Yesterday’s “Move Better” post presented the Y Balance Test as a way to test your dynamic balance, strength, and stability while moving in various directions.  The Y balance test is a good functional test to assess hip and knee strength in active individuals and is often used to determine an athlete’s risk of lower extremity injury during sport activities. 

Improving your dynamic lower extremity strength and balance can improve your sport performance and decrease your injury risk.  Several studies suggest impaired dynamic balance and hip strength are risk factors for lower extremity injury during activity (1,2).  Weakness in the hip musculature may lead to dynamic lower extremity valgus (the knee moving inward) during single leg squatting, jumping, and landing.  Dynamic lower extremity valgus has been correlated with an increased risk of several knee conditions, including ACL injury and patellofemoral pain. 

Hip strength and stability are important components of many athletic activities.  Strong hips are needed to transfer force from the lower body to the upper body in sports such as basketball, soccer, volleyball, football, and throwing in track and field.  Strong hips are also required for quick and powerful changes in direction, cutting, and lateral movements.  Dynamic hip strength and stability also plays an important role in daily activities, including walking with a normal gait pattern, standing on one leg, and ascending and descending stairs.  

Exercise to improve hip strength and dynamic balance are provided in the videos below.  The video below includes exercises to improve dynamic hip strength:

The next video includes exercises to improve dynamic balance of the lower extremities:

In summary, focusing on hip strengthening and dynamic balance exercises can improve your performance with sport and daily activities and may decrease your lower extremity injury risk.

Questions?  Contact sean@salmonbaypt.com.

-Brian Collins, DPT & Sean Tyler, DPT

References

1. Khayambashi K, Ghoddosi N, Straub RK, et al. Hip muscle strength predicts noncontact anterior cruciate ligament injury in male and female athletes: a prospective study. Am J Sports Med. 2016;44(2):355-361.

2. Plisky PJ, Rauh MJ, Kaminski TW, et al. Star Excursion Balance Test as a predictor of lower extremity injury in high school basketball players. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2006;36(12):911-919