Exercises for the Hip 
 
Gluteal Sets: 
Lie on your back, tighten buttocks 
and hold for 3-5 seconds.  Repeat 20 
times. 
 
 
 
Supine Hip ER/IR: 
Lie on your back with legs straight.  
Gently rotate knees out and in 
limited by pain.  Repeat 20 times. 
 
 
Prone Hip ER/IR: 
Lie on your stomach with knees bent 
up to 90 degrees.  Gently let your 
feet drop out to the point of pain or 
tightness.  Repeat 20 times. 
 
 
 
Uninvolved Knee to chest: 
Lie on your back and draw the 
uninvolved knee to your chest with 
your arms.  Hold for 20 seconds and 
release.  Repeat 3-5 times. 
 
 
Thomas test: 
Sit at the edge a bed or table and roll 
onto your back with your knees 
pulled up to your chest.  Slowly 
lower the operated leg until you feel 
a stretch in front of the hip.  Hold for 
20 seconds.  Repeat 3-5 times. 
 
Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch: 
Kneel on your operated leg with the 
uninvolved leg bent in front.  
Tighten your abdominals to tilt your 
pelvis back.  A stretch should be felt 
in front of the hip or thigh. Hold 20 
seconds.  Repeat 3-5 times. 
 
                                                                            
175 Cambridge Street, 4th floor 
Boston, MA  02114 
Tel:  617-726-7500 
 
Bridging: 
Lie on your back with knees bent 
and feet flat on the floor.  Tighten 
your abdominals and lift hips off the 
floor.  Hold for 2 seconds and return 
to start.  Repeat 3 sets of 10 
repetitions. 
 
 
 
Single Leg Bridging: 
Starting position as with double leg 
bridge.  Lift the uninvolved leg off 
the floor so that your hip is flexed to 
90 degrees.  Lift your hips up 
keeping your pelvis level. 
Repeat 3 sets of 10 repetitions. 
 
 
Wall Slides 
Stand upright with your back and 
buttocks touching a wall.  Place the 
feet about 12 inches apart and about 
8 inches from the wall.  Slowly 
lower your hips by bending the knees 
and slide down the wall until the 
knees are flexed about 45 degrees 
(illustration).  Pause five seconds and 
then slowly slide back up to the 
upright starting position.   
 
 
Hook-lying Hip IR/ER 
Lie on your back knees bent and feet 
flat on the floor.  Gently rotate knees 
out and in limited by pain.  Repeat 
20 times. 
 
 
 
Stool Rotations 
Stand on your no-operated leg and 
gently rest the knee of the operated 
leg on a stoll or swivel chair.  Gently 
rotate foot out and in limited by pain.  
Repeat 20 times. 
 
 
 
                                                                            
175 Cambridge Street, 4th floor 
Boston, MA  02114 
Tel:  617-726-7500 
 
Quadruped Rocking 
Start on your hands and knee with 
your back flat.  Gently rock forward 
and backward trying to get close to 
sitting on your heels.  Limit as pain 
allows. Repeat 20 times 
 
 
 
Mini Squats 
Standing with your feet shoulder 
width apart, slowly lower yourself in 
a squat while keeping your head over 
your feet and bending at the hips and 
knees and then slowly return to the 
standing and starting position.  
 
 
 
 
Clam Shell 
Lie on your uninvolved side with 
hips and knees bent to about 45 
degrees.  Keeping your heels 
together, gently rotate the knee of 
your operated leg towards the 
ceiling.  Do not let your pelvis rotate 
backwards.  Repeat 3 sets of 10 
 
Hip Abduction 
Lie on your unoperated side.  Keep 
the knees fully extended. Raise the 
operated limb upward to a 45 degree 
angle as illustrated.  Hold one 
second, then lower slowly. 
 
Side Stepping 
Stand with feet shoulder width apart 
with hips and knees slightly bent.  
Step sideways with your leading leg 
against exercise band resistance.  
Slowly bring the trailing leg up to 
eth lead leg. 
   
 
 
 
 
 
                                                                            
175 Cambridge Street, 4th floor 
Boston, MA  02114 
Tel:  617-726-7500 
 
 
Step downs / Step Ups 
Place the foot of the single limb on a 
step or stool. Standing sideways to 
the step on the single-leg, maintain 
balance if necessary, by lightly 
holding onto something.  
Keeping an upright posture and 
bending only at the  
Knee and hip, slowly lower the 
opposite foot to touch the floor. Do 
not land on the floor, just touch 
gently and repeat the step up motion, 
maintaining constant muscle activity. 
Keep the back straight and do not let 
your hips go backward.  
 
 
 
Single Leg Stance Balance with 
Band 
Stand on your operated leg keeping 
your abdominals tight and pelvis 
level.  Pull down against the exercise 
band controlling your body position.  
Repeat 3 sets of 10 
 
 
Single leg Squat and Reach 
Standing on your operated leg, 
perform a squat and reach by 
bending your hip and knee keeping 
the back straight.  Reach forward to 
bend at the hips.  Repeat 3 sets of 10 
 
 
 
 
Bridge on Ball 
Lie on your back with your heels on 
an exercise ball.  Tighten your 
abdominals and lift your hips off the 
floor to make a bridge.  Repeat 3 sets 
of 10 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                                            
175 Cambridge Street, 4th floor 
Boston, MA  02114 
Tel:  617-726-7500 
 
 
 
Bosu Squats 
Stand on the flat side of a BOSU ball 
with feet shoulder you bend from the 
hips.  Try to keep your back straight. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Cable Rotations Double, Single 
Stand sideways to a cable column.  
Gripping the handle with both hands, 
rotate away keeping your trunk 
steady and rotating through the hips.  
Repeat in the opposite direction.  
Repeat 3 sets of 10 
