What is hip drop when running and how do you fix it?
Hip drop is when your pelvis tips down on the swing leg side each time the other foot is on the ground, and it usually responds to about 6 weeks of single leg strength work such as split squats and step-ups.
What hip drop looks like
Stand on one leg. If the muscles on the outside of that hip are doing their job, your pelvis stays level. If they are not, the free side of the pelvis sags down. That is hip drop. In running it happens every time one foot is on the ground and the other swings through.
On a front or behind view video, pause when one foot is flat on the ground. Look at the two hip bones. Level is good. A tilt of a few degrees toward the swing leg is hip drop. Often the knee of the stance leg also drifts inward and the shoulders tilt the other way to balance.
You cannot see it from the side. That is why so many runners never know they do it.
Why it happens
The hip abductors, the muscles on the outside of the hip, hold the pelvis level over the stance leg. When they are weak, or tired, or slow to switch on, the pelvis drops. Running is a series of single leg stands, so a small weakness shows up thousands of times an hour.
It gets worse late in long runs, when the hips fatigue. A runner with a level pelvis at 5 km can have a clear drop at 15 km.
Why it matters
Hip drop is often linked with pain on the outside of the knee, the hip and the lower back. It changes how the knee tracks over the foot. A video cannot tell you the cause of a pain. But if you have outside knee pain and a clear hip drop on video, it is worth showing a physio. See running form and IT band syndrome.
How to fix hip drop
Strength, not cues. You cannot think a hip level while running. You build the muscle so it holds on its own.
Three exercises, two or three times a week, for about 6 weeks:
- Split squats, 3 sets of 8 to 10 each leg.
- Step-ups onto a knee high step, 3 sets of 8 each leg, slow on the way down.
- Single leg balance, 3 rounds of 30 to 45 seconds each leg, eyes forward.
Add glute bridges if the hips feel weak generally. Then re-film from the front after 6 weeks. Read how to fix hip drop for the full plan.
How to check it with Caden
Caden analyses the side view only, so it cannot measure hip drop directly. For the drop itself, set your phone on the path at hip height, run straight away from it, and watch your own footage for a hip line that dips each step.
Where Caden still helps:
- Tap Run a new analysis and film 10 to 20 seconds from the side at easy pace. Hip drop often travels with a sitting posture and a long stride, both of which the side view does measure.
- Read the Upper body lean and Where your foot lands dials and the cadence number.
- Start a plan on the Exercises tab. When the low scores call for it, the plan leans on split squats, step-ups and single-leg balance, the same strength work used against hip drop.
- Re-film both clips in four to six weeks: the Caden side view for the scores, and your own behind view for the hip line.
FAQ
Can you see hip drop from a side view?
No. You need a front or behind view. The pelvis tilts across the body, which is invisible from the side.
How long does it take to fix hip drop?
Most runners see a change on video after about 6 weeks of single leg strength work done two or three times a week.
Does hip drop cause knee pain?
It is often linked with pain on the outside of the knee, but a video cannot tell you the cause. If you have both, see a physio.