Your hip joints do a lot of heavy lifting–from supporting your balance to letting you walk and move through your daily life. Strengthening your glutes and hip flexors (the muscles that support your hip) and improving your flexibility lets you reduce pain and prevent injury. Whether you’re looking to get a little more mobile, prevent injury and pain while walking or running, or whether you’re a senior seeking osteoarthritis relief, these at-home exercises will boost your hip joint strength and mobility. Aim to perform all these exercises 2-3 times per week, and aim to perform the stretches daily.

2

Quadriceps stretch

  1. Stand in front of a bench or sturdy chair. Shift your weight onto your right leg. Bend your left knee and put the instep of your left foot onto the bench or sturdy chair behind you. You should feel a stretch through the front of your left thigh and hip. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds, and switch legs after you’ve done 3 holds on one leg. [2]
    • Do 3 reps of 30 second holds on each side.
    • If you don’t feel a stretch through the front of your thigh and hip, try raising or lowering the surface behind you.
    • Do this stretch in front of a counter if you need help balancing.
    • Incorporate this stretch into your daily routine for added flexibility.
3

Knee hugs

  1. Start with both feet on the ground together. Lift your knee to your chest. Grab below your knee with your hands and pull the knee into your chest. Squeeze your opposite glute for stability. Return to the starting position, and repeat on the other side. [3]
    • Do 2 sets of 20 reps per side.
    • For example, if you squeeze your right knee into your chest, you’ll squeeze your left glute to stabilize your lower body.
    • For an advanced variation, add a calf raise. Extend onto your toes while you’re holding your knee to your chest.
    • You can do this stretch daily.
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4

Hip circles

10

Hip abduction

  1. [13] To get into the starting position, lie on your side. Start with your weaker leg or hip on top. Bend your lower leg for easier balance and support. Straighten your top leg, then lift it up to a 45° angle above your body. Hold it at the top for 5 seconds. Then, slowly lower your leg back down to complete the rep. [14]
    • Do 1 set of 8 reps on each side.
    • You’ll feel this exercise in your outer hip and glutes.
11

Hip adduction

  1. [15] Lie on your side with both legs straight. Put your hand on the floor by your belly for extra stability. If you have an injured leg or weak side, start with that leg on the bottom. Bend your top leg and cross it over the bottom leg. Then, raise the lower leg off the floor about 6–8 inches (15–20 cm). Hold at the top of the lift for 5 seconds. Slowly lower your leg back down to complete the rep. [16]
    • Do 1 set of 8 reps on each side.
    • You’ll feel this exercise in your inner thigh.
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13

Lateral leg raises

  1. We’ll walk you through the no-equipment version first. Stand with your feet together. Then, slowly raise one of your legs off the ground and out to the side, as high as you can without moving your upper body. Slowly lower back down to complete 1 rep. [19]
    • Do 1 set of 12-15 reps.
    • To add resistance, loop a band around the leg you’re raising. The band should be anchored on table leg or chair leg so that it resists your outward motion.
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14

Single leg mini squats

  1. Stand with your hand against a wall if you need extra support. Shift your weight onto one leg, and hold the other leg slightly bent behind you. Bend the knee of your standing leg to perform a “mini squat.” Envision yourself sitting down in a chair to make sure your weight stays in your heel. Straighten the leg to complete the rep. [20]
16

Step ups

  1. Put your right foot onto a step in front of you. Raise your left foot up slowly until it’s at the level of your right foot, but don’t let it rest on the step. Press down through your right heel and tighten your glutes to activate your lower body muscles. Lower your left foot back down slowly over a count of 4. Complete the total reps for one leg, then switch. [23]
    • Do 1 set of 10 reps for each leg.
    • Hold onto a railing if you need extra support.
    • You can even add weight to this exercise by holding a dumbbell or kettlebell in each hand, and letting your hands hang by your sides.

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