Hip arthritis exercises

If a person has the unpleasant disease of arthritis in their hips, it can cause them discomfort and pain. It is important for them to do exercises that have been developed especially for arthritis of the hip as it will help to minimize the development of the arthritis. More often than not, if a person has arthritis in their hips they will probably have it in their knees, if not now then soon enough. Most of the hip exercises will also work on the knees which of course will work as a preventative for you. The knees are often affected as well because if you have arthritis in your hips you will have a tendency to put added stress onto your knee joints to aid you in your movement thus creating knee arthritis. This statement is also the same for the other way around, as you will put more pressure on another joint when one joint is stiff or painful.

Types of Hip Exercises

The exercises can be placed into three categories, strengthening, stretching and reduced-impact aerobic exercises. It is important that you include in your program all three types for the best results, however, they can be stretched over the course of a week. Each day attempt to perform a little stretch trying not to over stretch to the point where it is uncomfortable.

Bent Leg Raise

To perform the bent leg exercise you will need to lay down on your back and gently lift a knee allowing your foot to glide slowly across the ground. Your aim is to get your foot close to your buttocks, once you have reached a comfortable position you can then lift the knee and try to bring it in the direction of your chest. You can use your hands to aid you in this exercise by placing them on your thigh but try not to rely totally on the strength in your arms as this will defeat the object of the exercise. Do this exercise five or 6 times and then complete it with the other leg.

Straight Leg Raise

To do this exercise you will need to again lay down facing upwards with your knees bent. Now lift foot off the floor and then straighten that leg so you are holding the leg one or two feet above the floor. Try not to arch your back and hold your leg there for the count of ten and then repeat with the other leg. This can be repeated up to five times per leg.