Hips don’t lie — that was a pop culture throwback you would recognize if you were of a certain age. You would then also know that hips do hurt! It’s time you paid attention to the pain you experience from time to time and did something about it.

Your hips are your body’s center of mass and its main engine. You might not know this and probably have never thought about it; however, your hips are the most powerful and largest muscle groups, which include the hamstrings, quads, and glutes. Together, they allow you to jump, run, swim, and climb. The joints that fuse the muscles are crucial to all movements in your daily life as well as sports. When your hips start to pain, you feel as if your energy is draining away.

Even the smallest wear and tear can worsen your hip health with age. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), when it comes to the most common type of joint pain, 18% of American adults experience knee pain, followed by 9% from shoulder pain, and 7% from hip pain. Moreover, young athletes, especially women, experience the most pain from hip injuries due to acute trauma and repetitive overuse.

Before talking about the types of exercise for hip pain, let’s dive a little deep into the anatomy first:

What Causes Hip Pain?

Your hip is your body’s biggest rotational joint. It’s quite strong and does not get damaged easily. However, in the case of athletes, the repeated stress can cause structural changes. Below are some of the common causes of hip pain:

Osteoarthritis

A form of arthritis, this problem causes mild inflammation in the hip tissue and around the joint. It also damages the cartilage and any flexible tissue connected to the group. In some cases, it also leads to bony growths that may cause stiffness. While osteoarthritis has no cure, it can be managed with certain treatments and exercise.

Hip Fracture

Mostly older men and women suffer from hip fractures because of decreased bone density. Symptoms of this problem include pain while straightening, lifting something, or standing for too long on your leg.

Inflamed Ligament

If you like your morning runs too much, you might be the one causing yourself harm. An inflamed ligament is called iliotibial band syndrome and is treated with anti-inflammatory medications, ice, and compression.

Snapping Hip Syndrome

Do you like to dance? Are you a professional dancer? You might have to snap hip syndrome causing hip pain. This problem commonly occurs in athletes and dancers and is characterized by the snapping sound you hear or feel when your hip muscles are engaged in the movement.

You will hear the snap more clearly when getting up from the couch or walking. Though this syndrome is painless, with time, it can develop into something else. If you are wondering, this snapping is a sign that your cartilage is slowly developing a tear.

Tendinitis and Bursitis

Tendons surrounding your hip are connected to the muscles in your joint. When these tendons are overused due to strenuous activity, they become inflamed. As a result, you not only feel pain in your hips but your pelvic region too.

The reasons mentioned here could be causing you hip pain. The good news is that most of these problems can be treated with medicine and exercise. You don’t need to get surgery to fix the damage.

Now, let’s take a look at the exercises for hip pain:

Top 10 Exercises for Hip Pain

Exercise #1

Lower Back and Hip Stretch

• Sets: 2
• Reps: 5

As mentioned earlier, stretching is extremely important for flexing your muscles so you don’t lock them during a certain move. Your lower back is connected to your hips and is also one of the reasons for hip pain. Here’s how you can start with stretches:

• Lie down on the ground, flat on your back
• Bend your knees, band them together, and slowly bring them towards your body
• Pull your knees until the feet are facing downwards
• Use both hands and pull your knees towards your chest
• Inhale deeply and pull your knees closer to your shoulders on each exhale
• Pull your knees as close as you can and hold the position for at least 30 seconds
• Bring your knees down and breathe normally

Once you are done with the stretches, start with the basic exercises that will help you gauge your pain level and how far you can twist and turn your body.

Exercise #2

Butterfly Stretch

• Sets: 4
• Reps: 2 Minutes

Remember how we said that your hips, knees, inner thighs, and groin are all connected? Butterfly stretches help you to loosen these areas and allow you to strengthen your back muscles. This exercise not only improves posture but also allows you to sit on any surface. Here’s how to do this exercise:

• Sit on the floor with your legs crossed
• Bend your legs in such a way that the soles of your feet meet each other
• Your knees should face their respective sides at a 180° angle
• Place your hands on your ankles and push your feet together if there’s a gap in between
• Hold your feet in place and lift your knees in a wing motion

Exercise #3

Hip Flexion

• Sets: 2
• Reps: 10

Hip flexion helps stabilize the key muscles in your spine and pelvis as well as the core muscles of your glutes and torso. This exercise is third on the list because it helps you build momentum and strength. When you proceed to hardcore exercises, the risk of injury in your lower back is reduced. Moreover, it gives you the power to jump and run. Here’s how to do hip flexion:

• Stand up straight
• Extend your arm to the side grab the table for support
• Raise your right knee slowly as high as your hips
• Keep your left leg straight and immobile
• Hold this position for a few seconds and then lower your feet to the ground
• Repeat on the other side

Exercise #4

Hip Extension

• Sets: 2
• Reps: 10

Your hamstrings and glutes come under the hip extensor muscles that are the major movers in your body. With the help of strong glutes, you get lower back support and pelvic alignment. Like hip flexion, this exercise allows you to walk, run, and jump. Here’s how to do hip extension:

• Stand straight with your feet slightly apart
• Extend both your arms in front of you and grab a table for support
• Lock in your right leg and lift your left leg backward (Do not bend your knee)
• Raise your leg as high as you can without causing discomfort and clench your buttock tightly
• Hold this position for a few seconds and then lower your feet to the ground

Exercise #5

Hip Abduction

• Sets: 2
• Reps: 10

The key benefit of hip abduction exercise is decreased pain. It also helps reduce knee valgus, which is a condition when your knees cave inwards. You might have heard the term “knock-kneed,” which aptly describes this problem. For better muscle performance and activation, doing this exercise is necessary. Hip abduction also strengthens your core muscles and is crucial for athletic activity and balance. Here’s how to do this exercise:

• Stand straight
• Bring your hands in a prayer position in front of you
• Lift your left leg to the side without rotating your hips (Do not try to raise your leg too high because this exercise’s purpose is to check your hip rotation)
• Make sure that the other leg stays straight
• Hold this position for a few seconds and then repeat on the other leg

Exercise #6

Leg Swings

• Sets: 1
• Reps: 8

Unlike stretching, which is done in one place, leg swings are more animated and increase your range of mobility. It pushes your joint to move and gives you more power to do hardcore exercises. Here’s how to do leg swings:

• Stand straight with your arms loosely by your side
• Raise your right leg and make it swing from left to right
• Move your hands in the opposite direction
• Make sure your torso stays steady
• Repeat with your left leg

Exercise #7

Yoga Squat

• Sets: 2
• Reps: 15

When done properly, yoga squats benefit your body in many ways, such as it gives you stronger calves and legs, lowers back pain, opens your groin and hips, stimulates abdominal internal organs and the spine, and releases the lumbar nerve plexus. Here’s how to do this exercise:

• Stand straight with your feet slightly apart
• Bend your knees and lower your butt slowly. Test your endurance of how far you can go towards the ground. Once you build momentum, proceed forward
• Bring your arms together in a prayer position and take a deep breath
• Lower yourself with your hands in front of you and your elbows aligned with your thighs

Exercise #8

Lying Leg Raise

• Sets: 3
• Reps: 10

Lying leg raises performed on the side provide you with a better range of motion in your hips. They stabilize your body and allow you to use those muscles that have been inactive due to prolonged sitting. Lastly, they also improve muscle endurance. Here’s how to do a lying leg raise:

• Lie down on the floor on your side
• Keep your legs straight and on top of each other
• Prop yourself up on your elbow
• Engage your core, keep your hips locked in, and raise your left leg in the air
• Try to straighten it as much as you can
• Repeat on the other side

Note: You can use an exercise band during this exercise to add a little pressure.

Exercise #9

Bridge

• Sets: 1
• Reps: 15

The bridge exercise tests your hip muscles and how far they have come in reducing pain; this is an advanced exercise for hip pain. Additionally, it strengthens your hamstring and gluteus muscles, which support your hips’ surface. The muscles this exercise targets stabilize your legs, pelvis, and trunk. Here’s how to do bridges:

• Lie down on the ground, on your back
• Bend both your knees so that your feet are resting on the ground
• Place your hands, palms down on the ground and slowly raise your buttocks until they align with your knees
• Remain in this position for a few seconds and then slowly lower down your body

For those experiencing extreme hip pain, this exercise might be a little difficult to perform. If you feel even the slightest ting of pain while doing bridges, revert to the stretches and flexion.

Exercise #10

Fire Hydrant

• Sets: 3
• Reps: 10

The fire hydrant exercise involves two movements that target the glutes. It sculpts and tones your glutes and makes them stronger. As a result, you reduce your chances of sustaining injuries, improve your posture, and reduce knee and back pain. Here’s how to do this exercise:

• Get down on all fours
• Your knees should be positioned knees below your hips and hands below your shoulders
• Raise your left leg out towards the back so that your thigh is in line with the floor
• Make sure your back and neck are straight
• Slowly bring back your left leg into the bent position and repeat on the other side

Final Thoughts

These exercises for hip pain can help you get relief and become stronger. You might have noticed that all the exercises mentioned above can be done with minimal movement. Even though your hips are strong, your tendons are easily susceptible to damage. This is why you immediately feel back, knee, and hip pain when you run too fast or lift something heavy. Jumping into hardcore exercises can worsen your hip pain. So, start with the stretches and then proceed slowly.