10 Easy Exercises To Fight Hip Pain From Arthritis

As we age, our bodies often throw us a few curveballs, and for many older adults, arthritis can be one of the toughest battles we face. 

The discomfort and limitations from a flare-up can make even simple daily tasks feel like you’re climbing a mountain. 

Trust me, I understand! 

Recently, I had a massive flare-up of hip pain from arthritis.  

Getting in and out of my car, walking, going up and down stairs, and even just getting up from a sitting position kicked-my butt! 

This was devastating both physically as well as mentally.  

Surprisingly, though, this turned out to be a blessing in disguise. 

Why?

Well, experiencing this pain firsthand as a victim vs a nurse and trainer gave me a whole new understanding of how challenging it can be and what truly works best to overcome it. 

Staying active is a huge key when it comes to managing flare-ups.   

In this post, I’ll share some easy-to-follow exercises designed to help get you back up and moving again.   

What Causes Hip Flare-Ups

As we get older, there are a bunch of things that can make our hips act up. 

The biggest one is hip osteoarthritis, which happens when our hips go through wear and tear over time. 

This can lead to stiffness and pain that can really take you down. 

Another trigger for flare-ups can be a significant increase in activity level. Going all out during workouts or even our daily routine can piss off our hip joints. 

Weight gain can also put more stress on our joints, making the situation worse. 

Diet and weather changes can also play havoc on our joints.  

Getting Professional Help

When you have a flare-up of hip pain, you must first check in with your healthcare provider.  If you have an orthopedic surgeon, visiting them would be very helpful.  

You need to make sure that there is nothing more serious going on that needs to be addressed.    

Your healthcare team may also be able to offer different treatment options, such as medication, a cortisone injection, a few visits with a physical therapist, or even hip replacement surgery if needed.

However, regardless of the treatment plan, most physicians recommend a regular exercise program to keep the area around the hip joint strong and stretched out.  

Simple Stretching and Strengthening Exercises

After your healthcare provider gives you the green light to exercise, you should focus on exercises specifically targeting flexibility and strength for the hip.  

At first, gentle stretches and simple strengthening exercises are best to regain your range of motion and help decrease pain.  

Below are exercises that can be done while lying on your bed or couch, sitting or standing.  

As you progress, you can slowly add resistance bands or weights to your hip exercises.  

Knees to Chest

This exercise targets the hip flexors, lower back, glutes, and hamstrings. All of the muscles that support the hip joint.

To do this exercise:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent to 45 degrees.
• Wrap both hands around one leg and pull up toward your chest, only as far as comfortable.
• Hold for 10 seconds. 
• Do 5-10 lifts per leg

Glute Bridges

This is a great exercise for strengthening the glutes, hamstrings and core muscles, which is very important for hip stability.  

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
• Lift your hips towards the ceiling, squeezing your glutes at the top.
• Hold at the top for 5 seconds, then lower your glutes.
• Repeat 10 times.  

For more resistance, you can place a resistance band above your knees. 

Clamshells

This exercise works the hip flexors as well as the glutes.  

• Lie on your side with the affected hip facing up to the ceiling, knees bent. 
• Keeping your feet together, lift your top knee as high as you can tolerate without moving your hips. 
• Lower your knee and repeat 10 times, then roll to the other side.

Seated Hip Abduction 

For these exercises, it is very important to use good form.  Foot placement is extremely important.  

• Start by sitting on a chair with feet no more than hip width apart.  
•  Begin to move your knees out to the side.  (If this is too easy, place a mini band above your knees).
• Bring knees back to center.  
• Repeat 10 times.  

Seated Hip Adduction 

• Start by sitting in a chair with feet no more than hip width apart.  
• Place a yoga ball or a pillow between your legs.
• Slowly squeeze your knees together.  (If you experience increased pain, try readjusting your feet).  
• Repeat 10 times 

Side Leg Swings 

This targets the hip abductor muscles (outer thigh) and glutes, providing necessary support for the hip joint.

• Start by standing near a wall or a chair.  
• Raise the right leg out to the side while keeping the leg straight and core engaged.
• Lower the leg back down to starting position.
• Repeat 10 times 
• Then, switch legs and repeat.

Marches

This exercise targets the quads, hamstrings, hip flexors, calves, and glutes.

• Start by standing near a wall or a chair.  
• Raise the right knee up as far as tolerated.  
• Lower the leg back down to starting position.
• Alternate legs
• Repeat 10 times per leg.

Lateral Walks

This exercise works the hip abductor muscles (outer thigh) and glutes.

• Start with feet together.
• Lower into a high squat position.
• Step out to the side with your right foot.
• Bring your left foot to the right foot.
• Repeat in one direction for 3-4 steps, depending on your space.
• Then, go back in the other direction.

When you are able, place a resistance band above your knees or ankles for more resistance.

Good Mornings

This is a great exercise to stretch the hamstrings and strengthen the glutes.  

• Stand behind a chair with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Begin to hinge at the hips, keeping your back straight.
• Slowly lower the upper body towards the ground, keeping your spine in a straight line.  
• Hold for a few seconds, you should feel a stretch in the hamstrings (back of your thigh)
• Then, engage your glutes as you return to the starting position.
• Repeat 10 times.

Low-Impact Aerobic Exercises

It’s a good idea to do some form of low-impact exercise that won’t stress joints.

If you have access to a pool, water aerobics, aquatic exercises or just moving in the water can be extremely helpful to get you moving without causing increased pain.  

The buoyancy reduces stress on the joints while providing a great workout. 

Walking in place and around your house can also be very helpful at first.  

When you feel strong enough you can go outside but I would advance slowly, you wouldn’t want to get to far from home and not be able to get back due to increased pain.  

An elliptical machine or cycling on a stationary bike is also a great option and very joint friendly.  

Is Exercise Important When Experiencing Hip Pain From Arthritis?

Staying active is very important, especially when it comes to managing hip arthritis pain.

The right exercises not only help decrease discomfort but also strengthens the muscles around your joints, improve flexibility, and improve overall mobility.

Think of movement as a way to reclaim your freedom and independence!

Remember, it’s not about pushing your limits; it’s about finding what feels good for your body and keeping those hips happy.

Let me know if you have any other tips on getting rid of horrible hip pain. I would love to hear from you!