Hip External Rotators
Exercises that target the hip external rotators, grouped by whether they stretch or strengthen it.
The hip external rotators are a group of deep muscles behind the hip (including the piriformis and its neighbors) that turn the thigh outward and hold the head of the thigh bone centered in the socket. They are important controllers of rotation during standing and walking.
When they are weak or poorly coordinated the thigh tends to rotate inward and the knee falls in during squats, stairs, and landings — a pattern associated with knee and hip complaints. A tight piriformis can also be a source of deep buttock tightness.
They respond to clamshells, banded rotation drills, and single-leg control work, with gentle stretching where tight. See the hip and pelvis exercises.
