6 Best Exercises for Hip Arthritis
The best exercises for hip arthritis include gentle, low-impact exercises like yoga, stretching, and gentle aerobic exercises that improve flexibility, help you maintain a healthy weight, and work on range of motion. With the guidance of a physical therapist, these types of exercises can help to keep your body fit and flexible and can even go some way to ease arthritis pain.
Arthritis causes hip stiffness and pain that can eventually affect mobility and quality of life. Doing activities that restore or maintain hip mobility can help keep you active for longer. Because maintaining an active lifestyle and staying at a healthy weight also helps reduce the risk of other conditions like diabetes and heart disease, gentle-to-moderate exercise has no end of benefits for your health.
1. Straight Leg Raises to the Outside
Tip: Using a yoga mat for floor exercises may make this and other exercises more comfortable.
Lie down carefully on your side. Start with the affected hip facing up.
Clench your top leg’s thigh muscles, tightening the muscles to keep the knee straight.
Try to keep your hip and leg straight and in line with the rest of your body. Point your knee forward, trying to avoid dropping your hip back.
Lift the top leg to around 30cm off the floor and hold for six seconds. Slowly lower your leg.
Repeat 8-12 times.
If you can, roll over and repeat the exercise on the other side.
2. Clamshell
As the name suggests, this exercise requires you to open and close your legs like a clamshell while lying on the floor.
Lie on your side on the floor. Using a yoga mat will make this more comfortable. Lie on your side with the affected hip facing up. Keep your knees together and bent.
Slowly raise the top knee, keeping your feet together. Your hips should remain in the same starting position and your legs should open up like a clamshell.
Hold this position for six seconds or for as long as is comfortable for you.
Gently lower your knee back down and rest for 10 seconds.
Repeat this exercise up to 8 to 12 times.
If you are able, switch sides and repeat steps 1 through 5.
3. Knee-to-Chest Knee Raise
This is a very simple exercise for people with arthritis that can be adapted for more or less stretch depending on your pain level and mobility.
Lie on your back, keeping your feet flat on the floor and bending your knees.
Bring the affected leg slowly and gently toward your chest. You can keep the other foot flat on the floor, or with the knee straight. Choose whichever way is most comfortable for your lower back.
Hold for at least 15 to 30 seconds for a gentle stretch with your lower back flat on the floor.
Lower the knee to the starting position with your legs straight.
Repeat 2 to 4 times.
Switch legs and repeat steps 1 to 5 on the other side.
4. Hip Rotator Stretch
Adapt this exercise to what your body is able to do.
Lie on your yoga mat and bend your knees. Keep your feet flat on the mat.
Place the ankle of the affected leg on the opposite thigh, close to your knee.
Push your knee away from the rest of your body. You should feel a stretching sensation around the hip area.
Hold this stretch for 15-30 seconds and repeat 2-4 times.
Repeat steps 1-4, but change the exercise slightly. This time, bring your knee toward the opposite shoulder.
Switch legs and repeat.
5. Bridge
This is a gentle exercise that can also strengthen your back and glute muscles.
Lie flat on your back with your knees bent to around 90 degrees.
Push your feet down into the floor, squeeze your buttocks, and lift your hips off the floor until your shoulders, hips, and knees are all aligned.
Hold this position for around six seconds, then slowly lower your hips back to the floor.
Repeat 8 to 12 times.
6. Other Types of Exercise
Though exercising at home will bring you many benefits and potentially reduce pain, having hip arthritis should be no barrier to taking part in group activities that will keep you active and social as well as promoting healthier cartilage in your joints. Some types of exercises that are known to ease hip pain associated with arthritis and are readily available in centers around Denver include:
Low-impact aerobic or endurance activities. Low-impact activities include swimming, cycling, and walking. These types of activities help improve your overall fitness and will help with maintaining a healthy weight. Because excess weight puts more strain on the joints, keeping your weight within healthy parameters will be beneficial both for your arthritis and your general health.
Strengthening exercises. Resistance and weight training strengthen your muscles to provide the joints with more support and stability. Always ask for help from a professional before attempting these exercises because poor technique can do more harm than good.
Stretching and range-of-motion exercises. Improving your flexibility allows you to move your joints in a greater range. A standing hip flexor stretch can be a great stretch to perform at the start and end of your routine (with the support of a chair or banister).
Yoga. Yoga offers many benefits. It's a low-impact exercise that will improve range of motion and flexibility over time. Many people also enjoy the therapeutic and spiritual benefits of yoga.
Tai chi. This is a gentle form of exercise that combines stretching and mindfulness for greater flexibility and range of motion.
Swimming or water aerobics. Going to the pool is low-impact and an excellent way to work out your whole body and relieve hip arthritis pain and stiffness. The swimming pool is also an excellent place to work simply out by walking across the pool or participating in a water aerobics class. The water provides resistance to boost your strength.
Specialized equipment. If you are reluctant to go to a gym, you can use simple and affordable exercise equipment at home to stay fit and active with a daily exercise program. Equipment such as recumbent bikes and ellipticals are designed as low-impact tools that help people with different forms of arthritis, including hip OA.
Other forms of everyday physical activity. Many of the activities we do in our everyday lives involve one form of exercise or another. This can include gardening, walking the dog, walking to the shops, or cleaning the house. It's important to stay as active as possible, even when suffering from arthritis. At the same time, be mindful to listen to your body and respond to cuesthat you may be over-exerting yourself.
Stay Active and Mobile
Exercise can help to protect and improve mobility in people with hip arthritis. The more you strengthen your muscles, the less strain will be placed on the hip joint and the more stable the joint will be. Exercise can also help to decrease bone loss.
Talk to your doctor and a physical therapist or personal trainer when putting together an exercise program for hip arthritis. They will be able to indicate which exercises are safest and measure your progress over time. When properly planned and executed, a program of targeted exercises and whole-body physical activity can greatly improve your quality of life.