External Hip Rotator Strengthening: A Great Help for Pronators and Patellar Tracking Problems

The video that follows is an example of the hip position for runners and walkers to strengthen the external hip rotators. These muscles, when weak, increase the internal rotation at the knee leading to patellar tracking problems like Runner's Knee, and increase the pronation force at the foot with all those problems. Like any exercise it must be done pain free and in the position of the activity to strengthen for that activity. This is a reason I do not like the Clam to strengthen the external rotators since the hip and knee are too flexed. This standing version can be done without the bands near the ankle, and can be done with less hip flexion and less knee flexion. If you have knee pain, and you want to strengthen the external hip rotators, try to have your knee as straight as possible. You do this exercise every other evening and 2 sets of 10 reps. When this gets easy, advance gradually over a 6 week period to two sets of 25 reps. I hope this helps.