Exercises And Stretches For Hip Pain
Dr. Ritu Sethi
Oct 3, 2024•3 min read
Struggling with hip pain that interferes with daily activities like walking or sitting? Well, the reasons for hip pain could be injury, arthritis, or sitting for a longer period of time. There are a number of effective exercises for hip pain and stretches to relieve hip pain. Incorporate the best exercises for hip pain relief to your daily routine and say goodbye to joint pain!
12 Exercises To Relieve Hip Pain
Using the right exercises for hip pain relief and stretches can be an effective way of hip pain management. Here are 12 simple and effective exercises for hip pain relief and improved mobility:
Knee Lift
The knee lift is an exercise that supports strengthening the hip muscles, and stabilizing the hip joint. This exercise to relieve hip pain also helps reduce tightness.
How to do it:
1. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Slowly lift your right knee toward your chest as high as is comfortable.
3. Hold for a few seconds then lower your leg back down to the ground.
4. Repeat for 10-15 times on each leg.
External Hip Rotation
External hip rotations will stretch out the muscles that help rotate your hips out as well as improve flexibility and range of motion. This stretch to relieve hip pain will loosen hip rotators and make them more flexible.
How to do it:
1. Sit on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat.
2. Put your right ankle on your left thigh, just above the knee.
3. Slowly push your right knee down and feel the stretch of your hip.
4. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds and repeat on the other side.
Double Hip Rotation
Double hip rotation is an exercise that will loosen the tension of both hips and increase mobility at the lower back and around the area of the hips. This hip pain relief stretch relaxes the hip and lower back muscles and therefore is less painful and not as stiff.
How to do it:
1. Sit on the floor with your feet flat on the floor and bend your knees.
2. Let your arms out along your body to support you.
3. Lower both knees down to one side, keeping the feet together and the knees together as well.
4. Hold this stretch for a few seconds and bring your knees back to center and then repeat on the other side.
Hip And Lower Back Stretch
Combine both the hip and the lower back to stretch, bringing relief instantly from pain in the areas. This stretch to relieve hip pain helps to release tension in the hip and lower back muscles.
How to do it:
1. Sit on the floor with straight legs
2. Cross your right knee over the left leg, planting your right foot firmly on the ground.
3. Twist your torso to the right, then lean forward, and rest your left elbow on the outside of your right knee for support.
4. Hold for 20-30 seconds, then switch sides.
Hip Flexion
Hip flexion strengthens the front hip muscles, which can reduce aches and pains and improve mobility. This exercise helps in providing strength to the hip flexors and removes stiffness at the joint of the hip.
How to do it:
1. Lay flat on your back with straight legs.
2. Now slow lift one leg upwards-keeping the knee straight-lifting as high as possible on the move.
3. Hold for a few seconds and then lower it.
4. Do this process 10-15 times for each leg.
Hip Extension
Hip Extensions provide strength to the gluteal muscles and help sustain the hip joint. This exercise helps the strengthening of the glute muscles whose work is to uphold the hips.
How to do this:
1. Support on one hand for balancing.
2. Hold your leg straight, while you slowly lift one leg backward behind you as far as you can reach.
3. Hold for a few seconds, then repeat movement by returning back to position.
4. Repeat this 10-15 times on every leg.
Hip Abduction
Hip abduction works the outer muscles of the hip, so its state of stability improves and reduces pain in the joint. This exercise works the lateral hip muscles that can sometimes ease hip pain.
How to do it:
1. Stand at a distance equal to your hips. A stable surface that you can hold onto should also be present in case you lose balance.
2. Starting from the hip-width stance, lift one of your legs out to the side while your knee is straight.
3. Hold it up for several seconds and then lower it down.
4. Repeat 10-15 times on each side.
Heel-To-Buttock Exercise
This is an exercise that stretches quadriceps and hip flexors, and eases leg and hip pain or stiffness while improving flexibility. This hip pain relief stretch loosens up tension in the front of your hip and thigh.
How to do it:
1. Stand tall and hold onto something that will give some support.
2. Bend one knee, bring your heel toward your buttock, reach around and grasp your ankle.
3. Hold for 20-30 seconds, and switch.
Mini Squat
Mini squats work the muscles in the hips and knees, which is important for stabilizing the hips. This exercise strengthens hip, thigh, and lower back muscles.
How to do it:
1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Lower your hips into a mini squat by gently bending your knees. End up with your back straight.
3. Keep for about three seconds, return to starting position
4. Do 10 – 15 times, in 3 sets.
Short-Arc Quadriceps Exercise
This is a strengthening exercise of the quadriceps, which support hips and knees. It strengthens the quadriceps without straining the hip.
How to do it:
1. Lie on your back with a towel rolled under one knee
2. Slowly straighten the leg when you lift the foot from the floor.
3. Maintain for a few seconds and then straighten the limb.
4. Do these 10 to 15 times on each limb.
Quadriceps Exercise
This is another effective exercise to strengthen the front thigh muscles and strengthen the hip joint. Strengthening of the quadriceps is required to continue strengthening of the hips as well as to eradicate pain.
How to do it:
1. Sit on a chair and place your feet flat on the floor.
2. Slowly lift one leg as straight up as possible without your leg moving away from the floor
3. Hold for a few seconds and then drop the leg
4. Do this 10-15 repetitions for each leg.
Bridging
Bridging is done to strengthen the glutes, lower back and core that support the hips. Bridging is one of the best exercises for hip pain relief that one should practice in building strength in the hip areas and improving stability.
How to do it:
1. Lie on the back with the knees bent, so your feet are flat on the floor.
2. Slowly lift your hips off the ground into a position where you create a straight line from the shoulders to the knees.
3. Take a few seconds and then return your hips to the floor.
4. Repeat 10-15 times.
Conclusion
Hip pain is irritating and usually restricts mobility, but once exercises and stretches are incorporated into a daily routine, discomfort lessens, flexibility increases, and strength in support muscles of the hip benefits. These 12 exercises for hip pain are designed to target primary areas of hips, lower back, and thighs in relieving and preventing future pain. If these exercises do not treat the pain in your hips, or if your hip pain is getting worse, then you need to seek a doctor for proper diagnosis and an appropriate treatment recommendation.
Feeling lazy but want to alleviate hip pain? Try stretches and exercise to relieve hip pain at home. You should also include bone strengthening foods like tofu and leafy greens to your diet to feel more fit. Or get your hands on three60 Arthritis Joint Care Tablets into your routine. Formulated using AcujointTM, Undenatured type-II collagen, Hadjod and micronutrients blend to strengthen your bones and improve your mobility. Having no known side effects, these tablets promote cartilage repair and reduce joint stiffness for holistic joint care. Get yours now!
FAQs
1) Will hip pain go away with exercise?
Yes, in most cases. Exercises strengthen the muscles on and around the hip joint, improve flexibility, and get rid of pain.
2) What is the best sleeping position for hip pain?
Sleeping on the sides with a pillow between the knees will keep the alignment of the hips proper and reduce stress on the joints. If you prefer sleeping on your back, place a pillow under your knees to reduce stress in the hips.
3) Can sitting too much cause hip pain?
Yes, long sitting will cause tightness of the hip flexors, resulting in pain and discomfort. It is very important to take short breaks, stand up, stretch, and move around the body so that it can prevent prolonged sitting and hip pain.
4) Can exercises for hip pain relief be done at home?
Yes, most of the above-mentioned exercises can be easily done in the comfort of one’s home using minimal equipment.