WHAT YOU DID Heavy squats for months. You haven’t officially injured yourself, but your hips hurt.
WHAT YOU FEEL Pain in the hips, glutes, or upper thighs around your pelvis, especially when you squat. You may also feel a deep and sometimes sharp ache in your hip joints.
THE DIAGNOSIS It could be tightness in the hip flexors. If you feel it in your joints, it could be torn cartilage in the acetabular socket, where the femur bone inserts.
THE TREATMENT Take three to four weeks off from squatting. During that time, perform the hip exercises on the following page at least four times a week. Continue with any exercises you were doing for your glutes and core. This will help keep the pain away.
4 Step Hip Rehab
Hip Flexor Stretch: Kneel on one knee and push your hips forward. Do three sets of 20-second holds on each side.
Hip Hinge: Kneel on both knees, and then sit back on your heels. Contract your glutes to extend your hips upward.
Hip Bridge: Lie on your back with knees bent and feet on the floor. Contract your glutes to raise your hips up. Do 20 reps.
Sidestep with Band: Place an elastic band around your ankles and step laterally. Continue for 20 feet and then come back.
