physical activity. They may also be experiencing knee pain. If this sounds like you, listen up!
Most of the time, when you are experiencing knee pain, it’s because the muscles around your knee may be overcompensating and working more because the muscles around the hips aren’t doing their job and activating as they should (it could be a foot thing too, but lets stick with the hip this week).
So, how can you test for weak hips?
- Try doing a single-leg bridge. What to look for when you do this test:
- Ability to hold position for 1 minute
- Keep hips level the entire time
- Feel the power coming from your glutes, NOT your hamstrings
- If you’re able to hold the position, but find you’re unstable, it could be a weak core! So head over to my core page to get that strong!
This tests specifically for the glute max strength.
2. Try doing a single- leg stance. Be sure to watch yourself in a mirror for this one. What to look for:
- Notice if the hip on the opposite side of the stance leg drops
This test more specifically for glute med and glute min strength and it’s very easy and fast to do!
A few exercises you can do to help turn on your glutes include:
- Bridge
- Clams
- Sweeps
- Hip abduction
So, try these two tests and head over to my hip exercise page and core page to help strengthen those areas if you find you are weak, and you’re knee pain may just go away…or decrease, but let’s have wishful thinking here!
Stay health and stay safe,
Dylan Crake RMT & R.KIN 
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