Check out some of the most popular fitness devices and gadgets for athletes and exercisers.
About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by the Medical Review Board
Strong and balanced abductors and adductors are critical for providing integrity of the hip joint and play an important role in preventing knee pain, patellofemoral syndrome, and other injury.
It seems everyone wants toned and defined "Six Pack Abs."
While it's not a simple thing to develop, it is possible. The key is living a lifestyle that combines good nutrition, and quality exercise that, when combined over time, melts away the layer of fat covering the core. Once this fat is reduced, you'll begin to see the muscle definition.
If you want to start seeing some ab definition, start here:
Some of the best exercises for your hips and knees a simple moves that work your hip through the entire range of motion,
To reduce knee pain, and help the patella track properly, it helps to do exercises that engage the abductors and adductors. Theses muscles are critical for providing integrity of the hip joint and create a strong, balanced link between the lower body and the core. If you routinely exercise the hip only in one direction (with walking, running, clycing, etc.) you are missing out on some lateral movement that helps improve that structural integrity of the hip, as well as the entire lower body.
If abductor and adductor muscles are not strong, flexible, and balanced, the patella (kneecap) may not track properly as the knee bends and you may wind up with knee pain, patellofemoral syndrome, or another injury.
Learn how to add the best knee and hip exercises to your workouts to help build hip joint integrity:
Example Beginner Exercises
Example Intermediate Exercises
Example Advanced Exercises
Running injuries that start slowly with subtle nagging aches and pains can turn into a more serious injury over time. At first, most of these aches go unnoticed or if they are noticed, they are often ignored until a serious pain occurs.
Such "silent injuries" in runners can be caused by a wide variety of factors and most fall into chronic pain category. Such problems can linger from months and years of neglect.
While subtle, these injuries do have warning signs you should recognize. Read more:
It's not uncommon for even the most accomplished athlete to suffer a groin strain. The adductor muscles of the inner thigh are at risk for a strain during any sports that require sudden starts, stops and a quick change of direction while running. The most common sign of a problem is a sudden, localized pain in the inner thigh, but a severe groin injury, such as a groin tear, tends to cause acute pain, swelling and even a large bruise on the inner thigh.
The best treatment for these injuries depends upon the severity of the strain, but rest, ice, compression and elevation is the immediate first aid treatment. Recovery from a groin injury can take a few days or months, depending upon the extent of the injury.
Five Tips for Treating Groin Pain
Learn More About Groin Pulls
