The Importance of Hip Internal Rotation for Runners and Athletes

Dr Foot Podiatry, Foot Care & Health Care Podcast

Why is hip internal rotation SO important for runners and footballers?!!🏃🏼‍♂️⚽️🏐 Hip internal rotation (HIR) is VERY important in sport and performance training. Here are a few examples: During a change of direction or when making a cut HIR helps decelerate the body while also loading the hip allowing for a powerful reacceleration. When sprinting HIR allows an athlete to maximally extend their hip and get over the stance leg at terminal stance/toe off, thus improving stride length. For rotational athletes in golf, baseball, tennis, etc. HIR is crucial for optimizing force transfer from the lower extremity to the upper extremity. When squatting adequate HIR allows the femoral hide to remain centrated within the acetabulum allowing for a “cleaner” pattern free of compensation at the lumbar spine.