Keep Your Hips Stable in the Water With This Dryland Tip

SANTA CLARA, California, February 7. THIS week, Dr. G. John Mullen is back with a dryland tip that will help swimmers keep their hips stable in the water.

This hip abduction exercise focuses on strengthening the muscles that will keep your hips solid, and eliminate a hula hoop or hip wiggle during your swim.

Purpose: Many swimmers exhibit a hula hoop or hip wiggling during long-axis strokes. This swimming flaw may occur from poor stroking mechanics or potentially weak lateral core stabilizers, specifically the gluteus medius muscle. This exercise is designed to target the gluteus medius muscle to improve frontal plane stability.

Directions: Lie on your side and maximally extend your top leg without arching your back. Next, raise your top as high as possible without crunching or shortening the side of your spine. Then, lower your leg slowly.

Perform 10 – 15 repetitions to improve endurance strength of the gluteus medius.

G. John Mullen is the owner of the Center of Optimal Restoration and creator of Swimming Science. He received his doctorate in Physical Therapy at the University of Southern California. G. John has been featured in Swimming World Magazine, Swimmer Magazine, and the International Society of Swim Coaches Journal.

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