Arthritis Exercises for Hip Pain

If you experience frequent joint pain caused by arthritis, Ochsner sports medicine physician Shannon Goode, MD, recommends incorporating certain exercises into your daily routine. 

Check out the exercises outlined below that are designed to help strengthen the muscles around your hip joints and prevent future injuries.

Straight leg raise

What it does: Helps strengthen muscles around your hip joint and the front of your thigh.

How to do it: Begin in a seated position on the floor. Either lean back on your hands or lay flat on your back.

Put your right leg flat on the floor and bend your left knee. Lift your right leg straight up to meet the top of the bent knee, then slowly bring it back down.

Repeat the same motion on the opposite leg.

Prone hip extension

What it does: Helps strengthen muscles in your lower back, glutes, posterior thigh and hip.

How to do it: Lay flat on your stomach with your chest touching the floor.

Keep your left leg down on the floor. Lift your right leg up, making sure to keep it straight, and bring it straight up toward the ceiling. Slowly bring it back down. You should feel the contraction in the back of your thigh working your hamstring muscle.

Repeat on the other side.

Sideline leg lift

What it does: Works your gluteal muscles, which help strengthen the muscles around your hips.

How to do it: To begin, lay flat on your right side. Life your left leg straight up, the slowly lower it back down. Repeat on the other side.

Quadricep set

What it does: Helps strengthen hip and knee joints.

How to do it: Begin in a seated position on the floor. Lean back on your hands with your legs stretched out in front of you.

Slightly bend your left knee and raise it toward the ceiling. Hold it for about five seconds, then straighten it as much as you can. Squeeze your quadricep as you’re straightening your leg.

Lower and repeat on the other side.

Dr. Goode said to get the maximum benefit from these exercises, it’s important to take your time and really focus on muscle contractions.

In this video, Dr. Goode also shares shoulder arthritis exercises you can do at home.