As we age, our hip muscles lose some strength and flexibility. That can shorten your stride, make stairs harder, and raise your risk of falls and broken bones. This is why hip flexor exercises for seniors and older adults are so important.
Hip flexor strain is one of the most common sports injuries, but you don’t have to be an athlete to deal with it. Seniors and people who spend a lot of time sitting are prone to tight, weak hip flexors too.
The best routine for seniors combines three things: hip flexor strengthening (Hip Marches and Straight Leg Raises), hip flexor stretches (the Supine Hip Flexor Stretch and Pigeon Pose), and the glute and outer-hip moves that keep the joint stable (Clamshells, Side Leg Lifts, Half Bridges, and Chair Squat Pulses).
Importance of Hip Flexor Exercises for Seniors
The hip flexors are a muscle group that helps to lift your legs and bend your hips. The two biggest are the psoas and the iliacus, together called the iliopsoas. These muscles can become weak and tight, which can lead to pain in the hips, knees, and lower back.
Regular physical therapy targeted at the hip flexors helps stretch and strengthen the muscles, which can improve your mobility and reduce hip or back pain.
Ultimately, it becomes easier to perform all your daily activities since the hip joint is responsible for your range of motion and keeping your body stable while walking, using stairs, and standing.
Strong hip flexors are also important for maintaining good posture and core stability and help reverse the effects of sitting.
Before you strengthen your hip flexor muscles, it’s best to stretch them to ensure they’re relaxed.
Great Hip Flexor Stretches and Exercises for Seniors
If you want to make sure you’re targeting the hips in your exercise regimen, try these excellent hip exercises. If you’re experiencing difficulty in balance, perform exercises in a seated position, or have a chair with feet resting nearby for support.
Clam Exercise
The clamshell targets your gluteus medius and hip external rotators, the muscles that keep your pelvis level while you walk.
- Lie on your side and bend your legs at the knee. Keep your hips and shoulders in line.
- Place your top hand on your top hip to help keep your pelvis stable.
- Keep your feet together, and slowly raise your top knee as high as possible while keeping your hips level.
- Hold at the top for 3 seconds, then slowly lower your knee back to the starting position.
- Repeat 10-15 times, then switch sides.
Hip Marches
Hip marches work your main hip flexor, the iliopsoas, in the same knee lift you use to walk and climb stairs.
- Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart.
- Lift a knee up as high as you can safely do so, making sure to keep your thigh parallel to the ground.
- Hold for a few seconds. Lower your leg back down.
- Repeat with the other leg.
- Do 10-15 repetitions on each side.
You can also perform this exercise sitting if you’re worried about balance.
Supine Hip Flexor Stretch
This stretch lengthens the hip flexors of the leg hanging off the edge while the other knee comes to your chest.
- Lie on your back at the end of a sturdy bench, bed or table so your legs can hang off the edge.
- Grab one of your legs at the knee and pull it toward your upper body while letting the other leg hang naturally until you feel a deep stretch in your leg and hip muscles.
- Maintain your position for roughly 15 to 30 seconds then release. Repeat up to four times.
- Switch sides.
Straight Leg Raise
The straight leg raise strengthens your hip flexors (the iliopsoas and rectus femoris) and quadriceps while your knee stays straight.
- Lie on your back on a mat or firm surface. Bend your left knee and place your left foot flat on the ground.
- Rest your hands palms-down beside your hips.
- Keeping your right knee straight, slowly lift your right leg until it reaches the height of your bent left knee.
- Pause for 2 seconds, then slowly lower your right leg back down with control.
- Repeat this exercise 10-15 times before switching to the opposite side.
Side Leg Lifts
Side leg lifts strengthen your outer hip muscles (gluteus medius and minimus), which keep your pelvis level on one leg when you walk and climb stairs. Lying down takes balance out of the equation.
- Lie on your side with your legs straight and stacked. Rest your head on your lower arm.
- Keep your top foot flexed and toes pointing forward.
- Slowly lift your top leg about 12 to 18 inches, keeping your hips stacked rather than rolling back.
- Pause, then slowly lower your leg.
- Do 10-15 reps, then switch sides.
Half Bridges
Half bridges strengthen your glutes and hamstrings, and the hip extension at the top gives tight hip flexors a gentle stretch.
- Lie on your back. Bend both knees. Keep your feet flat on the ground.
- Put your hands on the ground beside you for support.
- Slowly raise your hips off the ground, contracting your core muscles, glutes, and hamstrings as you do so. Keep your shoulders on the ground.
- Hold this position for a second before slowly lowering your hips back to the starting position.
- Repeat for 10-15 reps.
Note: To make the exercise more challenging, try adding a resistance band around your thighs.
Pigeon Pose
This yoga pose stretches the hip rotators of your front leg and the hip flexors of your back leg. If you have a knee injury, existing hip issues, or lower back pain, avoid this pose unless your doctor or physical therapist recommends it.
- From a tabletop position, bring your right knee forward to rest just behind your right wrist, extending your left leg back.
- Gently lower your hips toward the floor, keeping your pelvis square to the mat.
- Hold for 15-30 seconds, then switch sides.
Note: If your hip doesn’t comfortably reach the floor, place a yoga block or folded pillow under your right hip. A seated figure-four stretch in a chair is a gentler option.
Chair Squat Pulses
Chair squat pulses keep you in the top part of a squat, so your quads, glutes and hips get stronger without going deep. It’s the same strength you use to stand up from a chair.
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
- Bend your knees and push your hips back as if you’re starting to sit in a chair, reaching your arms forward or overhead.
- Stay low and pulse up and down a few inches, keeping your chest up and your weight in your heels.
- Do 10-15 pulses, then stand up tall and rest.
Note: If your balance is shaky, hold the back of a sturdy chair. To make it easier, pulse higher with a smaller knee bend.
FAQs
How Often Should You Exercise Your Hips?
Ideally, you’ll perform hip stretches for seniors at least once a day. If you’re feeling especially tight or spend a lot of time sitting, stretch your hips two to three times a day, and hold each stretch for at least 30 seconds. In addition to hip strengthening exercises, a senior exercise program should also include a variety of other moves to enhance core strength and balance.
This will ensure you maintain hip strength as you age, allowing you to live an active lifestyle for as long as possible.
Dr. DeMatas practices holistic, evidence-based family medicine that focuses on treating injuries and transforming lives through prevention, rehabilitation, and diet. She is a licensed, practicing Physician in Jacksonville, FL.
