The Best Hip Bursitis Exercises and Stretches

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Benefits of Stretching and Exercise for Hip Bursitis

Exercising and stretching the hips is crucial for rehabilitating the inflamed hip bursa and surrounding muscles. Exercises and stretches can benefit hip bursitis by:

• Reducing pain and inflammation
• Improving your hips' range of motion
• Strengthening the muscles that support the hip joint
• Lowering the risk of injury
• Preventing future hip bursitis symptoms

If you want to take advantage of these benefits, read on for the best stretches and exercises for hip bursitis

Hip Bursitis Stretches

The best stretches for hip bursitis are the clamshell stretch, iliotibial band stretch, gluteal stretch, and pigeon pose. Learn about the benefits of these hip stretches, what they target, and how to do them below.

Clamshell Stretch

The clamshell stretch is traditionally a runner's stretch, but it can also benefit people with hip bursitis. This stretch targets the hips and glutes, aiming to improve strength, balance, and stability. More specifically, the clamshell stretch works the hip abductors. This muscle group enables side-to-side movement and stabilizes the pelvis and femur. When weakened, the abductors can strain the spine or cause injury. Here's how to do the clamshell stretch:

• Lie on your side with your knees bent and legs together, one on top of the other
• Squeeze your glutes and core and raise your right knee while keeping your ankles and feet together
• Hold the stretch for five seconds before lowering your knee back to the starting point

Repeat this stretch ten times on one side. Then, perform ten reps on the other side.

As you get stronger and more flexible, consider adding a resistance band into the mix. Resistance bands make the clamshell stretch more difficult and you stronger.

Iliotibial Band Stretch

There are tons of iliotibial (IT) band stretches out there, all of which target the thick tendon stretching from the outside of the hip to the outer side of the knee. These stretches strengthen and stretch out the hip.

Of all the IT band stretches out there, the side-lying IT band stretch is our favorite. It can improve your flexibility and relieve pressure on the outside of your hip, reducing the risk of injury. Here's how to do the side-lying IT band stretch:

• Lie on your side with your top knee bent and grip your ankle with the same-side hand 
• Pull back gently before placing the opposite ankle against the top knee
• Pull the top knee toward the floor to elongate the outside of your top thigh

You should feel a deep stretch through your quads and IT band. Hold this stretch for up to 20 seconds before repeating three to five times. Then, switch to the other side and three to five reps again.

Gluteal Stretch

The gluteus muscles are also known as the glutes. They connect to the hip joint to help the leg extend, rotate, and move from side to side. Stretches targeting the glutes have countless benefits, including relieving tight muscles, reducing lower back pain, improving your range of motion, and reducing injury risk.

Important for our purposes, gluteal stretches can also alleviate tightness in the hips. There are many types of glute stretches that can offer this benefit, but the cross-legged glute stretch is one of the easiest and most effective ones.

Here's how to do the cross-legged glute stretch:

• Sit cross-legged with the left foot tucked into the right thigh
• Stretch out your arms straight in front of you and lean forward over your crossed legs
• Touch your palms to the mat if you can, or use a support block to rest your hands on if you can't reach the floor yet

Hold this simple stretch for at least 30 seconds and repeat ten times. You can then switch to the other side, sitting cross-legged with the right foot tucked into the left thigh, and complete ten reps.

Once your flexibility improves, you can make this stretch more challenging by sitting in the butterfly position instead of cross-legged. In that case, try 20 reps since you won't have to switch to the other side.

Pigeon Pose

Kapotasana, or pigeon pose, is a yoga stretch. It is one of the hip opener poses that improve the flexibility of the femur bone in the hip socket. It also targets a hip flexor muscle- the psoas- connecting the legs to the torso.

The primary benefit of this yoga pose is its impact on the hips' range of motion. It improves flexibility and mobility while strengthening the muscle groups supporting the lower back and hips.

Here's how to do the pigeon pose:

• Get on all fours and bring your right knee toward your right wrist and your right ankle toward your left wrist in an L-shape
• Slide your left leg back with your toes pointed until the leg is extended as far back as it can go
• Ensure your back thigh aligns with your front thigh- if your legs were both straight out behind you, the thighs would be touching
• Ensure your hips stay level, using a support block to raise your right buttock if needed
• Lengthen your spine while engaging your core before walking your hands forward and pressing your torso into the right knee

Hold this position for at least five breaths. Then, switch to the other side and repeat.

Hip Bursitis Exercises

Side-lying leg lifts, straight leg raises, prone hip extensions, bridges, and wall squats are ideal for strengthening the muscles around the hips and preventing hip bursitis symptoms from returning.

Next, we'll explain how these exercises benefit hip bursitis, the body areas they address, and step-by-step instructions for trying them at home.

Side-Lying Leg Lifts

Side-lying leg lifts are a pilates movement that targets the core and leg muscles. It helps to strengthen, stabilize, and improve the range of motion of the outer thighs, buttocks, and hips.

Additionally, this exercise will improve your posture and alleviate pressure on the spine. It's also a great way to strengthen and tone the inner thigh area, a notoriously difficult area to build muscle.

Here's how to do a side-lying leg lift:

• Lie on your side with your body aligned at the ankles, knees, hips, and shoulders in a slightly curved, banana-like shape
• Prop your head on your arm or hand closest to the floor and brace the other hand against the mat with the arm bent at the elbow
• Squeeze your core and lift your top leg a few inches away from the opposite one

Hold this position for ten seconds before lowering your leg back down. Repeat the movement five to eight times before switching to the opposite side.

If you can't hold your leg up for ten seconds in the beginning, simply hold the position for as long as possible. As you get stronger, you can add a resistance band to make this exercise more challenging.

Straight Leg Raises

Straight leg raises are a staple in hip surgery rehabilitation. This exercise strengthens the hip flexors, improving hip mobility, stability, flexibility, and range of motion. It also has benefits for the core and knees.

In addition to the hip flexors, straight leg raises target the quadriceps ('the quads'). The quad muscles are attached to the pelvis, hip bones, thigh bones, and kneecaps. Tightness in these muscles can worsen hip pain.

Here's how to do a straight leg raise:

• Lie on your back with your hips square, knees bent, and feet a hips' width apart
• Extend the right leg straight out in front of you while squeezing your quads to stabilize the muscles
• Lift your right leg six inches off the floor and hold this position for three seconds before lowering the leg back to the floor

Perform ten reps of this exercise before switching to the other side and repeating these steps.

Prone Hip Extensions

Prone hip extensions (also called prone leg lifts) strengthen the glutes, which are connected to the hips and lower back. Working his muscle group can improve your posture and fight back pain.

Stronger glutes also equal improved balance and stability, which are essential to preventing injuries from falls, trips, slips, and other accidents.

Here's how to do a prone hip extension:

• Lie on your stomach with your legs straight behind you, arms by your sides, and head rested on the floor
• Raise one leg a few inches off the floor with your knee straight and foot braced
• Hold this position for five seconds before lowering the leg back down

Repeat this exercise at least five times before switching to the other side and repeating these steps.

Bridge Exercise

Bridge exercise is another yoga pose that can stretch the hips, as well as your back muscles, glutes, and hamstrings. It stretches, stabilizes, and strengthens the hip abductors, in particular.

This exercise also benefits the Posterior Chain- a collection of muscles in the legs, buttocks, and lower back. The Posterior Chain is crucial for helping our bodies stand upright, lift objects, and maintain balance.

Here's how to do a bridge:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and arms by your sides
• Squeeze your core and lift your hips away from the floor until they are in a straight, diagonal line with your knees and shoulders
• Hold the position for three seconds before lowering back to the floor

Repeat this exercise ten to 20 times.

Wall Squats

Wall squats or wall sits are an excellent lower-body workout. This exercise targets the core, glutes, calves, and quads, but it is also beneficial for the whole body, including the hips.

Uniquely, wall squats not only improve strength and stabilization. They can also build endurance, reducing the risk of injury and improving your ability to do daily activities, from opening doors to lifting heavy objects.

Here's how to do a wall squat:

• Find a flat wall and stand with your back against it and your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Slowly slide down the wall until your thighs are paralleled with the floor, ensuring your knees line up with your feet to prevent injury
• Hold this position for at least 20 seconds or up to 60 seconds before returning to a standing position
• Take a 30-second rest before repeating these steps

Try to do three reps of this exercise, increasing your hold time by five seconds on each.

Tips for Bursitis-in-Hip Exercises and Stretches

These exercises and stretches have many benefits for hip bursitis. However, they can potentially worsen your symptoms without keeping the following tips in mind:

• Start slow and gradually increase the intensity and/or duration of the exercise over time
• Listen to your body by always stopping when you feel pain, as this is the body's way of telling us that something is wrong
• Stretch and exercise regularly to maintain the flexibility and strength you build

Following these tips can help you take control of your hip bursitis symptoms and feel empowered to treat your condition independently.

Use These Workouts for Coping With Hip Pain

These hip bursitis exercises and stretches can help people feel less pain, get stronger, and move around better. If you keep up with these workouts regularly, you may experience fewer symptoms of your condition.

Are you searching for the products you need to make your life with hip bursitis easier? Carex is a Compass Health Brands Company with over 35 years of experience delivering life-changing medical equipment to patients like you. Sign up for our newsletter for the latest updates on our life-changing products delivered straight to your inbox.

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About the Author

Brandon Landgraf is the Digital Marketing Manager for Carex Health Brands. He finds passion and fulfillment in creating content that enhances, improves, and enlivens others' quality of life. All of his written work is formulated to not only offer essential advice and tips but back it with proven studies and experts. His mission is to connect with readers and provide steps to make their lives better.

You can connect with him on LinkedIn here.

About Carex Health Brands

Carex is your one-stop shop for home medical equipment and for products that assist caregivers with providing the best possible support and care for their loved ones. Carex Health Brands has been the branded leader in in-home, self-care medical products for over 35 years. Our goal is to improve the lives of our customers by bring them quality products that bring dignity back to their lives. With our three nationally distributed brands, Carex Health Brands serves national, regional and independent food, drug and mass retailers along with wholesalers, distributors and medical dealers.