Pain guide · Hip pain

Hip pain when sitting: the groin, the sitting bones, chairs and cushions, and how to build back

Sitting bends the hip, presses on the buttocks and keeps you still, so hip pain when sitting can come from several places. Pain in the groin or the front of the hip often comes from the hip joint itself, such as hip impingement in younger adults or arthritis from mid-life; pain on the outside from the buttock tendons; pain at the sitting bone from the hamstring tendon; and deep buttock pain often from the back. It isn't always arthritis, and it's rarely a sign of anything serious.

Severe hip pain after a fall, or not being able to put weight on your leg, needs a 999 call or accident and emergency (A&E), and a hot, swollen hip or hip pain with a fever needs a general practitioner (GP) or National Health Service (NHS) 111 the same day. This guide covers those warning signs, how to tell the causes apart from where it hurts, what to change now (chair height, cushions, crossing your legs and how often to get up), what exercise and surgery offer, and a three-stage plan with a 3D demo of every move that ends with sitting through a film or a working day.

3-stage exercise plan When to get help 26 sourcesUpdated 23 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

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 look shorter or turned outward.
Tingling or loss of feeling in the hip or leg after an injury.
Buttock or leg pain with numbness around the genitals or bottom, new trouble controlling your bladder or bowels, or weakness or numbness in both legs.
A hot, swollen hip, or hip pain with a fever or feeling generally unwell (a possible joint infection).
A child or teenager with sudden hip, thigh or knee pain, a limp, or who will not put weight on a leg. Hip problems in children can sometimes be felt in the thigh or knee, and in some children knee pain is the only sign.
Same day (urgent GP appointment or NHS 111): severe hip pain that started suddenly without a fall or injury, or the skin around your hip has changed colour.
Same day (urgent GP appointment or NHS 111): a small lump at the top of your bottom, between the buttocks, that is painful, bleeding or leaking pus. It can be an infected pilonidal sinus, and long spells of sitting make one more likely.

See a doctor or physiotherapist if

Hip pain that stops normal activities or disturbs sleep, keeps getting worse, or has not improved after 2 weeks of looking after it at home.
Stiffness lasting more than 30 minutes after waking.
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.
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.
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.
Pain right at the base of your spine that is worse while you sit, when you sit down or stand up, when you bend forward or when you have a poo, and hasn't improved after a few weeks of a coccyx cushion and shorter spells of sitting: see a GP or physiotherapist. Our tailbone pain guide has the full list.
Pain, tingling or numbness spreading below the knee that isn't settling after a few weeks, is getting worse or stops your normal activities: see a GP.
A lump in your groin, or pain or swelling around your testicles, with hip or groin pain: contact your GP.
Pelvic pain in pregnancy that makes it hard to move around, hurts when you get out of a car or turn over in bed, or makes going up or down stairs painful: call your midwife or GP. You may be referred to a physiotherapist who specialises in pelvic joint problems in pregnancy.
Sitting keeps getting harder week after week despite breaks, changes to your chair and the plan: our suggestion is to see a GP or physiotherapist. In many areas you can refer yourself to NHS physiotherapy.

Where does it hurt?

Location narrows the likely causes; it does not diagnose.

A deep pinch in the groin or front of the hip in a low chair, a car seat or on the floor, or leaning forward

Usually in a younger, active adult, sometimes with clicking: possibly hip impingement, where the shapes of the ball and socket pinch as the hip bends.

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

Possibly a tear in the labrum, the rim of cartilage around the socket.

Read: Hip labral tear →A deep ache in the groin, buttock or front of the thigh, stiff getting up after sitting, from 45

Socks, shoes and getting out of a car are hard: possibly hip arthritis.

Read: Hip arthritis →The bony point on the outside of the hip, worse sitting cross-legged or in low chairs

Also worse lying on that side and standing on that leg: gluteal tendon pain, often called hip bursitis.

Read: Outer hip pain (hip bursitis) →A deep ache low in the buttock, at the sitting bone

Worse on hard seats and running uphill: high hamstring tendon pain.

Read: High hamstring tendinopathy →Right at the base of the spine, worse sitting, sitting down or standing up, bending forward or having a poo

Tailbone (coccyx) pain.

Read: Tailbone pain →Deep buttock pain worse sitting, sometimes into the thigh, without back pain

Often blamed on the piriformis muscle, though buttock pain often comes from the hip joint, the back or a tendon.

Read: Piriformis syndrome and buttock pain →Buttock pain with low back pain, sometimes down the leg below the knee with tingling

Sciatica, usually from the back.

Read: Sciatica →Low back or buttock pain when you sit, or after sitting

Our back pain from sitting guide covers the back side of it.

Read: Back pain from sitting →The front of the hip when you lift the knee, or after a sprint or a kick

Possibly the hip flexors.

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

Possibly adductor-related groin pain.

Read: Groin strain →Burning, tingling or a numb patch on the outer thigh, with no weakness

Possibly a squeezed nerve at the front of the hip (meralgia paraesthetica).

Read: Meralgia paresthetica →Low on one side, by the dimple at the back of the pelvis

Possibly the sacroiliac (SI) joint.

Read: SI joint pain →The pubic bone or the back of the pelvis, in pregnancy or after birth

Pelvic girdle pain. The NHS advises avoiding long spells of sitting.

Read: Pelvic girdle pain (SPD) →A pinch at the front of the hip at the bottom of a squat

Our hip pain from squatting guide covers depth and stance.

Read: Hip pain when squatting →Hip pain at night or when you walk

Our night and walking guides cover those.

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

Get it checked the same day, as the warning signs say.

Read: SUFE (slipped hip growth plate) →

A painful, bleeding or leaking lump at the top of the bottom, between the buttocks

Possibly an infected pilonidal sinus: an urgent GP appointment or NHS 111, as the warning signs say.

Understand it

Why sitting brings hip pain onStrong evidence

Sitting bends the hip, presses the buttocks and the sitting bones into the seat, and keeps you still, so it shows up several different problems. In young and middle-aged active adults, hip-related pain is mainly femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) syndrome, where the shapes of the ball and socket pinch as the hip bends, hip dysplasia (a shallow socket), and problems with the labrum and the cartilage, an international consensus says. From mid-life, arthritis becomes more common.

On the outside of the hip, the gluteal tendons are made worse by sitting with your legs crossed and staying in one position too long, NHS inform says. Pain at the sitting bone that is worse sitting points to the hamstring tendon, an NHS trust says. Buttock pain made worse by sitting is among the most commonly reported features of piriformis syndrome, though that research is mostly case reports and small series. Tailbone pain is worse while you sit, when you sit down or stand up, and when you bend forward, the NHS says.

Pain travels, too. In 51 people with hip joint pain who had an injection into the joint, the pain was felt in the buttock in 71%, the thigh in 57% and the groin in 55%. And NHS inform says hip problems can come from the back "even though you don't feel pain in your back", often with pins and needles or sharp, hot or burning pain in the leg.

Sources 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Hip impingement and sittingEmerging evidence

In one US series of 51 people (52 hips) waiting for surgery for hip impingement, with an average age of 35, sitting made the pain worse in 65% of hips, 43% couldn't sit for more than 30 minutes, and changing position often eased the pain in 52%. The pain was mostly in the groin (83%), and it had taken an average of 3.1 years to be diagnosed. These were people whose pain hadn't settled with other treatment, so the figures show what impingement can feel like, not how common it is.

An international agreement says the diagnosis needs three things together: symptoms, signs on examination and imaging. A scan on its own isn't enough.

Sources 2, 10

Arthritis: from 45, and stiff after restStrong 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 that lasts no longer than 30 minutes. The NHS describes "increased pain and stiffness when you have not moved your joints for a while", trouble putting on shoes and socks or getting in and out of a car, and pain in the groin or on the outside of the hip.

Sources 11, 12, 13

Does sitting tighten your hip flexors?Emerging evidence

In 98 adults, people who sat for more than 7 hours a day and were inactive had 6.1 degrees less hip extension than active people who sat little. That's one comparison at a single point in time, with no pain measured, so it can't show that sitting causes tight hip flexors, or that tight hip flexors cause pain.

Source 14

When a scan helpsStrong evidence

Not for most hip pain when sitting. NICE says don't routinely use imaging to diagnose osteoarthritis unless the features are unusual. For hip-related pain in younger active adults, the international consensus starts with X-rays of the pelvis and the hip, and keeps more detailed scans, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), for when more detail is needed, for example when planning surgery. It warns that tears and cartilage changes on scans are also found in people without symptoms. Hip impingement is diagnosed from symptoms, examination and imaging together, never from a scan alone.

Sources 11, 1, 10

How it usually goesEmerging evidence

NHS inform says a new hip problem or a flare should begin to settle within 6 weeks, and that outer hip pain "can often take 6 to 12 months of rehabilitation to settle". Hip impingement often goes on for a long time before it's diagnosed; the consensus recommends at least 3 months of exercise first, and in the larger UK trial, people improved with both physiotherapy and surgery. No one can promise a date.

Sources 9, 3, 2, 18, 19, 20

What helps, and how strong the evidence is

Chairs: not low, and set up to support youEmerging evidence

The NHS says "do not sit in low chairs", because they "can put extra pressure on your hips", and NHS inform says to avoid low chairs and crossing your legs with outer hip pain. The Health and Safety Executive's (HSE's) desk set-up has a seat height that "equally supports front and back of thighs", support for your lower back, and a gap of 2 to 3 cm between the front of the seat and the back of your knees.

An NHS occupational therapy leaflet, written for back pain, suggests sitting with your bottom at the same height as your knees, or slightly higher on a wedge cushion if the pain is at the base of the spine, a firm seat rather than a very soft chair, and, at a desk, hips slightly higher than knees. None of this has been tested in a trial for hip pain; it's sensible guidance for comfort, and our hip pain guide gives the same advice.

Sources 13, 3, 15, 16

Breaks: short and oftenEmerging evidence

The HSE says short, frequent breaks are better than long, rare ones: "5 to 10 minutes every hour is better than 20 minutes every 2 hours", getting up and moving, or at least stretching and changing posture. The NHS leaflet says "no one should sit for more than one hour". In the hip impingement series, changing position often was the second most helpful thing people found, after rest. No trial has tested a sitting time for hip pain, so the plan's 30 to 45 minutes while you're sore is our suggestion.

Sources 17, 16, 2

Exercise first for hip pain in younger adults, with surgery a choice for someEmerging evidence

An international consensus recommends exercise-based treatment for at least 3 months for hip-related pain in young and middle-aged active adults, with physical activity, shared decisions and education, though it notes that strong evidence for physiotherapist-led treatment is lacking.

In two UK trials of people referred to specialists with hip impingement, keyhole surgery did somewhat better on average than physiotherapy-led care: in 348 people, by 6.8 points on a 100-point hip score at a year, just above the smallest change people notice, with more reported side effects after surgery; and in 222 people, by 10 points on a 100-point daily-activities score at 8 months. In the larger trial, people in both groups improved.

Sources 18, 19, 20

Hip arthritis: exercise helps a little on averageStrong evidence

A review of 18 studies of 1,368 people with hip osteoarthritis found that, compared with no treatment or usual care (9 of the studies), exercise probably eased pain slightly (by about 7 points out of 100) and improved function slightly (by about 9), on moderate-certainty evidence; the authors judged these changes unlikely to be ones people would notice. NICE still makes exercise a core treatment, and says joint pain may increase when you start, while regular exercise helps in the long run.

Sources 21, 11

Outer hip pain: load the tendons graduallyStrong evidence

NHS inform says the key is "slow progressive loading of the soft tissues through exercise that strengthen the muscles involved", alongside changing the activities that bring it on: avoiding low chairs and crossed legs, spreading your weight evenly across both feet, and staying active. It can take 6 to 12 months to settle. Our hip bursitis guide has the full plan; this guide's first two stages use the same moves.

Source 3

Groin pain in sport: name the areaStrong evidence

An international agreement sorts groin pain in athletes by area: the adductors on the inner thigh, the iliopsoas at the front of the hip, the inguinal area just above the groin crease, the pubic bone, and the hip joint itself. No study we found measured sitting pain in each group, so our groin strain, hip flexor and hip impingement guides take it from there.

Source 22

Cushions and crossing your legs: comfort, not cureMixed evidence

No cushion has been tested in a trial for hip pain. The NHS suggests a specially designed coccyx cushion for tailbone pain, and an NHS trust says pain at the sitting bone can be worse sitting, which is why our high hamstring tendinopathy guide suggests a softer or pressure-spreading cushion. NHS inform says avoid sitting with your legs crossed with outer hip pain; no study we found shows that crossing your legs harms a healthy hip.

Sources 7, 3, 4

How much pain is OK while you exercise?

The 5 out of 10 rule, no squeezing, no pinching, and judge sitting by the next morningEmerging evidence

For the exercises, this guide uses the hip hub's rule. During the exercise, pain up to about 5 out of 10 is acceptable. It 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.

Pain can go up a little when you start a new exercise programme; guidelines for arthritis say so and still recommend keeping going. In long-lasting muscle and joint pain, exercise that allowed some pain did no worse than pain-free exercise. If pain climbs week after week, or a warning sign appears, stop and get it checked.

With pain on the outside of the hip, our hip bursitis guide's rule applies: no increase in outer hip pain during squats, bridges and side-stepping, and up to about 5 out of 10 during heavier strengthening if it eases afterwards and is no worse that night or the next morning. With a pinch in the groin, work up to the pinch, not into it: bending the hip deeply with the knee across and turned in is how the clinical test brings hip-related pain on. With pain at the sitting bone, our high hamstring tendinopathy guide's rule applies: up to 4 out of 10 during, and no more than 2 points worse the next day.

For sitting (our suggestion, built on an NHS occupational therapy leaflet's pacing and the HSE's advice on breaks): sit until just before the ache starts to build, then get up. The ache should settle within about an hour of moving, and your hip should be no worse that night or the next morning. If it is, shorten the next spell rather than avoiding sitting.

Sources 11, 23, 1, 16, 17

The exercise plan: 3 stages

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

Stage 1

Settle: break up the sitting and keep the hip moving

About the first 2 weeks. Change your chair and how long you sit (the written steps below), get up before the ache builds, and walk in short spells. With pain at the sitting bone, follow our high hamstring tendinopathy guide's plan instead; with tailbone pain, our tailbone guide's; with pain down the leg, our sciatica guide's. With any warning sign, get checked first. Doses are editorial unless a source is named.

Standing pelvic tilt demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoStanding pelvic tiltBeginner · No equipment

5 to 10 slow tilts, up to 3 times a day, and as a break from sitting · The move page's dose, from an NHS standing pelvic tilt. The move page calls it a break from sitting

Harder: Half lord of the fishes (Ardha Matsyendrasana)

Seated march demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSeated marchBeginner · A bench or box

1 to 2 minutes, or 5 lifts each leg · The move page's dose, from a falls-prevention exercise booklet and the NHS sitting exercises. Lift only as high as there's no pinch in the groin (our suggestion); the move page says stop for hip pain

Harder: Standing march

Supine heel slide demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSupine heel slideBeginner · No equipment

10 slow reps each side, once or twice a day · The move page's dose, an editorial starting point. 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 a trial programme for outer hip pain, as our hip bursitis guide uses it

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. It straightens the hip, the opposite of sitting

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

Treadmill walking demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoTreadmill walkingBeginner · Cardio machine

A few minutes at each break, building to 10 to 20 minutes most days · Our suggestion. Walking outdoors counts the same

Harder: Treadmill jogging

Move on when: You can sit for your usual spell with breaks, any ache settles within about an hour of getting up, and the hip is no worse that night or the next morning (the hip pain rule).

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

Stage 2

Build: hip strength in and out of the bend

About weeks 2 to 6, 2 or 3 days a week, plus walking: the outer hip progression our hip bursitis guide uses, strength for straightening the hip, and the groin and inner thigh, all kept short of any pinch. Doses are editorial unless a source is named.

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

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

5 slow reps 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 same trial programme for outer hip pain

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, the same programme's standing hold

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

Standing band hip extension demonstrated on the 3D figure

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

2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 each side, stopping with 2 or 3 reps in reserve · The move page's dose, an editorial starting point. Stop the leg where your low back starts to arch, as the move page says

Harder: Back extension on a 45-degree bench

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, a higher seat first, then lower, no hands · As in our hip pain guide. It rehearses getting up from a chair

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

Lying adductor ball squeeze demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoLying adductor ball squeezeBeginner · Other / check instructions

5 holds of 5 to 10 s · As in our hip impingement guide. For the groin and inner thigh

Harder: Copenhagen plank

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; stopping before any pinch is our hip impingement guide's note. Check with your surgeon after a hip replacement, as the move page says

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

Move on when: Every set is within the pain rule, getting up from an ordinary chair is comfortable, and a long sit, such as a film or a meeting, with one or two breaks leaves the hip no worse the next morning.

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

Stage 3

Strengthen, and sit as long as you need to

From about week 6, and two days a week for the long term: single-leg and loaded hip strength, as our hip pain guide's last stage, kept above any depth that pinches, while longer sitting comes back by the written steps below.

Dumbbell goblet squat demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoDumbbell goblet squatIntermediate · A dumbbell

3 sets of 8 to 10, to a box or chair set above pinch depth · As in our hip pain guide, with our hip impingement guide's limit

Easier: Bodyweight squat · Harder: Barbell front squat

Split squat demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSplit squatIntermediate · No equipment

3 sets of 6 to 10 each side · As in our hip pain guide. Pad the back knee

Easier: Bodyweight squat · Harder: Reverse lunge

Dumbbell Romanian deadlift demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoDumbbell Romanian deadliftIntermediate · A dumbbell

3 sets of 8 to 10 · As in our hip pain guide

Easier: Hip-hinge practice · Harder: Single-leg Romanian deadlift

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 guide

Easier: Glute bridge · Harder: Barbell hip thrust

Lateral band walk demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoLateral band walkBeginner · A band

3 sets of 10 to 15 steps each way · As in our hip impingement guide. Use a lighter band if the outside of the hip hurts sharply, as the move page says

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

Kneeling lunge hip flexor stretch demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoKneeling lunge hip flexor stretchBeginner · No equipment

Hold 20 to 30 s, 2 to 4 times each side · The move page's dose, an editorial starting point. Optional, after long sits, if it feels good; pad the kneeling knee, or stand, if kneeling hurts, as the move page says

Harder: World's greatest stretch

Move on when: Our suggestion: full working days, a film or a long journey with breaks; floor sitting and sitting cross-legged come last, if you want them, and only short of any pinch. If it flares, go back to shorter spells and the stage 1 moves for a few days.

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

What to change for now

Chairs, cushions and how you sit (written steps)

Our 3D figure can't show these changes. They come from the NHS, NHS inform, the HSE and an NHS occupational therapy leaflet written for back pain; none has been tested in a trial for hip pain, and where a step is our suggestion, it says so. Our sitting posture guide has the full desk set-up.

1. Not low: the NHS says don't sit in low chairs, because they can put extra pressure on your hips.
2. Set the seat so it supports the front and back of your thighs, with a gap of 2 to 3 cm between the front of the seat and the back of your knees, and your lower back supported (the HSE).
3. Sit with your bottom level with your knees, or a little higher on a wedge cushion if you need it; at a desk, the leaflet suggests hips slightly higher than knees. A firm seat, or a board under a soft cushion, rather than a very soft chair (the leaflet).
4. A pinch in the groin: a higher seat or a wedge so your hips sit a little above your knees, knees a little apart, and no deep sofas, low car seats or floor sitting for now (our suggestion, as our hip impingement and labral tear guides advise). In one series of people with hip impingement, changing position often eased the pain for about half.
5. Pain on the outside of the hip: knees apart and uncrossed, and not low (NHS inform).
6. Pain at the sitting bone: a softer or pressure-spreading cushion, and no hard or low seats (our high hamstring tendinopathy guide's advice; an NHS trust says the pain can be worse sitting).
7. Pain at the tailbone: a specially designed coccyx cushion, and don't sit for long (the NHS).
8. In pregnancy with pelvic pain: avoid long spells of sitting, sit down to get dressed, and keep your knees together getting in and out of the car (the NHS).

Sources 13, 15, 16, 3, 2, 7, 4, 24

How long to sit (written steps)

These come from the HSE and the NHS leaflet; the timings while you're sore are our suggestion.

1. Short, frequent breaks beat long, rare ones: 5 to 10 minutes every hour is better than 20 minutes every 2 hours, getting up and moving if you can (the HSE).
2. Don't sit for more than an hour at a time (the NHS leaflet).
3. While it's sore, get up every 30 to 45 minutes, and sooner if the ache is building (our suggestion, as our hamstring and piriformis guides suggest).
4. Make the break count: stand, walk a few steps, and do a few standing pelvic tilts or seated marches (our suggestion).

Sources 17, 16

Sitting comes back (written steps)

No trial has tested how fast sitting time should come back after hip pain. These steps borrow the NHS leaflet's pacing and the HSE's breaks; the amounts are our suggestion.

1. Find your sitting time today: how long you can sit before the ache starts to build. Get up just before that point, every time. Pacing like this is how the leaflet builds sitting time back.
2. When the hip has been no worse the next morning for 3 or 4 days, add 5 to 10 minutes before the break.
3. In the car: raise the seat or use a cushion if it helps, sit down first and then swing both legs in together, knees together (the NHS gives this advice for pelvic pain in pregnancy), and stop for a short walk on long drives.
4. Long events, such as a film, a flight or a wedding: an aisle seat, a cushion, and stand up at intervals. A film of about 2 hours with one stretch break is a good test.
5. Floor sitting and sitting cross-legged come back last, if you want them, and only as far as there's no pinch.
6. If it flares, go back to shorter spells and the stage 1 moves for a few days, then build again.

Sources 16, 17, 24

Injections and surgery

For outer hip pain, NHS inform says a steroid injection may help the pain but may not cure the condition. For tailbone pain, the NHS says physiotherapy and injections come first, and surgery only if they don't help. For hip impingement, keyhole surgery did somewhat better on average than physiotherapy-led care in two UK trials of people referred to specialists, with more reported side effects in one; it's a decision to make with a hip specialist, as our hip impingement guide explains.

Sources 3, 7, 19, 20

Positions to swap, and why

Habit or position	Why it matters	Instead
Low chairs, deep sofas and low car seats	The NHS says low chairs can put extra pressure on your hips, and the NHS leaflet says very soft chairs don't support you.	A higher, firmer seat, or a cushion or wedge, so your bottom sits level with or a little above your knees.
Sitting for an hour or more without getting up	The HSE says short, frequent breaks are better, the NHS leaflet says no one should sit for more than an hour, and in the impingement series changing position often eased the pain.	Get up every 30 to 45 minutes for now, and do a few standing pelvic tilts.Try: Standing pelvic tilt
Sitting with your legs crossed, or cross-legged on the floor	NHS inform says avoid crossing your legs with outer hip pain, and our hip impingement and labral tear guides limit floor sitting and crossed legs for now.	Feet flat, knees a little apart.
Stretching into the pinch, such as pigeon pose	Our hip impingement guide says stretching into the pinch doesn't change a bone shape.	Gentle hip rotation, short of the pinch.Try: Hip windshield wipers
Side-lying leg raises while the outside of the hip is sore	The move page says the position can aggravate outer hip pain.	The holds lying on your back in stage 1.Try: Supine isometric hip abduction (belt press)
The standing figure four, with outer hip pain	Our hip pain guide's stretch table says the figure four is like a position clinicians use to provoke the gluteal tendons, so skip it if it provokes the outside of the hip.	Glute bridges.Try: Glute bridge
Hamstring stretches and hard seats, with pain at the sitting bone	Our high hamstring tendinopathy guide's first stage is to hold, not stretch, and it advises against hard, low seats.	A softer cushion, and bridge holds.Try: Glute bridge
Getting out of the car one leg at a time	The NHS's advice for pelvic pain in pregnancy is to keep your knees together getting in and out of the car, and our hip impingement guide notes that getting out of a car often pinches.	Sit first, then swing both legs in or out together.

Routines to follow

3-minute desk movement break

A 3-minute standing break to repeat every 30 to 60 minutes at your desk: sit-to-stands, calf raises, marching, an upper-back turn and chin tucks.

3 minBeginner5 movesA bench or box, A wall

5-minute desk stretches

A quick stretch break you can do beside your desk: neck, back, chest, wrists, hips and quads.

5 minBeginner7 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

Low-impact leg workout (no jumping)

A gentle leg strength routine with no jumping: sit-to-stands, step-ups, wall sits, bridges and calf raises.

20 minBeginner7 movesA bench or box, A step

Hip mobility routine

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

15 minIntermediate8 movesA wall

More moves for this area

Questions people ask

Why does my hip hurt when I sit?

Sitting bends the hip, presses on the buttocks and keeps you still, so it shows up several different problems. Pain in the groin or the front of the hip often comes from the hip joint, on the outside from the buttock tendons, at the sitting bone from the hamstring tendon, and deep in the buttock from the back or the hip joint. Where it hurts is the first clue.

Is hip pain when sitting arthritis?

Sometimes, especially from 45 with stiffness after rest, but not always. In younger active adults it's often the shape of the hip joint (hip impingement), a tendon or the back; in one series of people waiting for surgery for impingement, sitting made the pain worse in 65% of hips.

What's the best chair for hip pain?

One that isn't low or very soft, supports your thighs with a small gap behind your knees, and lets your bottom sit level with or a little higher than your knees. A wedge cushion can raise your hips. No chair has been tested in a trial for hip pain, so go by comfort.

How often should I get up?

Little and often: 5 to 10 minutes every hour is better than 20 minutes every 2 hours. While your hip is sore, get up every 30 to 45 minutes, or before the ache starts to build (our suggestion).

Is crossing my legs bad for my hips?

It can aggravate pain on the outside of the hip, and a hip that pinches in the groin, so avoid it while those are sore. There's no evidence that crossing your legs harms a healthy hip.

Why does my hip hurt when I stand up after sitting?

Stiffness after you haven't moved for a while is typical of hip arthritis. Outer hip pain can also catch as you lift your legs in or out of a car or bed and as you take your first steps. Getting up more often and the strengthening in this plan usually help.

Why does my buttock hurt when I sit?

Deep buttock pain when sitting can come from the back, the hip joint or the muscles deep in the buttock, and pain right at the sitting bone is often the hamstring tendon. Pain that spreads below the knee with tingling points to the back (sciatica).

Can sitting too much cause hip pain?

Long spells of sitting can aggravate sore tendons and an irritable hip joint. People who sit a lot and move little have slightly less hip extension, but whether that causes pain isn't known. Moving more often is still the sensible change.

Should I stretch my hip flexors?

Not as a cure. A hip flexor stretch can feel good after a long sit, but the link between sitting and tight hip flexors comes from one comparison study that didn't measure pain. Strengthening the hip does more.

What exercises help hip pain when sitting?

Gentle hip movement and strengthening for the buttock and outer hip first, then stronger hip and leg exercises, kept short of any pinch in the groin. For hip pain in younger active adults, at least 3 months of exercise is recommended first.

When should I see a doctor about hip pain when sitting?

Urgently if you can't put weight on your leg after a fall, your hip is hot and swollen, or you have a high temperature. See a GP if it hasn't improved after 2 weeks of looking after it, stops your normal activities or sleep, or you're stiff for more than 30 minutes after waking.

Could hip pain when sitting be coming from my back?

Yes. NHS inform says hip problems can come from your back even when your back doesn't hurt, often with pins and needles or sharp, hot or burning pain in the leg. Our back pain from sitting and sciatica guides cover it.

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.