Leg Raises: Why You Feel It in Your Hips and How to Fix It

Why do I feel leg raises in my hips?

Feeling leg raises primarily in your hips, rather than your abdominal muscles, is a common experience stemming from an overreliance on your hip flexor muscles due to insufficient core engagement or improper technique.

Understanding the Primary Movers: The Hip Flexors

When you perform a leg raise, your body is designed to move your legs upwards by flexing at the hip joint. The primary muscles responsible for this action are your hip flexors. This group includes:

• Iliopsoas: Comprising the iliacus and psoas major, these are the strongest hip flexors. They originate from the lumbar spine and pelvis and insert onto the femur.
• Rectus Femoris: One of the quadriceps muscles, it crosses both the hip and knee joints, acting as a hip flexor and knee extensor.
• Sartorius: A long, strap-like muscle that flexes, abducts, and externally rotates the hip.
• Tensor Fasciae Latae (TFL): Located on the outside of the hip, it assists in hip flexion, abduction, and internal rotation.

These muscles are powerful and are naturally recruited to lift the weight of your legs. If your core is not adequately engaged, these hip flexors will take over the movement, leading to the sensation of them working harder than your abs.

The Role of the Abdominals (Core)

While the hip flexors lift your legs, the abdominal muscles (primarily the rectus abdominis and obliques) play a crucial stabilizing role in leg raises. Their function is to:

• Stabilize the Pelvis: Prevent the pelvis from tilting anteriorly (forward) and the lower back from arching excessively.
• Posterior Pelvic Tilt: When effectively engaged, the abs can create a posterior pelvic tilt, which helps flatten the lumbar spine against the floor (in supine leg raises) and prevents the hip flexors from pulling the spine into an undesirable extension.
• Spinal Flexion (for advanced variations): In exercises like hanging leg raises where the goal is to bring the knees or feet towards the chest, the rectus abdominis actively flexes the spine, contributing to the "crunch" portion of the movement.

When the abdominals fail to perform these stabilizing actions, the hip flexors are left to do the heavy lifting without proper support, resulting in the "hip-dominant" sensation.

Common Reasons for Hip Dominance

Several factors contribute to feeling leg raises more in your hips than your abs:

• Weak Abdominal Engagement: If your abdominal muscles are not strong enough or not properly activated, they cannot effectively stabilize the pelvis and spine. This forces the hip flexors to compensate and bear the majority of the load.
• Excessive Lumbar Arching (Anterior Pelvic Tilt): When the lower back arches off the floor (or away from a neutral position in hanging variations), it indicates that the abdominal muscles are not maintaining spinal stability. This anterior pelvic tilt puts the hip flexors in a mechanically advantageous position to lift the legs, but it also places undue stress on the lumbar spine.
• Lack of Core Stability: Beyond just strength, core stability refers to the ability to control the position and movement of the trunk. If your core lacks this integrated stability, your body will naturally rely on the strongest prime movers available – often the hip flexors – to execute the movement.
• Too Large a Range of Motion: Lowering your legs too close to the floor (especially if your abs are not strong enough to maintain a flat back) significantly increases the leverage on your hip flexors and makes it much harder for your abs to stabilize.
• Fast or Uncontrolled Movement: Rushing through the exercise, especially the eccentric (lowering) phase, prevents proper muscle activation and control, allowing momentum and hip flexor dominance to take over.
• Pre-existing Hip Flexor Tightness: If your hip flexors are already tight from prolonged sitting or other activities, they may feel more "worked" or strained during leg raises, even if they aren't necessarily doing all the work.

How to Correct and Target the Abs More Effectively

To shift the emphasis from your hips to your abs during leg raises, focus on technique and core activation:

• Prioritize Pelvic Tilt and Lumbar Spine Contact: Before initiating the movement (in supine leg raises), actively flatten your lower back against the floor by performing a slight posterior pelvic tilt. Imagine pulling your belly button towards your spine and pressing your lower back down. Maintain this position throughout the exercise.
• Reduce the Range of Motion: Instead of lowering your legs all the way to the floor, only lower them as far as you can while maintaining a flat lower back. For many, this might mean only lowering them to a 45-degree angle or even higher. As your core strength improves, you can gradually increase the range.
• Slow Down and Control the Movement: Perform the exercise slowly and deliberately. Focus on the eccentric (lowering) phase, controlling the descent of your legs. This increases time under tension for your abs and prevents momentum from taking over.
• Engage Your Core First: Before lifting your legs, actively brace your abdominal muscles as if preparing for a punch. This pre-activation helps ensure your abs are the primary stabilizers.
• Modify the Exercise:
  • Bent-Knee Leg Raises: Bend your knees to 90 degrees. This shortens the lever arm, making the exercise significantly easier on your hip flexors and allowing your abs to work more effectively.
  • Reverse Crunches: Instead of lifting your legs, focus on lifting your hips off the floor, bringing your knees towards your chest. This is a highly effective way to target the lower abs without excessive hip flexor involvement.
  • Hanging Knee Raises (Controlled): If performing hanging leg raises, focus on curling your pelvis and spine as you bring your knees up, rather than just swinging your legs. Stop the movement when your abs are fully contracted, before your hip flexors take over.
• Strengthen Your Core Separately: Incorporate other core exercises that emphasize abdominal bracing and spinal stability, such as planks (and variations), dead bugs, bird-dogs, and ab rollouts. A stronger, more stable core will translate directly to better leg raise performance.

When to Seek Professional Advice

If you consistently experience sharp pain in your hips or lower back during leg raises, or if you are unable to correct your form despite applying these tips, it's advisable to consult with a qualified fitness professional, physical therapist, or doctor. They can assess your movement patterns, identify underlying muscle imbalances, and provide personalized guidance.