The adductor group is located on the inner part of your thigh and is made up of the following muscles: pectineus, the adductor magnus, the gracilis, the adductor brevis and the adductor longus. The adductors play a vital role in everyday activities such as running and sitting. The slightest injury to these muscles will have you hobbling along for weeks to come as this type of injury could lead to an injury of your knee, hip, back, shoulder and neck. Read on to find out how to avoid these types of injuries.
Importance of training adductors
Who is particularly prone to adductor injuries?
If you’re a runner, you need to make sure that you don’t neglect your adductors as overdeveloped quadriceps and underdeveloped adductors can lead to knee and hip problems. Tennis players and golf players can suffer the detrimental effects of underdeveloped adductors.
How to strengthen your adductors
Adductor Squeeze (Crook Lying)
Lie on your back with your feet on the floor. Put a rolled-up towel or small ball between your knees. Squeeze the ball or towel using your inner thigh muscles and hold for six seconds and then release. Repeat ten times.
Adductor Squeeze (Supine)
This is very similar to the previous exercise, the only difference is that instead of lying on your back with your feet on the floor, lie with your feet stretched out in front of you. Put the ball or rolled-up towel between your thighs and squeeze it using your adductors.
Resistance Band Hip Adduction
Stand up straight and put a resistance band around your ankles, standing with your feet slightly apart. Hold onto a table or chair for balance. Move your outer foot as far away as possible from the foot you are standing on, without feeling any pain. It is advised to perform three sets of 10 reps each, and to perform these on both legs.
Lunge
The lunge is also very effective at strengthening your adductors. Stand up straight with your one leg out in front of you and the other leg straight out behind you. Make sure that the distance is comfortable. Slowly bend your front leg so that it is at a right angle to the floor and at the same time, bend your back leg so that the knee goes towards the floor. Slowly come up again. Do 10 reps – 3 sets each – on either leg.
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