You lace up ready for a great run, but halfway through, that familiar ache in your hip starts creeping in. By the time you’re done, it’s more than just a dull throb—it’s messing with your stride, your training, and your motivation. You’re left asking, “Why does my hip hurt after running?”
Hip pain after running isn’t always just “overuse” or “getting older.”
It can come from muscle imbalances, poor running mechanics, or even how your body recovers between workouts.
Sometimes it’s about flexibility. Other times, it’s your strength in key stabilizing muscles.
When you understand what’s really causing the problem, you can fix it for good instead of just pushing through or taking endless rest days. That’s how you get back to running without constantly worrying about your hip acting up again.
Causes of Hip Pain After Running (And How to Prevent and Treat Hip Pain Now!)
Running in Fort Collins means you’ve got access to incredible trails like Spring Creek, Pineridge, and the foothills near Horsetooth Reservoir. These routes are stunning, but the mix of road, dirt, and elevation changes can challenge your hip joint in ways you might not realize. Hip pain after running isn’t always a single cause—it often comes from a combination of training habits, running form, and the way your hip muscles handle repetitive stress.
Muscle Tightness and Weakness in Key Stabilizers
Your gluteus medius, hip flexors, and deep core muscles work together to keep your hip joint stable.
If one of these is weak or tight, your running form changes and places more stress on the ball and socket joint. This can lead to painful hip movement during long runs or climbing stairs after a workout.
Sports PT solutions here often include targeted strength training and mobility work. That means:
- Dynamic stretches before runs to improve blood flow
- Hip flexor stretch variations to relax tight muscles
- Strengthening the gluteus medius to improve one leg stability
You do not have to settle for chronic hip pain or cut back your mileage for good. Let us help you fix the cause so you can get stronger, not sidelined.
Call Up and Running PT today at (970) 500-3427 or schedule a call online to get started. Find your way to running pain-free again.
Overuse Injuries from Running Style or Mileage Jumps
The beauty of the Foothills Trail is its variety, but uneven terrain can aggravate tight hip flexors and irritate soft tissues.
Overuse injuries like hip bursitis, hip flexor strain, and iliotibial band syndrome often happen when you increase mileage or intensity too quickly.
Working with a physical therapist can help you spot poor running form that stresses your thigh bone and hip joint socket.
Video running gait analysis can identify whether your stride is causing repetitive stress on the connective tissue and fluid-filled sacs in your hip.
Structural Hip Injuries That Need Immediate Attention
Persistent hip pain, sharp pain with every step, or a burning sensation deep in the joint may signal severe injuries like a labral tear, stress fracture, or advanced hip osteoarthritis.
These aren’t aches you “run through.” They need immediate evaluation.
A sports PT can assess joint mobility, check for muscle strain, and rule out conditions that could lead to chronic hip pain. Early treatment prevents the need for more invasive solutions like total hip replacement later in life.
How to Prevent and Treat Hip Pain as a Runner in Fort Collins
Living here means you can train at altitude and enjoy year-round running, but it also means your running routine needs variety and built-in recovery.
To prevent hip pain and reduce pain when running:
- Rotate between different routes to avoid repetitive stress
- Replace worn running shoes to protect the hip joint from too much stress
- Use foam rolling to relax tight muscles and improve soft tissue mobility
- Incorporate strength training twice a week to protect against hip injuries
- Allow adequate rest days to help relieve pain and promote recovery
If you develop hip pain that doesn’t improve with over-the-counter options or basic rest, sports-focused physical therapy offers solutions tailored to your goals.
The aim is always to relieve hip pain, restore your running form, and keep you active without losing time on the trails you love.
Find Lasting Pain Relief From Hip Pain After Running
How We Help You Heal and Stay Active
At Up and Running Physical Therapy, we work with runners every day who are frustrated with hip pain after running.
We know you want more than temporary relief. You want to keep training, racing, and enjoying Fort Collins trails without worrying about your hip acting up again.
We use our 3-Step Recovery Method to pinpoint the exact cause of your hip pain. This method allows us to target the hip joint, surrounding hip muscles, and any running form issues that may be keeping you from full recovery.
Why Our Approach Works for Runners
Our care is one-on-one with a Doctor of Physical Therapy who understands running-related hip pain.
You won’t be handed a generic sheet of exercises. Instead, you get a personalized plan that may include:
- Running gait analysis to correct poor running form
- Manual therapy to improve joint mobility and relax tight muscles
- Strength training for key stabilizers like the gluteus medius
- Targeted stretches to relieve hip flexor pain and reduce muscle tightness
- Progressive return-to-running programs so you avoid overuse injuries
Getting Back to What You Love
We want you running Spring Creek Trail, racing local 10Ks, or climbing stairs at Horsetooth without wincing from sharp pain. With the right plan, you can prevent hip pain from coming back and feel confident in your running routine.
You do not have to settle for chronic hip pain or cut back your mileage for good. Let us help you fix the cause so you can get stronger, not sidelined.
Call us today at (970) 500-3427 or schedule a call online to get started. Find your way to running pain-free again.
