தமிழ்हिन्दीతెలుగుಕನ್ನಡമലയാളംEnglish

🏃 Hip · இடுப்பு

Hip exercises: 6 home rehab exercises with Tamil names, doses and steps

Hip problems in India split into two groups: people over sixty after a hip replacement or a fall, and younger adults whose weak gluteal muscles show up as knee pain, back pain or a nagging ache on the outside of the hip. Both need the same thing: stronger muscles around the hip and freer hip flexors after years of sitting. These six exercises build that, and the sit-to-stand doubles as a test your physio can track visit by visit.

In short: The best hip exercises at home are clamshells, side-lying hip abduction, the half-kneeling hip flexor stretch, standing hip extension, sit-to-stand and the figure-4 piriformis stretch. They strengthen weak glutes, ease outer-hip and buttock pain, and rebuild walking after hip replacement. Keep exercise pain below 4 out of 10.

Used for

  • Total hip replacement (once cleared)
  • Gluteal tendinopathy and trochanteric bursitis
  • Piriformis syndrome
  • Hip osteoarthritis
  • Runner's knee from weak hips
  • Weak hips and fall risk in older adults

The 6 exercises on this page

  1. Clamshell · கிளாம்ஷெல் · 3×12 each side
  2. Side-lying hip abduction · பக்கவாட்டு கால் தூக்குதல் · 3×10
  3. Half-kneeling hip flexor stretch · இடுப்பு மடக்கு தசை நீட்சி · 3×30 s
  4. Standing hip extension · நின்றபடி கால் பின்னோக்கி தூக்குதல் · 3×10
  5. Sit-to-stand · அமர்ந்து எழுதல் · 3×8
  6. Figure-4 piriformis stretch · பிரிஃபார்மிஸ் நீட்சி · 3×30 s

How to perform each exercise

Dose shown is a common starting point; your physiotherapist sets yours. Inside Physio Clinic Software these exercises go to patients on WhatsApp with a daily check-in in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, English. Recorded videos are planned; clinics can link their own video to any exercise today.

Exercise 1 · Lying

Clamshell · கிளாம்ஷெல்

3×12 each side6 languages

Isolates the gluteus medius, the hip muscle that stops the knee collapsing inwards. Weakness here drives knee pain, hip bursitis and low back pain.

How to perform it

  1. Lie on your side with knees bent 45°, hips stacked, head on the arm.
  2. Keeping the feet together, lift the top knee like a clam opening.
  3. Do not let the pelvis roll back; hold 2 seconds.
  4. Lower slowly.
Take care

A band above the knees adds resistance once 3×12 is easy.

Exercise 2 · Lying

Side-lying hip abduction · பக்கவாட்டு கால் தூக்குதல்

3×106 languages

Strengthens the outer hip through a larger range than the clamshell. Standard after hip replacement once allowed, for gluteal tendinopathy and for runners with knee pain.

How to perform it

  1. Lie on your side with the bottom knee bent for balance and the top leg straight.
  2. Lift the top leg about 30 cm, keeping the toes facing forward, not up.
  3. Hold 2 seconds.
  4. Lower slowly without letting the leg drop.
Take care

After hip replacement, follow your surgeon's precautions on which movements are allowed.

Exercise 3 · Kneeling

Half-kneeling hip flexor stretch · இடுப்பு மடக்கு தசை நீட்சி

3×30 s6 languages

Lengthens the hip flexors, which shorten with sitting all day and pull the pelvis forward, straining the lower back. Helpful for anterior hip pain and an exaggerated lumbar curve.

How to perform it

  1. Kneel on one knee with a cushion under it, the other foot forward, both knees at 90°.
  2. Tuck the tailbone under and squeeze the buttock of the kneeling side.
  3. Shift the weight gently forward until you feel a stretch at the front of the hip.
  4. Hold 30 seconds; keep the trunk upright.
Take care

Do not arch the lower back to deepen the stretch.

Exercise 4 · Standing

Standing hip extension · நின்றபடி கால் பின்னோக்கி தூக்குதல்

3×106 languages

Works the gluteus maximus in standing, the position you actually use it in. Good for early rehab after hip replacement and for weak hips in older adults.

How to perform it

  1. Stand tall holding a chair or counter.
  2. Tighten the buttock and take one leg straight back about 20 cm.
  3. Keep the trunk upright and the knee straight; hold 2 seconds.
  4. Return slowly.
Take care

If the back arches, you have gone too far; the movement is small.

Exercise 5 · Sitting

Sit-to-stand · அமர்ந்து எழுதல்

3×86 languages

The most functional hip and knee exercise there is: standing up from a chair without using the hands. Also a standard test (five-times sit-to-stand) that your physio can track in Physio Clinic Software.

How to perform it

  1. Sit on a firm chair, feet flat and slightly behind the knees.
  2. Lean forward from the hips, nose over toes.
  3. Push through the heels to stand fully upright.
  4. Lower slowly back to the chair over 3 seconds.
Take care

Use a higher chair or a cushion if it is hard; progress to a lower chair, then add a weight.

Exercise 6 · Lying

Figure-4 piriformis stretch · பிரிஃபார்மிஸ் நீட்சி

3×30 s6 languages

Eases the deep buttock muscle that can irritate the sciatic nerve and cause buttock and back-of-thigh pain, especially after long drives and sitting.

How to perform it

  1. Lie on your back with knees bent.
  2. Cross one ankle over the opposite knee, making a figure 4.
  3. Hold behind the thigh of the bottom leg and draw it towards the chest.
  4. Hold 30 seconds; feel the stretch deep in the buttock.
Take care

Stop if the stretch sends tingling down the leg.

How to progress hip exercises, phase by phase

A hip programme is not one fixed list. The same 6 exercises are introduced in stages, and the dose rises only when the current stage is easy and pain settles within 24 hours. This is the usual order a physiotherapist follows:

PhaseGoalTypical exercises
Weeks 0–6 · protectWalk safely and respect surgical precautionsStanding hip extension, sit-to-stand from a high chair, ankle pumps
Weeks 6–12 · strengthenRebuild gluteal strength and a normal walking patternClamshell, side-lying abduction, sit-to-stand from a normal chair
Week 12 onwards · functionStairs, longer walks, sport and fall preventionBanded clamshells, step-ups, single-leg balance, hip flexor and piriformis stretches

Timelines are typical after hip replacement. Without surgery (gluteal tendinopathy, piriformis pain or hip osteoarthritis), start in the second phase and progress by symptoms.

How often, and how hard?

As a rule of thumb, mobility and range-of-motion exercises are done little and often (2–4 short sessions a day), while strengthening is done once a day or on alternate days with full sets. Mild discomfort up to 3–4 out of 10 that settles by the next morning is acceptable; sharper pain, new swelling or pain that spreads means drop back a phase and tell your physiotherapist.

What this looks like on the patient's WhatsApp

With Physio Clinic Software, the physio picks these exercises, sets the dose and the language once. Each morning the patient gets the plan with a link to the steps (and the clinic's own video, if added); they tap Done and reply with a pain score. The therapist sees adherence and pain trend on the chart, and the referring doctor gets a one-page progress letter at week 6.

  • No app to install; works on any phone with WhatsApp
  • English and Tamil exercise names; greeting and check-in line in the patient's language
  • Printable A4 sheet with a QR code for patients who prefer paper
  • Daily pain score shown beside adherence on the chart (automatic high-pain alerts are planned)
Try free for 30 daysPhysio Clinic Software for clinics

Sample data: illustrative WhatsApp conversation.

Hip exercise questions

What movements should I avoid after a hip replacement?

It depends on the surgical approach. After a posterior approach, most surgeons restrict bending the hip past 90°, crossing the legs and turning the foot inward for 6–12 weeks. Anterior approaches have fewer limits. Your surgeon's list overrides anything here.

Is pain on the outside of my hip bursitis?

Usually it is gluteal tendinopathy rather than true bursitis, and it responds to strengthening (clamshells, side-lying abduction, sit-to-stand) rather than rest. Avoid lying on that side and sitting with crossed legs while it settles.

Is my pain from the hip or the back?

Hip joint pain is usually felt in the groin and front of the thigh and worsens with putting on socks. Back-referred pain is more often in the buttock and back of the thigh. Your physio's assessment, with movement tests, usually separates them without a scan.

How often should older adults do these?

Sit-to-stand, standing hip extension and single-leg balance once a day, most days, make a measurable difference to walking speed and fall risk within 8–12 weeks. Hold a counter for safety and progress slowly.

Can I do hip exercises with osteoarthritis?

Yes. Strengthening and walking are first-line treatment for hip osteoarthritis and delay or avoid replacement in many people. Keep the pain during exercise below 4 out of 10 and settling within a day.

Other body regions

🦵 Knee · முழங்கால்

ACL, knee replacement, meniscus, patellofemoral pain, osteoarthritis

💪 Shoulder · தோள்பட்டை

Frozen shoulder, rotator cuff, impingement, post-fracture, cricket shoulder

🧘 Back · முதுகு

Low back pain, disc prolapse, sciatica, postpartum, spinal stenosis

🙆 Neck · கழுத்து

Mechanical neck pain, cervical spondylosis, tech neck, headaches

🦶 Ankle · கணுக்கால்

Ankle sprain, after cast or fracture, Achilles, plantar fasciitis, balance

← Back to the full exercise library · Why patients stop doing home exercises, and what fixes it · Home exercise program app for physiotherapists

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