5 Best Exercises to Reduce Hip Pain

If you have hip pain, you don’t have to live with it forever. Many different things can cause hip pain, but this discomfort frequently responds to certain kinds of exercise. Here are the five best exercises to reduce hip pain, along with some advice about what to do if your hip pain doesn’t resolve even after trying these tips.

Exercising in a pool, whether swimming or doing exercise like water aerobics, can be wonderful for hip pain. You don’t have to bear any weight on your joints, which can let you exercise for longer periods of time with no pain. Pool exercise also tends to work the whole body at once, so you can pack more resistance work (the force of water offers natural resistance) and calorie-burning into a shorter workout.

Long-term, you want to make sure you pair swimming pool exercise with something that involves more weight-bearing. Otherwise, you could be at risk of osteoporosis, especially if you are a senior. If your hip pain persists to the point where you can’t do anything but work out in the pool, you may want to look at alternatives (see below).

If your hip pain stems from a sedentary lifestyle, such as being stuck behind a desk at work or doing a lot of driving, walking may be the ideal antidote. Walking lets you open up your hip joint in the opposite direction it’s placed in when sitting. And, of course, it engages muscles you don’t use when you’re in a chair.

Be careful of not overdoing it, which could result in developing bursitis or tendinitis, leaving you to swap one problem for another. Start out slow and build your distance. Sometimes several short, brisk walks per day can be better. If you want to involve more of the body, add Nordic walking poles for your arms and core.

Cycling on an exercise bike reduces impact on your lower body while still giving you an amazing workout. Not only do you use your hips, but you also engage your legs, back, and abdominal muscles.

A few tips for stationary cycling with hip pain:

1. Find a bicycle that fits you properly and can be adjusted.
2. Start slow and then build to a longer workout.
3. Avoid spin classes and other exercises that require standing in the saddle, which may aggravate your hips.
4. Stop if you feel sharp pain in your hips.

There’s a reason many Eastern countries have people living well into old age and still able to exercise. Their traditions of yoga and tai chi are perfect for moving without putting undue stress on the body.

With yoga especially, it’s easy to get carried away, though — you may find yourself in a class that’s too aggressive and may exacerbate your hip pain. Instead, look for a beginner group or one geared toward injury rehabilitation. Alternatively, practice yoga at home with a DVD, online class, or television program. That way, you can go at your own pace and skip movements that may aggravate any pain.

The style of yoga you choose can make a difference, too. For example, Hatha yoga is considered gentler and easier for people with physical limitations.

It’s definitely easier to learn tai chi, considered a “soft” martial art that’s more like slow dancing. Once you’ve mastered a few forms, which are choreographed sequences of movements, you can practice on your own anywhere. Many folks like to do tai chi in the morning upon waking to help the body get moving.

Sometimes it’s best to simply do some easy stretching and mat exercises on your own. The beauty of this regimen is you can do these exercises almost anywhere: in a hotel room while traveling on business, in your office during a break, or at home before bedtime.

You can customize a program, like eating from an à la carte menu, to get exactly what you need for your fitness level and restrictions. If you’re not sure what to try, a few sessions with a fitness coach can point you in the right direction.

Some popular exercises for hip pain include:

1. Knee-to-chest stretch, either with both legs or one leg at a time with the opposite leg extended
2. Hip abduction, standing straight and raising one leg straight to the side about 45 degrees
3. Mini-squats, like lowering yourself into a chair
4. Bridges, lying on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, then elevating your hips to form a “bridge” with your body
5. Hip extensions, lifting one leg 45 degrees behind you while standing and holding onto the back of a chair or counter

Ideally, you want to find a nice mix of strengthening and stretching exercises to tone and lengthen the muscles of the body. Also, don’t forget to include some abdominal work, like reverse crunches, as weak abdominals can contribute to hip pain.

If your pain persists, your doctor may recommend taking over-the-counter or prescription drugs. But those treatments only mask the pain, and they can have many unpleasant side effects. Likewise, joint replacement surgery, which is another common suggestion, has many downsides, from cost to possible complications or even fatality.

Instead, consider non-pharmaceutical, non-surgical pain management from Core Medical & Wellness. We treat a huge range of pain issues that relate to hip pain, including:

1. Arthritis
2. Degenerative disc disease
3. Compression fractures of the spine
4. Extruded discs
5. Sacroiliac joint pain
6. Scoliosis
7. Spinal stenosis

Depending on what’s causing your hip pain, our team can use a variety of non-surgical options to give you relief. It all starts with your initial consultation. There, we review your symptoms, discuss your medical history, and conduct a physical exam as well as any needed medical imaging. Once we have a full picture of your problem, we will build a customized pain management plan to reduce or eliminate your pain with safe alternatives to conventional treatments.

Do you have hip pain that is starting to become chronic or won’t respond to exercise? Call Core Medical & Wellness today at 888-521-0688, or get in touch online with your questions.