3 At-Home Exercises to Strengthen Hip Flexors and Prevent Pain

Hip flexors help us walk, stand up, run, and bend over. However pain in the hip flexors is common, and it’s important to take care of them properly. In this article, we’ll share expert tips and three easy-to-do exercises that will help strengthen your hip flexors and prevent hip flexor pain.

At-home stretches for hip flexor mobility

Incorporating hip flexor strengthening exercises can help prevent pain long-term, alongside doing hip flexor stretching exercises. Here are three easy at-home exercises for hip flexor pain relief:

1. Sitting leg raises

2. Dead bugs

3. Standing knee raises

Watch Aimee from Well Daze Collective demonstrate three easy hip flexor exercises, or read on for more details:

Sitting leg raises – isolates hip flexors to build strength

Sitting leg raises are low-impact movements that can help to build strength in your hip flexors, and long term prevent hip flexor pain. You can do sitting leg raises easily at home on a yoga mat or on your floor, and they can be incorporated into a daily stretching and strengthening routine.

The benefits

Sitting leg raises are great exercises as it helps to isolate your hip flexors without having to activate the rest of your hip or glutes. A sitting leg raise can be done in a relaxed position easily at home, making it an accessible exercise to everybody no matter where they are in their mobility journey.

Step-by-step instructions

Here’s how to do sitting leg raises at home:

1. Sit on the floor with your legs stretched out in front of you and your hands in a comfortable position by your side

2. Tuck your tail slightly and take a deep breath in

3. As you exhale lift your leg to the ceiling, and then return it slowly to the ground

Tip: move slowly through this exercise to see the maximum benefit.

Dead bug core activation – for better stability and injury prevention

The dead bug core activation is an at-home exercise you can do that helps strengthen your core as well as your hip flexors. Dead bugs can be worked through slowly and can be modified, or performed with the support of a partner or trainer to help those with limited mobility.

The benefits

Dead bug exercises are great for the hip flexors because they target your full core stability, as well as working through a range of motion with your hip flexors. Having a strong and stable core can help with your posture, and help reduce tension on your hip flexors.

Step-by-step instructions

Here’s how to do a dead bug core activation at home:

1. Lay flat on your back and lift your arms and legs into the air

2. Float your left leg and right arm down to the floor slowly and then raise them back up to the starting position

3. Alternate arms and legs

Tip: exhale when lowering your arms and legs and inhale when lifting them back up.

Standing knee raises – mobility exercise to strengthen the hip flexors

Standing knee raises are beginner-friendly exercises that help to strengthen the hip flexors. Working through your hips' range of motion withthe  support of a wall or a chair for stability can be a great exercise to add to your strength routines.

The benefits

Standing knee raises are great mobility and strengthening exercises for beginners and can be incorporated into routines easily, as they don’t require any specialist equipment. Building core strength and strengthening hip flexors is crucial for preventing hip flexor pain.

Step-by-step instructions

Here’s how to do standing knee raises at home:

1. Stand up straight with your tail tucked

2. Bring your knee up to a 90 degree angle

3. Return your foot to the floor, and repeat on the other side

Tip: gently place your hand on your hip for extra stabilization

Additional relief for hip flexor stretching

Building a solid hip flexor strengthening routine can be key to preventing pain long term, and may be aided by applying a topical product, such as MEDISTIK, before and after exercise. MEDISTIK can be applied directly to the sore area, providing fast and long-lasting pain relief.

“I love prescribing MEDISTIK to my clients for home care. If you've been training for a marathon or active in daily life and you're feeling pain and tension, this is a great tool”
- Aimee Sutton, RMT & CIMT