Hip Pain Getting In and Out of a Car: Causes and What Helps

When to get help first

Exercise is for pain that has been checked or is clearly mild and settling.

Get urgent medical help if

Call 999 or go to A&E: severe hip pain after a fall or injury, or you cannot stand, walk or put weight on the leg. In an older adult this can be a broken hip; the leg may be at an odd angle or look shorter. Don't drive yourself.
Call 999 or go to A&E: tingling or loss of feeling in the hip or leg after an injury.
After a fall, hip, groin or thigh pain that isn't severe but makes walking hard, even if you can still stand or take some weight: get help from NHS 111 the same day and say you've fallen (our suggestion; the NHS says hip pain after a fall needs urgent medical help). The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons says that with some broken hips you can still take part of your weight, though it hurts badly, and that a small number aren't as painful at first; a break can also hide on the first X-ray.
Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if you have severe hip pain that started suddenly but you've not had a fall or injured your hip, your hip is swollen and feels hot, the skin around your hip has changed colour, or you have hip pain, feel generally unwell and have a high temperature (although not everyone has one) or feel hot, cold or shivery. A hot, swollen hip with a high temperature can be a joint infection.
If the hip was replaced: severe hip pain, a leg that looks shorter or is turned unusually far in or out, a new bulge at the side of the hip, or walking that is suddenly difficult or painful can mean it has dislocated. Don't walk on it; go to A&E straight away.
Call 999 or go to A&E if you have sciatica on both sides, weakness or numbness in both legs that's severe or getting worse, or numbness around or under your genitals, or around your bottom (anus); if you find it hard to start peeing, cannot pee or cannot control when you pee; or if you do not notice when you need to poo or cannot control when you poo, and this is not normal for you. These could be symptoms of a serious back problem that needs to be treated in hospital as soon as possible.
Call 999 or go to A&E now if you have a femoral hernia (a small lump at the top of your thigh, in your groin) and very bad tummy pain, you feel sick or you're being sick, you cannot fart or poo, you have a high temperature or you feel hot, cold or shivery, or you've suddenly become confused. Do not drive to A&E. With any other hernia and pain in or around it, a bloated tummy, feeling or being sick, vomiting blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds, constipation, a high temperature or feeling hot, cold or shivery, or sudden confusion, get help from NHS 111.
Same day (urgent GP appointment or NHS 111): throbbing pain in one leg (rarely both), usually the calf or thigh; swelling in one leg (rarely both); red, blue or darkened skin around the painful area, which may be harder to see on brown or black skin; or swollen veins. This can be a deep vein thrombosis (DVT). It is more likely after surgery, a hospital stay, 3 or more days in bed, a journey of over 4 hours, pregnancy or a recent birth, cancer, a previous clot, or oestrogen-containing contraception or HRT.
Call 999 or go to A&E if breathing suddenly becomes difficult, if pain in your chest or upper back comes on suddenly with breathlessness or a very fast heartbeat, or if someone passes out. Do not drive yourself. It can be a blood clot that has reached the lungs.
Call 999 or go to A&E if your child gets sudden pain in their hip, knee or thigh (hip problems can sometimes be felt in the thigh or knee) or cannot put any weight on their leg. If your child is limping, ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 the same day. This applies to teenagers too, and in some children knee pain is the only sign.

See a doctor or physiotherapist if

Hip pain that stops normal activities or disturbs sleep, keeps getting worse or keeps coming back, or has not improved after 2 weeks of looking after it at home.
Stiffness lasting more than 30 minutes after waking.
Outer hip pain that hasn't improved within 6 weeks of following this advice, or that gets worse: talk to a GP or physiotherapist. In many areas you can refer yourself.
The hip catches, locks or gives way, or the click hurts deep in the groin: a problem inside the joint, such as a labral tear or a loose fragment, is possible.
A lump in the groin, upper thigh or tummy, especially one that appears when you cough or strain and goes when you lie down: see a GP, as it may be a true hernia. A femoral hernia (a small lump at the top of the thigh, mainly in women over 50, though it can happen to anyone) needs treating in hospital.
Call your midwife or GP if you have pelvic pain and it's hard for you to move around, it hurts to get out of a car or turn over in bed, or it's painful going up or down stairs.
Hip or groin pain that hasn't settled after 6 weeks, especially with a normal X-ray, or new hip pain if you take high-dose steroids, drink heavily, or have sickle cell disease or lupus: ask your GP about an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan and a hip specialist. It can be avascular necrosis, which an X-ray can miss early on.
Bone pain that is constant or worse at night, especially with a lump, unexplained weight loss, fever or tiredness, or a past history of cancer.
See a GP if you have pain and stiffness for more than a week, especially if you're over 50, it's in both shoulders (often the neck and hips too) and the stiffness lasts longer than 45 minutes in the morning. It can be polymyalgia rheumatica.
After a hip replacement, getting in or out of the car still hurts or feels unsafe months later, or you're not sure which way your team wants you to do it: ask your physiotherapist or occupational therapist to go through it with you. If your doctor tells you to stop driving for 3 months or more, GOV.UK says you must surrender your licence to the DVLA (the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency).

Where does it hurt?

Location narrows the likely causes; it does not diagnose.

A deep ache in the groin, buttock or front of the thigh from about 45, stiff after the drive, socks and shoes hard, stiff for under 30 minutes in the morning

Often hip osteoarthritis. The NHS names getting in and out of a car among the things it makes hard.

Read: Hip arthritis →A sharp pinch in the groin crease as the knee comes up or you twist out of a low seat, in a younger, active adult, sometimes clicking

Possibly the shape of the hip joint (impingement) or its rim (a labral tear). Sitting is a known trigger; the car is our reading.

Read: Hip impingement (FAI) →Deep groin pain with catching, locking or a painful click

Possibly a labral tear or a loose fragment.

Read: Hip labral tear →The bony point on the outside of the hip as you lift your legs out, sore to lie on, on stairs and after crossing your legs

Usually the gluteal tendons, often called hip bursitis. NHS inform lists "pain when lifting legs in or out of a car or bed".

Read: Outer hip pain →The front of the hip as you lift the knee over the sill, after a sprint or a kick, worse lifting against resistance

Often the hip flexors.

Read: Hip flexor pain →Lifting the leg into the car, more than getting out

Our hip pain when lifting your leg guide covers the leg lift, socks and shoes.

Read: Hip pain lifting your leg →The inner thigh close to the groin, worse squeezing the knees together

Usually adductor-related groin pain.

Read: Groin strain →Low in the buttock or by the dimple at the back of the pelvis, on one side

The sacroiliac joint or the back.

Read: SI joint pain →Buttock pain with pins and needles, burning or numbness down the leg, with or without back pain

A nerve from the back (sciatica).

Read: Sciatica →The pubic bone or the back of the pelvis in pregnancy or after the birth, worse moving your legs apart

Pelvic girdle pain. The NHS says keep your knees together getting in and out of the car.

Read: Pelvic girdle pain (SPD) →A lump in the groin or at the top of the thigh, bigger when you cough or strain

A possible hernia: see a GP, and use the warning signs if it's painful.

Read: Groin pain →A burning or numb patch on the outer thigh, no weakness, sometimes worse with a tight belt or seatbelt

A squeezed skin nerve (meralgia paraesthetica).

Read: Meralgia paresthetica →After a hip replacement: getting in and out within your precautions, or a leg that suddenly looks shorter or turned

Follow your team's method. A possible dislocation is the A&E line in the warning signs.

Read: Hip replacement →After a fall, hip pain and you can't stand, walk or put weight on the leg

Possibly a broken hip: call 999, as the warning signs say.

Read: Broken hip →Hip pain when you sit in the car or drive, rather than getting out

Our hip pain when sitting guide covers seats, cushions and breaks.

Read: Hip pain when sitting →Getting up from a chair or standing for long

Our hip pain when standing guide covers getting up.

Read: Hip pain when standing →A child or teenager with hip, thigh or knee pain, or a limp

Use the warning signs first.

Read: Hip pain in children →

Understand it

Why getting out of a car shows up hip problemsStrong evidence

Getting out of a car asks a lot of the hip at once: from a low seat the hip is bent past a right angle, the body turns, one leg and then the other lifts over the sill, and then you stand up from low down (our description; in a French lab study, only the older drivers swung both legs out together). Getting in reverses it.

Health services name the car for three causes: hip osteoarthritis (the NHS says "you may find it difficult ... to get in and out of a car"), outer hip tendon pain (NHS inform lists "pain when lifting legs in or out of a car or bed"), and pelvic girdle pain in pregnancy. "Getting in/out of car?" is also a standard question in the hip questionnaires used worldwide; people waiting for a hip replacement rated it among the most relevant, and it improved a lot after surgery. No study counts the causes of hip pain getting out of a car.

Sources 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Who gets which causeStrong evidence

Hip osteoarthritis is common and rises with age: about 12.6% of people in Europe show it on X-ray, and 19.2% of adults aged 65 and over in Oxfordshire had hip pain on most days for a month or more in a year. NICE (the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) diagnoses it from 45 by its pattern, and losing the ability to turn the hip inwards is the first movement it limits. Outer hip tendon pain is commoner in women from about 40: in adults aged 50 to 79, about 15% of women and 7% of men had it on one side.

In younger, active adults, a deep groin pinch with bending and sitting points to the shape of the hip joint: in 51 people waiting for surgery, sitting made the pain worse in 65%, and 42% couldn't sit for more than 30 minutes. In sport, the groin muscles and hip flexors are common causes: in 207 athletes with long-standing groin pain, adductor-related pain came first (58%) and iliopsoas-related pain second (36%).

Sources 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13

The back and the pelvis can be felt in the hipEmerging evidence

NHS inform says problems felt in your hip can come from your back, even when your back doesn't hurt, often with pins and needles or burning down the leg. In 51 people whose pain was confirmed to come from the hip joint, it was felt in the buttock in 71%, the thigh in 57% and the groin in 55%, and never in the low back. The sacroiliac joint can cause pain low on one side of the back of the pelvis, but no single test or story picks it out, and outside pregnancy no study links it to the car. Pelvic girdle pain affects up to 1 in 5 pregnant women and isn't harmful to the baby.

Sources 14, 15, 16, 17, 3

Getting in and out after a hip replacementEmerging evidence

In 161 car users in Japan, a mean of 5.6 years after a hip replacement, 29% still found getting in and out uncomfortable, and weaker muscles on the other hip were the only predictor. In a lab study, pivoting on the operated leg reduced how far that hip bent. The general NHS page says don't bend your hip more than 90 degrees while you recover; a specialist NHS hospital tells most people with a normally shaped hip to be guided by pain; and in trials after the back approach, early dislocation was rare with or without precautions (1.2% against 0.6% in 1,616 people, low certainty). Follow the precautions your own team gives you.

Sources 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23

What a scan shows, and what it doesn'tStrong evidence

NICE says don't routinely use imaging to diagnose osteoarthritis. X-rays and pain often disagree: in one large study only 15.6% of hips with frequent pain showed arthritis on X-ray. Impingement shapes are common in hips that don't hurt (a cam shape in 37% of 2,114 pain-free hips), and labral tears showed in 54% of people without pain.

Scans matter after a fall (NICE: an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan if a broken hip is suspected despite a normal X-ray), for a suspected stress fracture, which is rare, for outer hip pain that doesn't respond, to look for a torn tendon, and before surgery.

Sources 8, 24, 25, 26, 27, 16, 28

How it usually goesEmerging evidence

In 495 people with early hip osteoarthritis, 76% had stable or easing pain over 10 years; in a Danish education and exercise programme, 30% had a hip replacement within 2 years. Outer hip pain is slower: at least 36% still had it at 1 year in Dutch general practice, and NHS inform says it "can often take 6 to 12 months of rehabilitation to settle". In a UK impingement trial, physiotherapy alone improved hip scores a lot over a year. NHS inform expects new hip pain to begin to settle within 6 weeks. No one can promise a date.

Sources 29, 30, 31, 2, 32, 33, 14

What helps, and how strong the evidence is

Outer hip pain: education and exercise beat an injectionEmerging evidence

In the LEAP trial (204 people aged 35 to 70 with outer hip tendon pain), education plus exercise gave success at 8 weeks in 51 of 66 people, against 38 of 65 with a steroid injection and 20 of 68 with wait and see; at a year, 51 of 65, 36 of 63 and 31 of 60. The programme was daily home exercise of 15 to 20 minutes and 14 sessions over 8 weeks. It's one good trial, mostly in women in mid-life.

Sources 32, 34

Hip arthritis: exercise for everyone, with a modest average gainMixed evidence

NICE says offer everyone with osteoarthritis exercise tailored to them, and that any weight loss is likely to help. The average gain is modest: in a 2014 review of 9 trials, pain was 8 points and function 7 points better out of 100, and a 2026 update says exercise "probably reduces pain slightly" (about 7 points), probably too little to notice for many people on average. Some people gain much more than the average.

Sources 8, 35, 36

Hip impingement: exercise first, surgery for someMixed evidence

An expert consensus recommends at least 3 months of exercise first. In UK trials, keyhole hip surgery did modestly better than physiotherapy (6.8 points on a 100-point score at a year in 348 people, and 10 points at 8 months in 222), but a pooled analysis of 21 trials found the differences stayed below what patients notice.

Sources 37, 33, 38, 39

The car steps come from health-service advice, not trialsEmerging evidence

The advice on getting in and out is consistent across Arthritis UK, NHS trusts and NHS Lanarkshire: push the seat back and tilt the backrest, get in from road level, sit first, then bring your legs in, use a firm cushion if the seat is low, and push up from the frame rather than the door. Most of it was written for after a hip operation, and none has been tested in a trial. In lab studies of chairs, a higher seat cut the effort at the hip in standing up by up to half, and using armrests by half.

Sources differ on one point: Arthritis UK and the NHS pregnancy advice say swing both legs together, while one NHS trust has people lift their legs in one at a time after a hip replacement, turning the body rather than twisting. The common thread is not to stand on one leg or twist at the hip with a foot planted.

Sources 40, 41, 42, 43, 21, 3, 44

Driving after a hip replacementStrong evidence

The NHS says wait at least 6 weeks to drive and check with your doctor that you're fit to. Across 7 studies of braking, reaction time was back to normal or better by about 6 weeks. GOV.UK says you must surrender your licence to the DVLA (the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) if your doctor tells you to stop driving for 3 months or more.

Sources 20, 45, 46

How much pain is OK while you exercise?

Up to 5 out of 10, settled by that night and the next morningEmerging evidence

This guide uses the hip hub's rule, with the outer hip limit from the LEAP trial: during the exercises, pain up to about 5 out of 10 is acceptable; it should settle within an hour or so, and the hip should be no worse that night or the next morning. If it is, do less next time, not nothing. NHS inform's hip exercises use the same band (0 to 3 minimal, 4 to 5 acceptable, 6 to 10 excessive), and LEAP allowed up to 5 out of 10 in strength work if it eased that night and the next morning, with no extra pain over the bony point in everyday-type exercises. NICE says joint pain may rise when you start exercising, and in long-lasting pain, exercise that allowed some pain did no worse than pain-free exercise.

For the car (our suggestion, built on the same rule): use the way in and out that keeps it within 0 to 3 out of 10, with the hip no worse that night, and bring back a lower seat, a quicker exit or a long drive one at a time. After a hip replacement, your team's precautions come before any pain rule. Sudden sharp pain with the leg giving way, a leg that looks shorter, or numbness around your bottom aren't pain-rule questions: see the warning signs.

Sources 47, 34, 8, 48

The exercise plan: 3 stages

Start at the first stage. Each move opens a full guide with a 3D demo.

Stage 1

Settle: get in and out the easier way, and load the hip gently

About the first 2 weeks: the car steps below, the hip moving in comfortable ranges every day, and the outer hip and buttock muscles working without squeezing the tendons. With pain on the outside of the hip, leave out clamshells and outer hip stretches for now, as our hip bursitis guide says. With a diagnosed condition that guide's plan comes first; after a hip replacement or other surgery, your team's plan and precautions do.

Seated march demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSeated marchBeginner · A bench or box

5 lifts each leg, only as high as there's no pinch · The move page's dose (the NHS sitting exercises). The knee lift of getting over the sill, done sitting; keep the lift low after a recent hip replacement, as the move page says

Harder: Standing march

Supine heel slide demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSupine heel slideBeginner · No equipment

10 slow repetitions each side, once or twice a day · The move page's dose, an editorial starting point. For stiffness before a drive; bend only to just before any pinch

Harder: Hip windshield wipers

Supine isometric hip abduction (belt press) demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSupine isometric hip abduction (belt press)Beginner · A band

3 to 5 holds of 5 to 10 s, twice a day, at a light effort · The move page's dose, the start of the LEAP programme

Harder: Lateral band walk

Glute bridge demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoGlute bridgeBeginner · No equipment

2 to 3 at a time, building to sets of 8, up to 2 sets of 15 · NHS inform's hip bridge, with its pacing; LEAP's first week used 10 a day

Easier: Pelvic tilt into bridge · Harder: Single-leg glute bridge

Sit to stand from a chair demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSit to stand from a chairBeginner · A bench or box

Lower until your bottom just touches the seat: 2 to 3 at a time, building to sets of 8, from a higher seat first · NHS inform's sit to stand, with its pacing; no extra outer hip pain, as in the LEAP programme

Easier: Sit to stand, pushing on the thighs · Harder: Bodyweight squat

Move on when: Getting in and out with both legs together stays within 0 to 3 out of 10, the hip is no worse the next morning, and chair stands from a normal chair are comfortable (editorial).

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Stage 2

Build: outer hip and thigh strength, and lower seats

About weeks 2 to 6, short daily sessions or 3 days a week: strength with one leg doing more of the work and the pelvis level, standing up from lower seats, and comfortable turning of the hip.

Standing wall-press hip abduction demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoStanding wall-press hip abductionBeginner · A wall

3 to 5 holds of 5 to 15 s each side, twice a day · The move page's dose, LEAP's standing hold. Keep the standing hip level, as the move page says

Easier: Supine isometric hip abduction (belt press) · Harder: Lateral band walk

Staggered-stance bridge (offset bridge) demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoStaggered-stance bridge (offset bridge)Beginner · No equipment

5 slow repetitions each side once a day, building to 2 sets of 5 to 10 at a somewhat hard effort · The move page's dose, from the LEAP programme

Easier: Pelvic tilt into bridge · Harder: Single-leg glute bridge

Lateral band walk demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoLateral band walkBeginner · A band

10 to 15 steps each way, without a band at first, then with one · LEAP's side steps (10, then 15 each way a day) and band side steps from week 3; as in our hip pain when standing guide

Easier: Hip abduction machine · Harder: Lateral band walk, band at the feet

3D demoSit to stand from a chairBeginner · A bench or box

3 sets of 8, from a high chair to a lower one, about car-seat height · An NHS trust's outer hip programme, as our hip pain on stairs guide uses it

Easier: Sit to stand, pushing on the thighs · Harder: Bodyweight squat

3D demoStep-upBeginner · A step

Lead with the sore leg onto a low step: 2 to 3 at a time, building to sets of 8, up to 2 sets of 15 · NHS inform's pacing, as in our hip pain on stairs guide; keep the pelvis level

Easier: Low step-up · Harder: Dumbbell step-up

Standing hip CARs demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoStanding hip CARsBeginner · A wall

3 slow circles each way with each leg, 20 to 30 s a circle, stopping short of a pinch · The move page's dose, an editorial starting point; the pinch limit is our hip arthritis guide's. Check with your surgeon after a hip replacement

Easier: Hip circles on all fours · Harder: 90/90 hip lift-off

Move on when: Standing up from a car-height seat without your hands passes the pain rule for 3 sets of 8, and getting in and out is comfortable most days (editorial).

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Stage 3

Single-leg strength, turning over a planted leg, and the car in full

From about week 6, 2 or 3 days a week: strength on one leg, controlled turning, low seats and long drives. No study has tested a return to normal car transfers, so how they come back is our suggestion.

Split squat demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSplit squatIntermediate · No equipment

5 to 10 slow repetitions each side, 2 sets, a short range and a hand on a support at first · LEAP's one-leg-biased squats in weeks 3 to 8; as in our hip pain when standing guide

Easier: Bodyweight squat · Harder: Reverse lunge

Single-leg stand demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSingle-leg standBeginner · A wall

3 holds of 10 to 30 s each side, pelvis level, a hand near a support · As in our hip pain on stairs and hip bursitis guides (editorial)

Easier: Tandem stance and heel-to-toe walk · Harder: Single-leg reach matrix

Hip airplane demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoHip airplaneAdvanced · No equipment

2 sets of 5 slow turns each leg, holding a wall or chair at first · The move page's dose, an editorial starting point. It turns the body over a planted leg slowly, the twist of getting out under control (our reasoning); not with hip replacement precautions

Easier: Single-leg stand · Harder: Single-leg Romanian deadlift

Dumbbell goblet squat demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoDumbbell goblet squatIntermediate · A dumbbell

3 sets of 8 to 10, to a box at about car-seat height, set above any pinch · As in our hip impingement and hip pain when standing guides (editorial)

Easier: Bodyweight squat · Harder: Barbell front squat

Single-leg glute bridge demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSingle-leg glute bridgeIntermediate · No equipment

2 to 3 sets of 8 each side · As in our hip pain on stairs guide (editorial)

Easier: Glute bridge · Harder: Barbell hip thrust

90/90 switch demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demo90/90 switchIntermediate · No equipment

10 slow switches, pausing at the ends, only as far as there's no pinch · The move page's dose. Turning the hips in and out while sitting; leave it out with hip replacement precautions or a groin pinch (our caution)

Easier: Reclined figure four (eye of the needle, Sucirandhrasana) · Harder: 90/90 hip lift-off

Move on when: These pass the pain rule for 2 weeks: then try a lower seat, then getting out with less help from your hands, then a longer drive with breaks, one change at a time, keeping the hip no worse the next morning (editorial). After a hip replacement, your team decides when precautions end and when you can drive.

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

What to change for now

Getting in and out of the car (written steps)

Our 3D figure can't show these. They come from Arthritis UK, NHS trust leaflets, NHS Lanarkshire, the NHS and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, mostly written for after a hip operation; where a step is our suggestion, it says so. None has been tested in a trial.

1. Get in and out at road level, not from a high kerb: "Get in from the road or driveway, not the pavement so that you are not stepping up or down into/out of the car" (an NHS trust).
2. Push the seat back and tilt the backrest a little before you get in (NHS trust leaflets).
3. If your hips sit lower than your knees, use a firm cushion "to ensure your hips are above your knees" (an NHS trust).
4. Getting in: "Turn your back to the car and put your bottom down first", hold the door frame and the seat, slide back, then swing both legs in together, turning your body with them (NHS trust leaflets; Arthritis UK: "sit on the side of the seat and swing both legs in rather than stepping in one leg at a time").
5. Getting out (NHS Lanarkshire): "Move your bottom to the edge of your seat. Keep your legs together and lift your feet up. Swing your legs out of the car. Put both feet onto the ground. Move to the edge of your seat and lean forward. Hold onto the outside of the car and the dashboard. Pull yourself up."
6. Push up from the frame and the seat: "Avoid leaning on the car door for support" (an NHS trust).
7. In pregnancy, the NHS says "keep your knees together when getting in and out of the car".
8. After a hip replacement, follow your team's method and precautions; one NHS trust has people lift their legs in one at a time while turning the body, rather than twisting.
9. Before you drive off after sitting still, a few seated knee lifts and ankle circles (our suggestion).

Sources 42, 43, 21, 49, 40, 41, 3

Long drives and the car seat (written steps)

No study has tested driving changes for hip pain, and none ties a driving posture to hip pain. These steps come from the Highway Code, the NHS and NHS inform, with our suggestions labelled.

1. Breaks: the Highway Code recommends "a minimum break of at least 15 minutes after every two hours of driving" (for tiredness), and an NHS trust says "Take regular short breaks when on long journeys" after a hip operation. With a sore hip, stop sooner for a short walk (our suggestion).
2. The seat: not low or deep; the NHS says "do not sit in low chairs - this can put extra pressure on your hips". A firm cushion can level a sloping seat (our suggestion).
3. With outer hip pain, don't sit with your legs crossed, as NHS inform advises.
4. The pedals: set the seat so your knee stays slightly bent with a pedal pressed down; with a sore left hip, an automatic car takes away the clutch (our suggestion).
5. Take your wallet out of your back pocket on long drives (our suggestion; a squeezed buttock nerve from a wallet is described only in case reports).
6. After a hip replacement, the NHS says wait at least 6 weeks to drive and check with your doctor.

Sources 50, 42, 51, 2, 52, 53, 20

Positions to swap, and why

Habit or position	Why it matters	Instead
Stepping in or out one leg at a time, standing on one leg	Arthritis UK suggests sitting first and swinging both legs.	Sit first, then swing both legs together.
Twisting at the hip with one foot planted	It loads the hip bent and turned, the position arthritis and impingement dislike (our reading).	Turn your body with your legs; train the turn slowly later.Try: Hip airplane
Pulling yourself up on the car door	An NHS trust says avoid leaning on the door.	Push on the frame and the seat.
A low, sloping or soft seat	Low seats bend the hip more, and the NHS says avoid low chairs.	A firm cushion so your hips are level with or above your knees.
Crossing your legs in the car, with outer hip pain	NHS inform says avoid it.	Knees hip-width apart.
Hours of driving without a stop	The Highway Code recommends breaks, and sitting still stiffens a sore hip (our reading).	Stop every 1 to 2 hours for a short walk.
Stretching the hip flexors hard while the front of the hip hurts	Stretching them is one of the tests that brings hip flexor (iliopsoas) pain on.	Gentle knee lifts sitting down.Try: Seated march
Clamshells with outer hip pain	Done lying on your side with the knees together, close to the squeezing position (our hip bursitis guide).	The lying belt press.Try: Supine isometric hip abduction (belt press)
Resting the hip completely	The NHS says it's best to keep moving if you can, but try not to overdo things.	The stage 1 moves and short walks.Try: Supine heel slide
Driving before your team says so after a hip replacement	The NHS says wait at least 6 weeks.	Be a passenger, getting in by the steps above.

Routines to follow

Hip mobility routine

A 15-minute hip opener: 90/90 switches, windshield wipers, CARs, Cossack squats, frog and pigeon.

15 minIntermediate8 movesA wall

Glute workout at home

A 25-minute glute workout with bodyweight and a mini band: bridges, clamshells, band walks, kickbacks and lunges.

25 minBeginner9 movesA wall, A band

Arthritis exercise routine: a joint-friendly circuit

A 30-minute joint-friendly circuit built like the GLA:D and ESCAPE-pain programmes: a gentle warm-up, chair, step and band strength moves, balance, then stretches.

30 minBeginner14 movesA bench or box, A step

Pilates for hip pain: a 20-minute class that spares the hip

A 20-minute Pilates class for hip pain: bridges, outer-hip holds, standing leg work and balance, without deep bends, crossed legs or lying on the sore side.

20 minBeginner14 movesA band, A wall

Strength and balance exercises for seniors

A 40-minute strength and balance session for over-65s, built from the Otago home programme and NHS exercises, using a chair, a counter and a step.

40 minBeginner18 movesA bench or box, Something with weight

More moves for this area

Questions people ask

Why does my hip hurt when I get out of the car?

Getting out bends the hip deeply in a low seat, turns it, lifts each leg over the sill and then stands you up from low down, so it shows up several hip problems. A deep groin ache from mid-life points to hip arthritis, a sharp groin pinch in a younger active adult to the shape of the hip joint, and the bony point on the outside to the gluteal tendons.

Why does the front of my hip hurt getting out of the car?

Lifting the knee over the sill works the hip flexors, so a strained or irritated hip flexor hurts there, especially after a sprint or kick. A deep pinch in the groin crease is more often the hip joint itself. Our hip flexor pain guide has the plan.

Why does my left hip hurt when I get out of the car?

No study has compared sides. Which hip hurts often depends on which side you get out and which leg lifts last or pushes you up; in the UK the driver gets out on the right. Swinging both legs out together takes the twist out of it for either hip.

How should I get out of a car with hip pain?

Push the seat back and tilt the backrest, shuffle to the edge, keep your knees together and swing both legs out, put both feet on the ground, lean forward and push up from the frame and the seat, not the door. A firm cushion helps if your hips sit lower than your knees.

Does hip pain getting out of a car mean arthritis?

Sometimes: the NHS says hip arthritis can make it hard to get in and out of a car. But outer hip tendon pain, the hip flexors, the back and pregnancy pelvic pain do it too, and from 45 arthritis is diagnosed from your symptoms, without a scan.

Does it mean I need a hip replacement?

Usually not, or not yet. NICE puts exercise, weight loss and pain relief first and considers a replacement when symptoms affect your life a lot despite them, and most people with early hip arthritis had stable or easing pain over 10 years.

Why does my hip hurt after a long drive?

Sitting still stiffens an arthritic hip, and impingement pain is worse with sitting. Stop for a short walk at least every two hours, and sit on a cushion so your hips aren't lower than your knees.

How do I get in and out of a car after a hip replacement?

Follow the method and precautions your team gave you. Their leaflets usually say push the seat back and recline it, sit first with your operated leg out in front, then slide back and bring your legs in. The NHS says wait at least 6 weeks to drive and check with your doctor.

I'm pregnant and it hurts getting out of the car. What helps?

Keep your knees together getting in and out, as the NHS advises for pelvic girdle pain, which affects up to 1 in 5 pregnant women and isn't harmful to the baby. Call your midwife or GP if it hurts to get out of a car or it's hard to move around.

Do I need a scan?

Usually not at first: NICE diagnoses hip arthritis from 45 without one, and scans show cam shapes and labral tears in many hips that don't hurt. A scan matters after a fall, if a stress fracture or a problem with the hip's blood supply is possible, or before surgery.

What exercises help?

Strengthening the outer hip and buttock, then standing up from lower seats and single-leg work, as in the LEAP trial, where education and exercise beat an injection. NHS inform's hip exercises (bridges, sideways leg lifts and sit to stand) are a good start.

When should I see a doctor?

Call 999 for a fall with hip pain and a leg you can't stand on, or numbness around your genitals or bottom; get an urgent GP appointment or NHS 111 for a hot, swollen hip with a high temperature; go to A&E if a replaced hip suddenly looks shorter or turned. See a GP if it isn't improving after 2 weeks or stops you doing normal things. In the US, call 911 where this page says 999.

Related exercise guides

Hip joint guide

Hip pain when getting out of a car: the hip joint, the outer hip, the groin, the back and what helps

When to get help first

Get urgent medical help if

See a doctor or physiotherapist if

Where does it hurt?

Understand it

Why getting out of a car shows up hip problemsStrong evidence

Who gets which causeStrong evidence

The back and the pelvis can be felt in the hipEmerging evidence

Getting in and out after a hip replacementEmerging evidence

What a scan shows, and what it doesn'tStrong evidence

How it usually goesEmerging evidence

What helps, and how strong the evidence is

Outer hip pain: education and exercise beat an injectionEmerging evidence

Hip arthritis: exercise for everyone, with a modest average gainMixed evidence

Hip impingement: exercise first, surgery for someMixed evidence

The car steps come from health-service advice, not trialsEmerging evidence

Driving after a hip replacementStrong evidence

How much pain is OK while you exercise?

Up to 5 out of 10, settled by that night and the next morningEmerging evidence

The exercise plan: 3 stages

Settle: get in and out the easier way, and load the hip gently

Build: outer hip and thigh strength, and lower seats

Single-leg strength, turning over a planted leg, and the car in full

What to change for now

Getting in and out of the car (written steps)

Long drives and the car seat (written steps)

Positions to swap, and why

Routines to follow

Hip mobility routine

Glute workout at home

Arthritis exercise routine: a joint-friendly circuit

Pilates for hip pain: a 20-minute class that spares the hip

Strength and balance exercises for seniors

More moves for this area

Questions people ask

Related exercise guides

Other pain guides

Sources