Exercise for Hip Arthritis: Strength Before Surgery Talk

Exercise for hip arthritis usually centers on strengthening the muscles around the joint, with your physician or surgeon setting the limits and a coach turning those limits into a weekly plan. Many people find that building hip, thigh and trunk strength makes stairs, car seats and walking easier, and it keeps options open if a replacement comes up later. Start with a conversation about what your hip can tolerate, then book a free consultation if you want help building the routine.

The loading idea in plain terms

The hip is a ball and socket that lives under your body weight all day. Cartilage wear makes the joint more sensitive to certain angles and to sudden impact, so a good plan favors controlled, repeatable loading over big range or speed. The aim is not to “work through” pain; it is to deliver enough muscular effort that the joint is better supported, in positions that feel acceptable. Whether a given exercise is appropriate depends on your imaging, your symptoms and your clinician’s advice, which is why a general article cannot hand you a program.

A typical weekly shape

Many plans, once cleared, include a few pieces:

• Sit-to-stand and box squats. Use a chair height that feels comfortable, then lower it slowly over weeks.
• Step-ups to a low step. Start with a handrail and a short step.
• Glute work. Side-lying leg raises, banded side steps or a machine, matching what your hip allows.
• Hip bridges. Often comfortable, and they train the muscles behind the joint.
• Upper body and trunk. Rows, presses and carries keep you strong overall without loading the hip heavily.
• Low-impact cardio. Cycling or rowing often suits better than running, if your clinician agrees.

Two to three strength days with rest between is a common pattern, and soreness that fades within a day or two is usually considered fine. If a movement pinches at the front of the hip or sends pain into the groin, swap it, and tell your coach and doctor.

Reading a flare

Arthritis does not behave on a schedule. On a flare day, the plan shrinks instead of stopping: fewer sets, lighter loads, more seated options, or simple range-of-motion work. Persistent or worsening pain, swelling, a sense of instability or new night pain after a change in training is a signal to pause and call your physician. The broader arthritis coaching guide walks through the flare-day idea for several joints, and this page keeps its focus on the hip.

Where surgery fits into the picture

Whether to have a hip replaced is a decision between you and your surgeon, based on pain, function and imaging. Training can sit on either side. If the decision is “not yet,” strength work supports daily function. If surgery is coming, a surgeon may support conditioning beforehand, and the prehab guide describes how that coaching works. A coach should never suggest that training will prevent or promise anything about a surgical outcome.

Questions to ask your physician first

1. Is strength training appropriate for my hip, and what should I avoid?
2. How much pain during or after a session is acceptable?
3. Are there range limits, such as deep squats or crossing the legs?
4. Should I use a cane, brace or other aid on certain days?
5. When would you want to reassess the joint?

Working with a coach

FlexWerk’s private rooms at Carmel City Center let a coach adjust seat heights, set up a cable or machine at a comfortable angle and give you time to move without an audience. Each coach sets their own terms, so ask how they handle flare days and whether they will coordinate with your clinician if you give permission. For related hip problems with a different mechanism, see the hip impingement page. This page is general information, not medical advice.