Hip Pain After a Workout? 3 Common Causes and How to Fix Them
Did you know that hip pain makes up almost 30% of all running and hiking injuries, aches and pains for women?
So, if you’re having hip pain that’s keeping you from running or hiking like you want to - you’re not alone!
Let’s break down the 3 most common causes of hip pain after a run - as well as how you can fix them to get back to training pain-free!
And be sure to scroll to the bottom for my Free Outer Hip Strength Guide!
Tendonitis
Having pain that creeps up 1-2 days after an activity is one of the classic signs of tendonitis-based pain. That’s because the chemical signals that produce pain from a tendon peak 34-48 hours after activity.
So, if you feel no pain during the run - but your hip really starts hurting after the run - this is one possible reason why.
Let’s break down what research shows to be an effective strategy for improving tendon health and hip pain for running.
Research shows that using a type of intervention called “mechanotherapy” - basically, using resistance training at specific time periods in specific intensities - can stimulate your tendons to heal and become more resilient in the future.
Now, that’s a DOUBLE good thing because increasing strength is a great way to reduce risk of future injury - so you can have a long, happy life full of running into your 80s!
Here’s an important thing to know:
The exercises you’re doing, how often you’re doing them and how many sets/reps you’re doing all drastically impact how your tendons are being affected.
For example, doing the same exercises every day is not an effective strategy for improving tendon pain and health. Why? Tendons need a recovery time window to help improve the collagen fiber health of your tendons.
Also, exercise isn’t the only aspect of an effective tendonitis recovery plan. Why?
Interestingly, research also shows that our stress levels can specifically affect hip pain levels in females - so, it’s important for us to take a holistic perspective in your plan. That’s why, when I’m working with clients 1:1, we’re also taking sleep quality and stress levels into consideration to their plan.
Now, let’s move on to another common cause of hip pain after running.
2. Bursitis
Maybe you’ve heard of hip bursitis or trochanteric bursitis?
This refers to an irritation of the bursa that sits in the side of your hip.
This is another type of pain that commonly pops up 24-48 hours after activity.
Now, common treatment strategies for this type of pain include rest, ice or injections. Here’s what you need to know if you’re looking to avoid injections and time off from running.
Research shows that, for most people, corticosteroid injections can be avoided in lieu of an effective strength training plan to reduce hip bursa irritation. In fact, I see this very often with my online coaching clients! This is because I often see clients after they’ve exhausted the rest, ice and injections route - and are looking for alternative options to get back to running.
So, how can bursitis pain improve?
Strengthening a specific muscle in your hip called your gluteus medius can help to improve hip bursitis pain and help you return to running, as well!
This is because your gluteus medius is one the primary support muscles for running AND for your hip - so strengthening it helps to improve hip pain AND helps you return to running.
Your Gluteus Medius is the purple muscle shown here!
3. Recovery/Training Balance
Did you know that pain can sometimes be a signal that your body isn’t properly recovering?
Some other common signs are…fatigue, random aches and pains you’ve never had before, feeling like running a mile is WAY tougher, noticing your mile times changing when you’re trying just as hard (if not harder) than you normally do.
I’ve coached runners, hikers, gym goers and athletes for 10 years now…and here’s what I’ve learned.
Pain can be a sign of injury. Pain can be a sign of irritation. And sometimes…..
Pain can be a signal that you’re training too hard and not recovering enough.
Research shows that having several consecutive nights of less than 7 hours of sleep and impact pain levels and injury risk!
Here are some science-based tips to help improve your recovery:
Increase cumulative weekly mileage no more than 10% each week.
Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep, when at all possible.
Audit your caffeine and screen exposure at night to ensure your sleep quality isn’t being affected detrimentally.
Make sure to have 1 full rest day every week
