Men’s Health Australia — September 2017

HEALTHY GUYS CAN GET

ACHY HIPS TOO. HERE ARE

FOUR POSSIBLE CAUSES

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THE HIP

WRECKERS

All that sport you played

back in high school

Serious sports training for

kids who haven’t finished

growing may change the

shape of their hip bones,

leading to problems that

could show up in adulthood.

Boys who play footy,

basketball or soccer three

or more times a week in

adolescence have an

increased risk of hip

trouble, a recent study

review revealed.

Your job

The average guy spends

nearly eight hours a day on

his arse. All that sitting

weakens your hip flexors, IT

bands and other important

hip-supporting structures.

Gentle exercises that stretch

and strengthen the muscles

can help you counteract this.

(See the next page.)

Your extra baggage

Obesity is tough on hips.

Each half kilo of weight adds

3kg of force on each side.

Your overtraining habit

People nowadays know that

they need to be active in their

spare time, says Dr Rafael

Sierra, a professor of

orthopaedics. Exercise is

healthy, but many signature

moves of CrossFit-type

programs (squats, lunges,

box jumps) can be pretty

stressful on hips. O’Flaherty,

an avid exerciser, had

underlying bone deformities

and then tore his hip

cartilage. He needed surgery

and physiotherapy.

YOUR THIGHBONES ATTACH TO A SOCKET IN YOUR PELVIS. A

CARTILAGE COATING ALLOWS FOR MOVEMENT. LIGAMENTS,

TENDONS AND MUSCLES PROVIDE STABILITY AND MOTION. BUT

THINGS CAN GO AWRY. WATCH OUT FOR THESE PROBLEMS

Do your hips seem stiff? Try this at-home test: lie on your back

and bring your right knee up toward your left shoulder as far as

comfortably possible. Then repeat on the other side. If you feel

pain in your groin during these motions, then you may have

impingement (see #6 above). See a physio for targeted exercises.

Even adjusting your favourite activities could make a big

difference. Running could be okay as long as you avoid hills or

take shorter strides, for example.

1 / MUSCLE STRAIN
This happens when your
muscle fibres stretch or rip,
often during a sudden turn or
jump – common movements in
football or tennis. The typical
remedy is rest and alternating
ice and heat therapy to relieve
the pain as it heals.

2 / TENDINOPATHY
Muscle weakness or overuse
can damage the tendons that
link your glutes to your hip
bones. You might feel sore
when walking, climbing stairs
or lying on the affected side.
Train your hip abductor
muscles – see the next page.

3 / BURSITIS

Bursae are like mini pillows

that cushion your hips; the

average hip has six of them.

Bursitis occurs when these

sacs become irritated. Your

risk goes up if you run on hard

surfaces, so go with a track

or grass.

4 / TORN LABRUM

The labrum is the gasket-like

ring of cartilage that lines each

hip joint. Squats and lunges,

which require deep bending,

can wear it down until it tears.

This may require surgical

repair. If these moves cause

hip pain during your workout,

avoid them.

5 / ARTHRITIS

The cartilage in your joints can

deteriorate over time from

wear and tear, injuries,

deformities and too much body

weight. To stay active, try

Nordic walking, that kooky

style of striding with poles.

It can help you strengthen

arthritic hips without

irritating them, Scandinavian

research suggests.

6 / GENETIC ISSUES

Exercise can cause pain in

people who have an underlying

hip abnormality. Dysplasia is

when a hip is slightly

dislocated because the socket

is too shallow. Doctors try to

detect this in babies, but it’s

often missed and lingers into

adulthood. Impingement is

when extra bone in a hip

makes the thighbone crush

the socket. Surgery may

be needed.

7 / STRESS FRACTURE

If you do the same motion

too often, a hip bone can

crack. Training for a marathon,

for example, may cause a

stress fracture. Your risk

spikes if you suddenly amp

up the intensity, so follow a

gradual training plan.

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2

HOW YOUR HIPS GO HAYWIRE

TRACK TROUBLE

WITH OUR QUICK

SELF-TEST

HIP

CHECK

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1

7

2

6

5

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