The hip adductors are a group of muscles along the inner thigh responsible for bringing your legs toward the midline of your body—a movement called hip adduction. These muscles originate at the pelvis and attach along the femur or tibia, forming the inner thigh. They play a key role when you:
- Cross your legs
- Squeeze your thighs together
Stabilize your body during side-to-side movements
Keeping your adductors strong and flexible is essential for movement, balance, and injury prevention. Below, we break down why you should strengthen your hip adductors and share simple movements to help you build strength safely.
Why You Should Strengthen Your Hip Adductors
- Stability and Balance: Your hip adductors work with surrounding muscles to stabilize the pelvis and femur during everyday activities like standing, walking, and running. They’re especially important for maintaining proper alignment during lateral (side-to-side) movements.
- Injury Prevention: Weak or underused adductors can increase your risk of groin strains, hip instability, and knee-related injuries, especially during athletic activities. Strengthening the hip adductor muscles improves resilience and reduces strain.
- Pelvic and Core Support: Strong adductors help maintain a neutral pelvic position, which supports better posture and reduces strain on the lower back.
- Hip Joint Health: By improving stability around the hip joint, adductors support individuals dealing with hip dysplasia, osteoarthritis, or other age-related muscle weakness.
- Functional Strength: Daily movements rely on these muscles more than you might realize. Actions like walking, climbing stairs, getting up from a chair, or shifting your weight all become easier with strong adductors.
3 Exercises To Strengthen Your Hip Adductors
1. Sidelying Hip Adduction
- Position: Lie on your side with the leg you’re working on the bottom. Bring your top leg in front of your bottom leg, bend knee and place foot flat on floor.
- Movement: Keep your bottom knee straight as you lift your bottom leg toward the ceiling. Make sure the outside of your foot stays parallel to the floor with toes pointing forward. Slowly lower back down.
- Perform: 3 sets of 10 reps
- Tip: Be sure to stay on your side and avoid rolling backwards.
2. Pilates Ring Hip Adduction Squeeze
- Position: In hook lying position (on your back with feet flat on floor/bed), with ball or pilates ring between knees.
- Movement: Tighten your core and gently squeeze the ring or ball. Hold for 3–5 seconds and release.
- Perform: 3 sets of 10 reps
3. Hip Adductor Slides
- Position: Stand with a towel or slider under one foot.
- Movement: Slide your foot out to create a “V” shape with your legs, then “zip” your legs back together, engaging your inner thigh.
- Perform: 2 sets of 10 reps each side
- Tip: Keep your trunk and pelvis facing forward to maintain proper alignment.
The Takeaway
Strengthening your hip adductors improves balance, posture, mobility, and overall hip health. Whether you’re rehabbing an injury, supporting long-term joint health, or boosting athletic performance, stronger adductors help you move with confidence and stability.
If you’re unsure where to start or need a personalized program, email us at [email protected] or call (619) 260-0750. We can help you get started!
Innovative Physical Therapy, “Solutions in Motion”
Innovative Physical Therapy is a state-of-the-art physical therapy clinic in Mission Valley, San Diego. With over 30 years of experience, we provide individualized care tailored to your unique needs. Our skilled physical therapists utilize manual therapy techniques and movement analysis to identify the root causes of your issues, enabling us to develop effective treatment plans for immediate symptom relief and long-term health.
Written and Researched By: Maya Bizik, PT, DPT, PCES