11 Best Exercises for Hip Arthritis to Relieve Pain and Improve Mobility

The best exercises for hip arthritis combine gentle mobility, strengthening for your hips and thighs, and low-impact activity. This guide focuses on hip osteoarthritis. Our guide to physical therapy exercises for hip pain explains how a therapist can help you choose movements that fit your needs.

The 2026 American College of Rheumatology recommendations strongly recommend exercise for hip osteoarthritis. You can start with a few comfortable movements and build gradually, choosing a routine that fits your symptoms and the activities you want to keep doing.

The 11 movements below give you options for mobility, strength, and balance. All are available in the Sporty Doctor app, with video guidance. The free plan includes 10 exercises picked for you; full workouts are part of the annual plan.

Why Moving Helps an Arthritic Hip

Hip osteoarthritis affects the whole joint, including the cartilage that helps its surfaces move smoothly. Stiffness and pain can make you move less, leaving the surrounding muscles with less work to do. Over time, everyday tasks such as walking and getting out of a chair may feel harder.

Rest can help when symptoms rise, but regular movement helps you maintain strength and mobility. The goal is to make daily movement more manageable, at a pace your hip can tolerate.

Start With Comfortable Movement

If your hip pain hasn’t been assessed, check with a doctor or physical therapist first. Follow individual exercise advice if you have inflammatory arthritis or have recently had a hip replacement.

• Choose a few movements. Start with two or three that feel comfortable, including a strength exercise if you can control it. You don’t need all 11, or a stretching-only phase before strengthening.
• Use your symptoms as a guide. Mild, familiar aching may be tolerable. Stop or scale back for sharp pain, pain that builds as you move, or symptoms that remain worse the next morning.
• Keep the range manageable. A small, steady movement is a useful starting point. Start with sit to stand or a supported shallow squat; you don’t need both in your first sessions.

Arthritic Hip Stretches to Ease Stiffness

These arthritic hip stretches use the floor, a wall, or a band for support. The 2025 hip osteoarthritis physical therapy guideline recommends exercise tailored to your mobility, strength, and everyday needs. These are options within that approach, not individually proven arthritis treatments. Our hip stretches for tight hips guide offers more choices.

Knee to Chest Stretch

Knee to chest stretches your buttock and lower-back muscles while taking the hip through a supported bend. It can be a comfortable starting point when your hip feels stiff after sleep or sitting. Start with one 30-second hold per side.

1. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat.
2. Pull one knee toward your chest, hands wrapped around the front of your shin.
3. Let your other leg relax out straight along the floor.
4. Hold gently without pinching the hip, then switch sides.

Figure 4 Stretch

The figure 4 stretch reaches your glutes and piriformis, a deep buttock muscle that helps rotate the hip. It offers a different direction of movement from knee to chest, especially when tightness sits around the back of your hip. Start with one 30-second hold per side.

1. Lie on your back with both knees bent.
2. Cross one ankle over the opposite thigh, just above the knee.
3. Draw the supporting thigh toward you without pressing the crossed knee outward.
4. Hold, then release and switch sides.

Standing IT Band Stretch With Wall

This stretch reaches the muscles around your outer hip, including the tensor fasciae latae near the front and side. Wall support makes it an option when floor stretches are difficult. Start with one 30-second hold per side, and skip it if it increases pain over the bony outside of your hip.

1. Stand sideways beside a wall, resting the nearest hand on it.
2. Cross the wall-side foot behind the other foot.
3. Keep both feet down and move the wall-side hip toward the wall.
4. Hold a comfortable stretch, then switch sides.

Banded Hamstring Stretch

The hamstrings run along the back of your thigh and help bend your knee and straighten your hip. This stretch works on thigh flexibility while the floor and band support you, making the position easier to control. Start with one 30-second hold per side.

1. Lie on your back and loop a band or towel around one foot.
2. Raise that leg, keeping a slight bend in the knee.
3. Maintain a comfortable stretch without tingling or pain.
4. Lower slowly and switch sides.

Hip Arthritis Exercises for Strength and Balance

These hip arthritis exercises work the muscles you use to stand, walk, and steady yourself. Strengthening is part of the 2025 physical therapy guideline’s exercise recommendations; the 2019 ACR and Arthritis Foundation guideline conditionally recommended balance training. The evidence supports the broader approaches, without identifying one best exercise. For more outer-hip options, see our hip abductor strengthening exercises.

Glute Bridge

The glute bridge strengthens your main buttock muscle, the gluteus maximus, and your hamstrings. These muscles help straighten your hip when you walk or rise from a chair. It adds strength work without standing balance demands. Start with 45 seconds, or roughly 6–15 controlled repetitions.

1. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet hip-width apart.
2. Press through your feet to lift your hips.
3. Squeeze your glutes without arching your lower back.
4. Lower with control and repeat.

Clamshell

Clamshells work the buttock muscles that rotate and control your hip, including the gluteus medius on its outer side. They let you practice hip control without balancing on one leg. Start with 30 seconds per side, or roughly 5–12 controlled repetitions.

1. Lie on your side with knees bent and hips stacked.
2. Keep your feet together and open the top knee.
3. Lower slowly without rolling your pelvis backward.
4. Repeat, then switch sides.

Side Leg Lifts

Side leg lifts work the outer-hip muscles, including the gluteus medius and minimus, which help steady your pelvis during a step. They offer another way to build that support alongside clamshells. The app’s Side Leg Raises With Band uses 30 seconds per side; aim for roughly 5–12 controlled repetitions.

1. Loop a light band around your ankles, or begin without it.
2. Lie on your side with legs straight and stacked.
3. Lift the top leg a short distance without rolling your hips.
4. Lower with control, repeat, and switch sides.

Sit to Stand

Sit to stand strengthens your quadriceps at the front of your thighs and your glutes. Its purpose is practical: building strength and control for getting out of a chair. It also gives you a standing option when floor exercises are difficult. Start with 45 seconds, or roughly 6–15 controlled repetitions.

1. Sit near the front of a sturdy chair with feet flat.
2. Lean forward slightly and press through your feet.
3. Stand tall, using your hands for support if needed.
4. Sit down slowly and repeat.

Bodyweight Squat

Bodyweight squats work your thighs and glutes together for everyday bending and lifting. They can be a progression from sit to stand once rising from a chair feels steady. You choose the depth, so a shallow squat is enough to begin. Start with 45 seconds, or roughly 6–15 controlled repetitions.

1. Stand with feet about hip-width apart beside a sturdy support.
2. Move your hips back and bend your knees into a shallow squat.
3. Stop before pinching or increasing pain, then press through your feet to stand.
4. Repeat with control.

Standing Marches

Standing marches work your hip flexors, the muscles that lift your thigh, while your core and outer hips help keep you steady. They combine hip movement with coordination, making them a useful standing warm-up. Start with 45 seconds, or roughly 12–24 alternating lifts total, about 6–12 per side.

1. Stand tall with one hand on a counter if needed.
2. Lift one knee only as high as feels comfortable.
3. Lower that foot and lift the other knee.
4. Continue alternating without leaning backward.

Clock Toe Tap

Clock toe tap challenges the muscles that steady your standing hip, along with the foot and ankle muscles controlling each reach. It adds balance practice to your routine. Start with 30 seconds per side, or roughly 6–12 taps; each tap and return counts as one repetition.

1. Stand beside a counter and shift weight onto one leg.
2. Tap the other foot forward, to the side, and backward.
3. Return to center between taps, keeping your body steady.
4. Continue, then switch the supporting leg.

Low Impact Activities to Keep You Moving

Low impact exercises for hip arthritis can help you stay active between strength sessions. Choose something you enjoy and can do regularly, then adjust the time and effort to how your hip feels.

Walking is an accessible place to start. Try 5–10 minutes on flat ground in comfortable, cushioned shoes. Shorten the walk if pain builds or you start limping; two short outings may suit you better than one long trip.

Stationary cycling gives your hips repeated movement without landing impact. Begin with 5–10 minutes at light resistance. Adjust the seat if your hip feels pinched at the top of the pedal stroke, or choose another activity.

Water exercise supports your body while you move. Try 5–10 minutes of pool walking or a comfortable swimming stroke. Keep strides short if longer steps bother your hip, and check how you feel later before extending the session.

Tai chi combines slow weight shifts with movement control. The ACR’s 2026 recommendations summary conditionally recommends it for hip osteoarthritis. Start with a short beginner session and support nearby if needed.

How Often to Exercise With Hip Arthritis

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity each week and strengthening the major muscle groups on at least two days. Treat that as a long-term health goal. Short bouts count, and you can build toward it gradually.

Begin with one round of a few exercises, allowing time to rest and change positions. Practice comfortable mobility most days and selected strength movements every other day. A 5–10-minute session is a reasonable starting option if it suits your tolerance.

The exercise durations come from the app format; they are starting options, not a clinically established ideal dose for hip osteoarthritis. The rep ranges are estimates. Stop earlier if needed, and keep a controlled pace rather than racing the timer.

Build consistency before adding another round or more resistance. If your hip remains worse the next morning, reduce the next session. Look for practical changes over time, such as an easier chair transfer or a more comfortable walk, and seek help if pain keeps limiting you.

Exercises to Avoid With Hip Arthritis

Modify movements that repeatedly aggravate your hip. A supported or shallower version may feel better even when the original exercise doesn’t.

• Deep squats, lunges, and leg presses. Reduce the depth and load, stopping before pinching or increasing pain.
• Running, jumping, and high-impact cardio. If repeated landings flare symptoms, try walking, cycling, or pool exercise.
• Loaded twisting and deep side lunges. Reduce the reach and resistance, or choose a movement without the pivot.

Our full list of hip exercises to avoid explains more ways to adapt these movements.

Common Questions About Exercising With Hip Arthritis

When to See a Doctor

Arrange an assessment for pain that affects sleep or daily activities, hip locking or giving way, a sudden loss of movement, or pain spreading down the leg.

Pain relief from exercise varies. A 2026 Cochrane review covering 18 trials and 1,368 people found small average improvements in pain and function from land-based exercise compared with no treatment, usual care, or limited education. Those changes fell below the review’s threshold for a meaningful improvement. If exercise isn’t giving you enough relief, a doctor or physical therapist can help you adjust your routine and discuss other treatment options.

The NHS guidance on hip pain and urgent symptoms distinguishes two levels of care. Seek urgent assessment for sudden severe pain without an injury, a hot and swollen hip, or hip pain with fever or feeling unwell. Seek emergency care if you cannot walk or bear weight, have severe pain after a fall or injury, or develop tingling or loss of feeling after an injury.

You have non-surgical options for managing hip osteoarthritis. A doctor or physical therapist can help you choose a plan that supports the activities you want to keep doing.