Pain guide · Hip pain

Hip pain when lifting your leg: the hip flexors, the joint, the groin, socks, the car and what helps

Pain when you lift your leg, to climb stairs, put on socks or get into a car, is common, and it isn't always a strained hip flexor. At the front of the hip after a sprint or a kick it often is; a deep pinch in the groin as the knee comes up points to the hip joint, such as impingement in younger adults or arthritis from mid-life; and pain on the outside when you lift the leg to the side is usually the outer hip tendons. A lump in the groin is a possible hernia, and a few causes come from the back.

This guide starts with the signs that need help today, from a 999 call or accident and emergency (A&E) to the National Health Service's 111 line (NHS 111) or a general practitioner (GP): severe hip pain or a leg you can't stand on after a fall, a hot, swollen hip with a fever, a child's sudden hip pain, and a painful groin lump. It then maps the causes by where it hurts, explains what scans can and can't show, how to dress, get into a car and climb stairs while it settles, and gives a three-stage plan with a 3D demo of every move that ends with sport and the gym.

3-stage exercise plan When to get help 58 sourcesUpdated 28 October 2026

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 (or feel hot, cold or shivery). A hot, swollen hip with a high temperature can be a joint infection.
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.
Same day, for an X-ray: a teenager with sudden pain at the front of the hip bone or along its rim during a sprint, kick or jump, often with a pop and no knock, especially if walking or lifting the leg is painful. It can be a piece of growth plate pulled off the pelvis (an avulsion fracture), which is often mistaken for a strain.
Same day, and stop running now: groin or front-of-hip pain in a runner, sometimes felt in the thigh or knee, that builds with running, hurts with every step or at night, or hurts when the hip is turned to the end of its range. Keep weight off the leg, using crutches if you have them, and get an urgent GP appointment or help from NHS 111 the same day: a stress fracture of the hip (femoral neck) needs urgent imaging.
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.
Call 999 or go to A&E for severe pain in your tummy, or tummy pain with confusion, blotchy or paler skin than usual, or difficulty breathing, which could be sepsis. Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 for tummy pain that is gradually getting worse or doesn't go away, or that moves to the lower right side: appendicitis usually starts around the belly button and can come with feeling or being sick, a loss of appetite or a high temperature.
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.

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.
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.
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.
Pain that has not improved after a good 3 months of exercise-based treatment: ask about a hip specialist.
New weakness lifting your knee or straightening it, a knee that gives way, or numbness on the front of the thigh, especially with back pain: see a GP. A nerve from the upper part of the lower back may be trapped (our suggestion). Weakness or numbness in both legs, or numbness around the genitals or bottom, is the 999 emergency above.
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.

Where does it hurt?

Location narrows the likely causes; it does not diagnose.

The front of the hip or groin, sharp, after a sprint, a kick or a sudden effort; worse lifting the knee against resistance

Often a strained hip flexor or an irritated iliopsoas tendon. Our hip flexor pain guide has the plan.

Read: Hip flexor pain →A deep pinch in the groin as the knee comes towards the chest, getting into a car or sitting low, in a younger active adult

Often hip impingement, where the shapes of the ball and socket pinch as the hip bends, sometimes with clicking.

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

Possibly a tear in the labrum, the rim of cartilage around the socket. Tears also show on scans of many hips that don't hurt.

Read: Hip labral tear →A stiff ache in the groin, buttock or front of the thigh from about 45, with socks, shoes and getting out of a car hard

Often hip osteoarthritis, usually stiff for less than 30 minutes after rest. It is diagnosed without a scan from 45 when the symptoms are typical.

Read: Hip arthritis →The inner thigh close to the groin, worse squeezing the knees together, kicking or changing direction

Usually an adductor (groin) strain, the commonest groin injury in athletes.

Read: Groin strain →The bony point on the outside of the hip when you lift the leg to the side, or lift your legs into a car or out of bed

Usually the gluteal tendons on the outer hip (often called hip bursitis), sore to lie on and on stairs.

Read: Outer hip pain →

A lump in the groin or at the top of the thigh, bigger when you cough or strain, smaller when you lie down

A possible hernia: see a GP. A painful hernia, or a femoral hernia with very bad tummy pain or being sick, needs help the same day or a 999 call, as the warning signs say.

Just above the groin crease, worse with sit-ups, coughing or sneezing, with no lump

Often inguinal-related groin pain, called a sports hernia.

Read: Sports hernia →Right on the pubic bone at the front, in a sport with kicking or turning

Possibly pubic-related groin pain (osteitis pubis).

Read: Osteitis pubis →A click or clunk at the front of the hip as you lower the leg from a bent hip, often painless

Usually a tendon flicking over bone (internal snapping hip), very common in dancers.

Read: Snapping hip →Pain, numbness or weakness at the front of the thigh lifting the knee or straightening it, often with back pain

Possibly a nerve from the upper part of the lower back. Our lower back and hip guide sorts the back from the hip.

Read: Lower back and hip pain →A burning or numb patch on the outer thigh, with no weakness

Possibly a squeezed skin nerve (meralgia paraesthetica).

Read: Meralgia paresthetica →A runner with groin pain that builds with every run, hurts hopping or lifting the straight leg, later at night

Possibly a stress fracture of the hip: stop running and get it checked the same day, as the warning signs say.

Read: Stress fracture →A teenager with sudden pain at the front of the hip bone during a sprint or kick, often with a pop

Possibly a piece of growth plate pulled off the pelvis: an X-ray the same day, as the warning signs say.

Read: Hip pointer →After a fall in later life, you can't lift the leg or stand on it

Possibly a broken hip: call 999, as the warning signs say. Our broken hip guide covers recovery.

Read: Broken hip →

Tummy pain that started around the belly button and moved low on the right, with feeling sick or a fever, worse moving the leg

Possibly appendicitis rather than the hip: get help the same day, or call 999 for severe pain, as the warning signs say.

A child or teenager with hip, thigh or knee pain, or a limp

Use the warning signs first. Our children's hip pain guide sorts the causes by age.

Read: Hip pain in children →Groin pain more generally, not only when you lift the leg

Our groin pain guide maps the causes by spot, side and age.

Read: Groin pain →Hip pain when you sit, or when you stand up from a chair

Our sitting and standing guides cover chairs, car seats and getting up.

Read: Hip pain when sitting →

Understand it

Why lifting your leg can hurtStrong evidence

Lifting the leg bends the hip. It uses the hip flexors, the iliopsoas deep in the hip and the rectus femoris at the front of the thigh, and it moves the ball of the thigh bone in its socket. So pain can come from the muscles and tendons, from the joint itself, or from nearby: an international agreement sorts groin pain in athletes into the inner thigh muscles (adductors), the iliopsoas, the area just above the groin crease (inguinal), the pubic bone, the hip joint, and other causes such as hernias, trapped nerves, the back, stress fractures and, rarely, infections, appendicitis and tumours.

In young and middle-aged active adults, the commonest hip-joint causes are hip impingement, a shallow socket and problems with the labrum and cartilage, a second consensus says. From mid-life, arthritis becomes common: the NHS says it can make it "difficult to put your shoes and socks on or to get in and out of a car".

Sources 1, 9, 13

It isn't usually just the hip flexors (athlete data)Mixed evidence

No study has counted the causes of pain lifting the leg in the general public; the figures come from athletes, mostly men. In 207 athletes with long-standing groin pain at one Danish clinic, the inner thigh muscles were the main problem in 58% and the hip flexors in 36%, and a third had more than one. In elite football over 7 seasons, 628 hip and groin injuries were 12 to 16% of all injuries, with the adductors (399) far ahead of the iliopsoas (52); 49% of 695 sub-elite footballers had hip or groin pain in a season.

Sudden hip flexor injuries are mostly the rectus femoris, from kicking and sprinting (16 of 33 on MRI in one study; kicking caused 54% of rectus femoris injuries in 105 professional footballers), then the iliacus. Examination finds inner thigh injuries reliably but places hip flexor injuries poorly, and 21% of acute groin injuries in 81 athletes had a normal MRI. So a hip flexor strain is common, but it's one cause among several.

Sources 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

The front of the hip joint: impingement and the labrumEmerging evidence

In 51 people (52 hips) with hip impingement, average age 35, waiting for surgery at one US centre, the pain was in the groin in 83%, sitting made it worse in 65%, and 31% found putting on shoes and socks difficult (4% couldn't). The test that bends the hip and turns it in hurt in 88%, and it had taken an average of 3.1 years to be diagnosed. In 66 labral tears confirmed at keyhole surgery, 92% had groin pain. These are selected surgical groups, so they show what it can feel like, not how common it is.

An international agreement says hip impingement (FAI syndrome) needs symptoms, signs on examination and imaging together; a shape on a scan alone is never the diagnosis.

Sources 10, 11, 9, 12

Arthritis: a stiff hip that loses turning-in firstStrong evidence

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) diagnoses osteoarthritis without a scan in people aged 45 or over with joint pain on activity and no morning stiffness, or stiffness lasting no longer than 30 minutes. The NHS describes pain in the groin or outside the hip, and trouble with socks, shoes and the car. In a UK primary care study, losing the ability to turn the hip in was the most telling sign on examination.

Sources 13, 14, 15

To the side, lying down and to the chestEmerging evidence

Lifting the leg out to the side works the gluteal tendons on the outer hip, and NHS inform lists "pain when lifting legs in or out of a car or bed" among the signs of outer hip pain, which is commonest in women aged 40 to 60.

Lifting the straight leg while lying down is a long lever. In healthy volunteers, the iliopsoas worked hardest at around 60 degrees of lift. In 6 people with sensor-fitted hip replacements, a lying straight leg raise loaded the joint at about 1.4 to 1.5 times body weight, with a twisting force about 7 times that of a side leg lift. That's why it can bring on iliopsoas pain, which clinicians test for by lifting the leg against resistance and by stretching the front of the hip, and why a review of hip stress fractures says a straight leg raise can aggravate them.

Sources 16, 20, 21, 22, 17, 23

Snapping, and a teenager's popEmerging evidence

A snapping hip is very common and often painless: 91% of 87 elite ballet dancers reported one, and 58% had pain with it. Deep, painful catching or locking is different and needs checking.

Until the growth plates fuse, a hard sprint or kick can pull a piece of bone off the front of the pelvis. In 228 such injuries (average age 14), half were at the attachment of the rectus femoris and 30% at the sartorius, mostly from sprinting or kicking, and 97% healed without surgery. They need an X-ray the same day.

Sources 18, 19

What a scan does and doesn't showStrong evidence

Across 29 studies, labral tears showed on scans in 54% of people without hip pain and 62% of people with it, and across 26 studies of 2,114 hips without symptoms, a cam shape (a bump on the ball of the hip) showed in 37%, rising to 55% in athletes. A cam shape went with a higher chance of arthritis later in life (relative risk 1.62 in 23,886 hips of older adults), which says nothing about whether treating it helps.

So most people don't need a scan at first. Arthritis from 45 is diagnosed without one; for impingement in a younger adult, X-rays come first and MRI only for more detail, such as planning surgery. Scans do matter for a suspected stress fracture (MRI, because up to two thirds have a normal first X-ray), a teenager's pop at the front of the hip (X-ray), and a hernia that can't be felt clearly (ultrasound).

Sources 24, 25, 26, 14, 9, 8, 23, 29

Hernias, nerves and the tummyEmerging evidence

A hernia lump "may get bigger when you cough, sneeze or cry, and get smaller when you lie down", sometimes with "a heavy, dragging feeling in your leg", the NHS says; a femoral hernia is a small lump at the top of the thigh, "about the size of a grape". Groin hernias affect 27% to 43% of men and 3% to 6% of women over a lifetime; femoral hernias are about 4 times commoner in women and more often need an emergency operation (36% to 39% in Swedish and Danish registries, against 5% of inguinal hernias).

A nerve from the upper part of the lower back can cause pain or numbness at the front of the thigh; upper lumbar disc problems are only 1% to 11% of disc herniations, and the clinical tests are specific but miss about half. NHS inform says hip problems can come from the back "even though you don't feel pain in your back". A burning, numb patch on the outer thigh with no weakness is meralgia paraesthetica, about 32 new cases per 100,000 people a year.

Rarely, the tummy is the cause. Appendicitis pain usually starts around the belly button and moves to the lower right side, the NHS says; pain on moving the right leg (the psoas sign) only modestly raises the chance of appendicitis. An abscess in the psoas muscle is rare (about 1.2 per 100,000 people a year in a Japanese study) and comes with a fever.

Sources 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36

How it usually goesEmerging evidence

In elite athletes, hip and groin injuries kept footballers out for 15 days on average, acute adductor injuries took a median of 18 days to full training (78 days for the worst grade), and rectus femoris injuries about 20 days in track and field. Long-standing groin pain had lasted a median of 40 weeks before one trial, and most who trained actively got back to sport. Impingement often goes on for years before it's diagnosed. In 495 people with suspected early hip arthritis, 76% had stable or easing pain over 10 years. NHS inform expects a new hip problem to begin to settle within 6 weeks. No one can promise a date.

Sources 4, 37, 38, 45, 10, 39, 32

What helps, and how strong the evidence is

Keep moving, and change how you dress and get into a carEmerging evidence

The NHS says "it's best to keep moving if you can, but try not to overdo things" and "do not sit in low chairs". NHS inform advises moving the hip gently every hour in the first day or two, then building back to normal activity and staying at work. Arthritis UK says to get into a car by sitting on the side of the seat and swinging both legs in.

No NHS page gives dressing steps for hip pain without an operation. NHS hip surgery leaflets advise dressing sitting on a firm chair of moderate height with arms, dressing the operated leg first and undressing it last, and using a sock aid, a helping hand and a long-handled shoehorn. This guide borrows those steps because they spare the movement that hurts; they haven't been tested for hip pain without surgery.

Sources 40, 32, 41, 42, 43, 10

Hip flexors: load them graduallyEmerging evidence

In 33 healthy adults, elastic band hip flexion for 10 minutes three times a week for 6 weeks, building from a band they could lift about 15 times to one they could lift about 8 times, raised hip flexion strength by 17%. It hasn't been tested in people with pain. No trial has tested rehabilitation for iliopsoas pain: in three small case series, most people (77% to 100%) got better with non-surgical care that included activity changes, anti-inflammatories and physiotherapy.

An expert progression built from muscle-activity studies in healthy people starts with seated holds, then standing holds and short-lever lifts, and only then long-lever and loaded leg raises, about a week per step. It is "meant as a guideline rather than a prescription", and starting this guide with short-lever lifts is our suggestion from it.

Sources 44, 17, 20

Groin pain in sport: active training worksEmerging evidence

In 68 athletes with long-standing adductor-related groin pain, 8 to 12 weeks of active training (starting with a ball squeezed between the knees, 30-second holds, 10 times) got 23 back to sport without groin pain, against 4 with passive physiotherapy; adductor stretching wasn't allowed. To prevent groin problems, the Copenhagen adduction programme cut them by 41% in 652 male footballers. These are trials in men.

Sources 45, 3, 46

Hip-related pain and arthritis: exercise first, with honest expectationsMixed evidence

For hip-related pain in young and middle-aged active adults, an international consensus recommends exercise-based treatment for at least 3 months, though it found strong evidence for physiotherapist-led treatment lacking.

For hip arthritis, a review of 18 studies found that, compared with no treatment, exercise probably eases pain by about 7 points out of 100 and improves function by about 9, changes its authors judge unlikely to be noticed. NICE still makes exercise a core treatment and warns that joint pain may rise when you start.

Sources 47, 48, 14

Outer hip pain lifting to the side: education and exerciseStrong evidence

In 204 people aged 35 to 70 with outer hip (gluteal tendon) pain, education plus exercise succeeded in 51 of 66 at 8 weeks, against 38 of 65 after a steroid injection and 20 of 68 with wait and see. NHS inform adds: spread your weight across both feet, don't sit with your legs crossed, and don't sleep on the painful side.

Sources 49, 16

Stretching and the tight hip flexor storyEmerging evidence

Stretching the hip flexors is one of the tests that brings iliopsoas pain on, so stretching hard into a painful hip doesn't help it settle. Across 11 trials, strength training improved range of movement as much as stretching. People who sit a lot and are inactive have about 6 degrees less hip extension in a one-off measurement, but that hasn't been shown to cause hip pain.

Sources 1, 50, 51

How much pain is OK while you exercise?

Up to about 5 out of 10, no worse the next morning, and no sharp pinchEmerging evidence

The hip hub's rule, with NHS inform's hip exercise scale behind it: "0 to 3 - minimal pain; 4 to 5 - acceptable pain; 6 to 10 - excessive pain". Pain should settle within an hour or so, and your hip should be no worse that night or the next morning; if it is, do less next time (fewer repetitions, a smaller range, a lighter load), not nothing. NICE warns that joint pain may rise when you start, and in long-lasting pain, exercise that allowed some pain did no worse than pain-free exercise.

For a recent groin or hip flexor strain, keep it lower: a trial of acute adductor injuries kept pain at about 2 out of 10, adding load when it was 1 or less and easing off at 3 or more.

For lifting the leg (our suggestion): lift only as high as you can without a sharp pinch in the groin, work up to the pinch, not into it, and keep the lever short (knee bent) until short-lever lifts are comfortable. A pop with sudden pain, a leg you suddenly can't lift, or groin pain that builds with every step aren't pain-rule questions: see the warning signs.

Sources 52, 14, 53, 37

The exercise plan: 3 stages

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

Stage 1

Settle: keep the hip moving below the pinch, and lift with a short lever

About the first 2 weeks. Move within comfort every day, lift the leg with the knee bent, gently load the groin and the outer hip, and make the dressing, car and stair changes in the written steps below. With pain on the outside of the hip, our hip bursitis guide's plan suits better; with a pinch in the groin, our hip impingement guide's. With a suspected stress fracture, a teenager's pop at the front of the hip, a painful groin lump or after a fall, get checked first. Doses are editorial unless a source is named.

Supine heel slide demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSupine heel slideBeginner · No equipment

10 slow repetitions each side, once or twice a day, bending only to just before any pinch · The move page's dose (an editorial starting point); the pinch limit is our hip pain when sitting guide's

Harder: Hip windshield wipers

Seated march demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSeated marchBeginner · A bench or box

1 to 2 minutes, or 5 lifts each leg, only as high as there's no pinch; once comfortable, hold each lift for 5 to 10 s · The move page's dose (a falls-prevention booklet and the NHS sitting exercises); the move page says stop for hip pain. The hold is our suggestion, after an expert progression that starts hip flexor loading with seated holds

Harder: Standing march

Lying adductor ball squeeze demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoLying adductor ball squeezeBeginner · Other / check instructions

5 to 10 holds of 5 to 10 s, building towards 10 holds of 30 s · As in our groin strain guide; 10 holds of 30 s with the ball between the knees open Hölmich's trial programme for groin pain

Harder: Copenhagen plank

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 for outer hip pain; for pain lifting the leg to the side

Harder: Lateral band walk

Glute bridge demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoGlute bridgeBeginner · No equipment

2 sets of 8 to 10, small range · As in our hip pain guide

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

Treadmill walking demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoTreadmill walkingBeginner · Cardio machine

10 to 20 minutes on most days, within the pain rule · Editorial, as in our hip pain when sitting guide; walking outdoors counts the same

Harder: Treadmill jogging

Move on when: Lifting the knee when sitting and walking is comfortable within the pain rule, socks and the car are easier with the changes below, and the hip is no worse the next morning (editorial).

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

Stage 2

Build: load the hip flexors and the hip through a comfortable range

About weeks 2 to 6, 3 days a week (the band training's frequency): progressive hip flexor strength, still with a short or medium lever, plus the hip's other muscles.

Standing band hip flexion demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoStanding band hip flexionBeginner · A band + An anchor point

3 times a week, with a band you can lift about 15 times, moving to a stronger one over 6 weeks until about 8 is hard · The trial's progression in healthy adults (Thorborg), as our hip flexor pain guide uses it; untested in people with pain

Easier: Standing march · Harder: Captain's chair knee raise

Dead bug heel taps demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoDead bug heel tapsBeginner · No equipment

2 sets of 6 to 8 each side · As in our hip flexor pain and hip impingement guides; the knees stay bent, a short lever

Easier: Bent-knee fall-out · Harder: Forearm plank

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

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; for lifting to the side. Keep the standing hip level, as the move page says

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

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

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

3 sets of 8 to 10, from a higher seat first, then lower, no hands · As in our hip pain guide

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

Hip windshield wipers demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoHip windshield wipersBeginner · No equipment

10 slow passes side to side, 2 rounds, stopping before any pinch · The move page's dose (an editorial starting point); check with your surgeon after a hip replacement, as the move page says

Easier: Supine heel slide · Harder: 90/90 switch

Move on when: Band hip flexion is strong and within the pain rule on both sides, you can put on socks sitting down without a sharp pinch, and the hip is no worse the next morning (editorial).

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

Stage 3

Strengthen, then dressing standing up, the car, sport and the gym come back

From about week 6, 2 to 3 days a week, then twice a week for the long term: long-lever lifting comes back last, with single-leg strength and the inner thigh for kicking sports, while sport and the gym return by the written steps below. For hip-related pain, give exercise at least 3 months, as an international consensus advises.

Straight-leg raise demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoStraight-leg raiseBeginner · No equipment

2 to 3 sets of 8 to 10 each side · As in our hip flexor pain guide; long-lever lifting comes back in this stage (our suggestion, from the joint-load and muscle-activity studies)

Easier: Quad set (static quads) · Harder: Leg extension

Step-up with knee raise demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoStep-up with knee raiseIntermediate · A step

3 sets of 8 each side · As in our hip flexor pain guide

Easier: Step-up · Harder: Alternate-leg bounding

Reverse lunge demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoReverse lungeIntermediate · No equipment

3 sets of 8 each side · As in our hip flexor pain guide

Easier: Split squat · Harder: Split squat with dumbbells

Dumbbell goblet squat demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoDumbbell goblet squatIntermediate · A dumbbell

3 sets of 8 to 10, to a box set above any pinch · As in our hip impingement guide

Easier: Bodyweight squat · Harder: Barbell front squat

Copenhagen plank demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoCopenhagen plankAdvanced · A bench or box

Short lever (knee on the bench) first, 3 to 5 slow reps a side, building over the weeks · The move page's caution gives this start; the Copenhagen programme ran 3 times a week in preseason and once a week in season. Leave it out during acute groin pain, as the move page says

Easier: Hip adduction machine

Hanging knee raise demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoHanging knee raiseIntermediate · Pull-up bar

3 sets of 6 to 10 · As in our hip flexor pain guide; last, for the gym

Easier: Reverse crunch · Harder: Hanging straight-leg raise

Move on when: Our suggestion: add one harder thing at a time (longer leg raises, then running, then sprints and kicking in short sessions), keep two strength sessions a week, and drop back a stage for a few days if it flares rather than stopping. In Hölmich's trial, jogging was allowed after 6 weeks if it could be done pain-free.

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

What to change for now

Getting dressed, the car, bed and stairs (written steps)

Our 3D figure can't show these. They come from the NHS, NHS inform, Arthritis UK and NHS hip surgery leaflets; the dressing and car steps are borrowed from leaflets written for after an operation, and where a step is our suggestion, it says so. No trial has tested a way of dressing for hip pain.

1. Sit down to put on socks, shoes and trousers, on a firm chair of moderate height with arms or the edge of the bed (NHS hip surgery leaflets).
2. Dress the sore leg first and undress it last (an NHS hip surgery leaflet).
3. A sock aid, a helping hand (grabber) and a long-handled shoehorn save bending the hip; slip-on shoes with elastic or Velcro are easiest (an NHS hip surgery leaflet). If bringing the knee to your chest pinches, bring the foot to you by turning the knee out a little (our suggestion).
4. The car: sit on the edge of the seat first, then swing both legs in together (Arthritis UK); push the seat back, recline the backrest a little, and get in from the road rather than stepping down from the kerb (an NHS hip surgery leaflet).
5. Bed: sit on the edge, then lift both legs in together; going the other way, swing both legs out before you stand (our suggestion, in line with the car advice). With outer hip pain, NHS inform lists lifting the legs in or out of bed as a trigger and suggests not sleeping on the painful side.
6. Stairs: lead with your good leg going up and with the sore leg coming down, and use a handrail (NHS inform).
7. Chairs: don't sit in low chairs, which can put extra pressure on your hips (the NHS); our hip pain when sitting guide covers seat height and breaks.
8. Ice: an ice pack or a bag of frozen peas in a towel for up to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours, and paracetamol or ibuprofen gel, or ibuprofen tablets if you need them (the NHS). No heat or ice if your circulation or feeling is poor (NHS inform).

Sources 42, 43, 41, 16, 32, 40

Sport and the gym come back (written steps)

No study has tested how to return to kicking or sprinting after pain lifting the leg. These steps are our suggestion, with the sources named.

1. Pause kicking, sprinting, high knees, hanging knee raises, sit-ups and lying double leg raises while it's sore: they're the long-lever, high-effort hip flexor moves, and kicking and sprinting cause most rectus femoris injuries. NHS inform says avoid sport and heavy lifting until you have less discomfort and good movement.
2. Cycling and swimming can carry on if they're pain-free; Hölmich's trial allowed cycling "if it did not cause any pain". Skip breaststroke kick if it pinches.
3. Jogging once brisk walking and stage 2 are comfortable (the trial allowed it after 6 weeks if pain-free), then strides, then sprints; kicking last, short passes before long ones.
4. In the gym: leg raises with bent knees before straight; hanging knee raises before hanging leg raises; squats to a box above any pinch.
5. If a session leaves the hip worse the next morning, make the next one shorter or lighter.

Sources 20, 6, 7, 3, 32

Positions to swap, and why

Habit or position	Why it matters	Instead
Standing on one leg to put on socks and trousers	Lifting and bending the hip under load is the movement that hurts; NHS hip surgery leaflets advise dressing sitting down.	Sit to dress, sore leg first, with a sock aid if bending hurts.
Stepping into the car one leg at a time	Arthritis UK suggests sitting first and swinging both legs in.	Sit on the edge of the seat, then swing both legs in together.
Lying straight leg raises early on	A long-lever, high-effort hip flexor move; in 6 people with sensor-fitted hip replacements it loaded the joint at about 1.4 to 1.5 times body weight, and it can aggravate a stress fracture.	Seated marches and heel slides first; straight leg raises come back in stage 3.Try: Seated march
Stretching hard into the front of the hip	A hip flexor stretch is one of the tests that brings iliopsoas pain on, and strength training gains range as well as stretching.	Band hip flexion; a mild stretch later, if it feels good.Try: Standing band hip flexion
Pulling the knee hard to the chest	Deep bending with the knee turned in is how impingement pain is brought on.	Bend only to just before the pinch.Try: Supine heel slide
Kicking and sprinting through pain	Most rectus femoris injuries happen kicking and sprinting.	Cycling or swimming if pain-free; build back by the written steps.
Low chairs and deep sofas	The NHS says low chairs can put extra pressure on your hips.	A firmer, higher seat.
Running on with groin pain that builds with every run	It can be a stress fracture of the hip, which needs urgent imaging.	Stop running and get checked the same day.
Ignoring a lump in the groin	It may be a hernia, and femoral hernias more often need emergency treatment.	See a GP; call 999 for the femoral hernia signs in the warning list.

Routines to follow

Tight hip flexors routine: stretch, then strengthen

Hips that feel tight: a tucked hip flexor stretch, then band knee drives, leg raises, dead bugs, bridges and lunges. Strength through range loosens hips too.

15 minBeginner8 movesA band, An anchor point

Hamstring and groin injury prevention

The Nordic hamstring and Copenhagen adduction programmes from the football trials: a 10-week build, three adductor levels, then once a week in season.

15 minIntermediate6 movesA wall, An anchor point

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

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

More moves for this area

Questions people ask

Why does my hip hurt when I lift my leg?

Lifting the leg uses the hip flexors and bends the hip joint, so the commonest causes are a hip flexor strain, a pinch at the front of the hip joint (impingement) in younger active people, and hip arthritis from mid-life. Pain on the outside of the hip when you lift the leg to the side is usually the outer hip tendons. Where it hurts is the best clue, so start with the map.

Why does my hip hurt when I lift my leg to put on socks or trousers?

Putting on socks bends the hip a long way, so a stiff, arthritic hip or a pinch at the front of the joint often shows up there first; in one study of people with impingement, nearly a third found shoes and socks difficult. Sit down to dress, put the sore leg in first, and try a sock aid or a long-handled shoehorn.

Why does my hip hurt when I lift my leg into the car?

Lifting the leg in bends and twists the hip, which can pinch the front of the joint, strain the hip flexors or press on the outer hip tendons. Sit on the edge of the seat first, then swing both legs in together.

Why does my hip hurt when I lift my leg to the side?

Usually it's the gluteal tendons on the outer hip, especially if the bony point is sore to lie on and stairs hurt. In a trial, education and exercise did better than a steroid injection. Our outer hip pain guide has the plan.

Why does my hip hurt when I lift my leg lying down?

Lifting the straight leg from lying is a long lever, so the hip flexors work hard and the joint takes about one and a half times body weight. Bend the knee or lift it less for now. If you run and the groin pain builds with every step, get it checked the same day.

I can't lift my leg after a fall. What should I do?

Call 999 or go to A&E for severe hip pain after a fall, or if you can't stand, walk or put weight on the leg. If you can stand but walking is hard, get help from NHS 111 the same day and say you've fallen: a broken hip can hide on the first X-ray.

Is it a hip flexor strain?

Possibly, if it came on with a sprint, a kick or a sudden effort and hurts at the front of the hip when you lift the knee against resistance. In athletes, though, the inner thigh muscles are the commoner cause of groin pain, and causes often overlap. Our hip flexor pain guide has the plan.

Could it be a hernia?

A lump in the groin or at the top of the thigh that gets bigger when you cough and smaller when you lie down may be a hernia, so see a GP. A femoral hernia with very bad tummy pain, being sick or not being able to fart or poo needs a 999 call; any other painful hernia needs NHS 111.

Should I stretch my hip flexors?

Not hard while it hurts: stretching the front of the hip is one of the tests that brings iliopsoas pain on. Strengthening gains range as well as stretching does, and a mild stretch can come back later if it feels good.

Do I need a scan?

Usually not at first. Labral tears and cam-shaped hips show on scans of many people without any pain, and hip arthritis is diagnosed without a scan from 45. Scans matter for a suspected stress fracture, a teenager's pop at the front of the hip, a hidden hernia, or before surgery.

What exercises help hip pain when I lift my leg?

Start with short-lever lifts within comfort, such as heel slides and seated marches, then band hip flexion, which raised strength by 17% in 6 weeks in a trial in healthy adults. Bring straight leg raises back last, and give hip pain at least 3 months of exercise.

How long will it take?

Strains in athletes often take 2 to 3 weeks to return to training, and longer for bad ones; long-standing groin pain and impingement take months. See a GP if it isn't improving after 2 weeks of looking after it, or sooner with a warning sign.

Related exercise guides

Other pain guides

Sources

Exercise education, not a diagnosis or treatment plan. It is written from the guidelines and studies listed above; review by a clinician is pending. If your pain follows an injury, is severe, is getting worse, or comes with any warning sign listed on this page, get it assessed. Health disclaimer.