Whether you’re aiming to run more consistently in 2025 or looking to tackle a big milestone like your first marathon, staying injury-free is the key to starting strong and staying on track.
How can you ensure this? By incorporating mobility work into your routine alongside your runs, such as this physical therapist-approved hip mobility routine I’m using to support my training this year.
While some of the best running apps offer guided strength and conditioning sessions tailored for runners, these are often part of premium subscriptions. If paying for an app isn’t for you, one routine I’ve taken a liken to recently comes from physical therapist Dr. Lisa Mitro.
This simple, four-move session focuses on hip mobility and can be done at home or in the gym. All you’ll need is one of the best resistance bands and a foam roller.
Watch Dr. Lisa Mitro's 4-Move mobility routine
Why are the hips so important for running?
The hips are a foundation for efficient movement and power when you run. As physical therapist Dr. Mitro explains in her post, “your hip is a ball-and-socket joint, which means it has a lot of available motion and needs a lot of stability for running.”
Dr. Mitro highlights the importance of stabilizing the hips to “avoid compensations down the kinetic chain.” When the hips lack stability, other parts of the body, such as the knees, ankles, or lower back, may overcompensate, and as a result increase your risk of injury.
Hip stabilization is particularly important during the mid-stance phase of running. As Dr. Mitro notes, this is when “the other leg swings through and the stance leg preps for push off.” If your hips aren’t stable in this phase, “you will have a weak push off and your running form won’t be as efficient.”
Thanks to the hip-stabilizing exercises shared by Dr. Mitro, this is something you can easily work on.
The first two of the four movements are completely equipment-free, but it’s a good idea to roll out one of the best yoga mats to protect your back and joints from the hard floor. If you don’t have an exercise mat, a couple of towels or a blanket will work as a substitute.
The third exercise in the routine involves placing a resistance band around your legs, just above your knees. It’s similar to a banded fire hydrant, but you perform it standing. This one will test your balance, so make sure you have a stable surface behind you to press your active leg’s foot against for stability.
The final exercise uses a foam roller placed between your knee and the wall as you bend and lunge. If you don’t have a foam roller, look for something soft and similarly sized, like a small cushion, to use instead.
If you reach the end of this hip-stabilizing session and feel like your hips are missing this kind of movement, consider incorporating it into your regular workout routine.
While it might not feel as energizing or intense as a HIIT workout or weightlifting session, this type of mobility work can have a significant long-term impact on your running performance.
More from Tom's Guide
- I did an 8-minute hip mobility routine every day for a week — here’s what happened
- I've been increasing my lower-body mobility and speeding up exercise recovery — here’s how I do it in just 5 minutes
- 3 things I wish I had known about stretching vs mobility when I started weightlifting
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