I am interested if their has been any research done that is similar to
that done for running as referred to here:
Summary:
Although movement at the knee declined with ageing,
Hamilton found that the loss of range of motion at the hip
was even greater - dropping by 38 per cent between the ages
of 35 and 90. There was a slight age-related difference
between the two different types of range-of-motion decline,
with knee 'stiffness' striking with greatest force after
the age of 50 and hip problems waiting until the age of 60
or so. However, Hamilton's research suggested that
preservation of hip flexibility was more important for
maintaining speed, compared with the maintenance of knee
suppleness.
Specifically, Hamilton found that the key to optimal hip
range of motion was the conservation of hip mobility in the
kick or drive phase of running - when the foot becomes a
rigid lever for toe-off, the gluteal and hamstring muscles
recoil and contract to propel the leg backward, and the
quads also activate themselves to help straighten the leg
for the backward push. We can call this basic motion hip
extension - the backward movement of the leg at the hip.
But how can older runners preserve adequate hip extension
and thus stride length - and younger harriers improve on the
extension they already have? Certainly, flexibility of the
quadriceps muscles is one key, since over- tight quads will
resist backward leg movements. Consistent and thorough
stretching routines for the quads - carried out only after a
thorough warm-up - can certainly help make the quads and
their associated connective tissues more supple.
However, Hamilton points out that another key is to
deliberately alter the way you run, eg, to focus more on
using the muscles around the buttocks to push backward on
each step.