Best Exercises for Strengthening Hip Joints

Did you know that about 300,000 people in the United States fall and fracture a hip each year? Older adults are at higher risk because the risk of osteoporosis increases as we age. Women are particularly vulnerable due to a higher chance of thinning bones as well as osteoporosis. An older woman might notice she has problems with her hips without experiencing a fall because arthritis in her hips might cause chronic pain and a lack of mobility. Fortunately, there are hip exercises a person can do to strengthen the joints, core muscles and lower back. If you have a friend or family member in your life with hip trouble, you can do these exercises together to motivate each other and get moving!

Wall Marching and Backward Leg Lifts: Stand with both hands on the wall, with your feet a foot or two away from it. As you use the wall for support, pick up one knee as high as you can, in a marching movement. Switch sides and repeat, going for as long as you can. Then reverse the motion, lifting your leg behind you as far as it can go while pointing and flexing your foot. These are good hip flexor exercises, but don’t wear yourself out! Just do as many as you’re comfortable doing and stop if you’re too tired or sore to keep going.
Leg Stretches: Another of the top hip exercises is leg stretches. Lay on your back and lift one leg, bending it at the knee. Pull your knee as far towards your chest as you can, alternating legs until you’ve stretched each one five times.
Body Twists: It’s good to do hip stretches for pain, but it’s exercises that use the muscles in your core that are also very effective for the hips. Try lying on your back, feet flat on the floor. Twist at the hips keeping your knees together and trying to lower them to the floor. You should feel a lite pull as you stretch and then switch sides.

If you’re looking for a senior community that values and nurtures its residents, come take a tour of a Cambridge Village community. At each Cambridge Village location, you can experience all the reasons that we’re considered North Carolina’s premier Optimal Living® community for active adults. We offer an exceptional lifestyle with evolving wellness, concierge healthcare, and engaged experience for a retirement experience that exceeds your expectations. In addition to state-of-the-art fitness centers and exercise classes, we have personal trainers to help seniors stay active and healthy. Our Cambridge Fitness Center is also open to outside memberships. For more information, contact us through our website.