5 Hip Movements to Help Strengthen and Prevent Pain

Hip pain is something that affects up to 1 in 10 Americans, but there are some exercises that can help almost anyone ease or eliminate pain.

Strengthening Exercises

Supine Bridges
Begin lying on your back with your arms resting at your sides, your legs bent at the knees, and your feet flat on the ground. Tighten your abs and slowly lift your hips off the floor into a bridge position, keeping your back straight and in a neutral spine.

Seated Marching
Begin sitting upright in a chair with your feet flat on the floor. Keeping your knee bent, lift one leg and lower it back to the ground, then repeat with your other leg. Continue this movement in a marching motion while alternating between legs.

Clamshells
Begin lying on your side with your legs bent to 45 degrees and feet together. Lift your top knee upward while keeping your feet together, then lower it back down and repeat.

Prone Hip Extension
Begin by lying on your stomach with both legs stretched straight behind you. Slowly lift one leg upward as far as you can without arching your low back, then lower it back to the starting position.

Sidelying Hip Abduction
Begin by laying on one side, and slowly lift your upper leg toward the ceiling, then lower it back to the starting position. When finished with one side, lay on the other side and perform the same movement with the opposite leg.

To learn more about the causes and treatments of hip pain, click here.