If hip osteoarthritis makes the groin or hip stiff when you walk or stand up, NHS inform says exercise to get movement and strength back helps. The NHS 24 health site for Scotland sets out 8 exercises with videos for osteoarthritis of the hip, saying they suit most people: a lying knee bend and bridging, plus a sideways hip lift, standing hip extension, hip rotation in lying and leg swings on a step. Keep pain within 0 to 5 out of 10, build to at most 2 sets of 15, and get advice if not better within 6 weeks. Here it is as written.
1. Three lying + five standing — hold a chair, wall or banister for the standing ones.
2. Start at 2 to 3; 2 sets of 8 two to three times a day; at most 2 sets of 15.
3. Pain within 0 to 5; stop if worse or new pain; get advice if not better within 6 weeks.
First — NHS inform
| Type | What NHS inform says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Who for | For getting movement and strength back with osteoarthritis of the hip; the videos are described as suitable for most people | Diagnosis is for a clinician, not self-labelling (our gloss) |
| Why | Getting movement and strength back matters: it supports tissue healing and gets you moving. You may not return to usual levels at once and progress may be slow, but a gradual return to normal activities gives the best short- and long-term results | — |
| At first | Listen to your pain, especially early on. Symptoms may increase slightly at first but should get easier; with regular practice movement can improve. If it causes discomfort, prescribed medication from your GP or pharmacist may help you keep exercising | — |
| Safety | In a safe environment and only if you feel well enough; stop at once if you feel unwell. First time? Read the guidance on pain and repetitions first | — |
8 hip osteoarthritis exercises — NHS inform
| Exercise | What NHS inform says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lying knee bend (0:22) | Lying down (a bed is fine). Both knees straight, slowly bend the sore leg by sliding the foot as far as is comfortable. Hold 2 seconds, straighten. Bend and straighten = 1 repetition | — |
| 2. Sit to stand (0:19) | Start standing with a chair behind you. Slowly bend the knees to touch the seat, not sitting down completely; arms forward for balance. Stand up = 1 repetition | Chair against a wall (our gloss) |
| 3. Bridging (0:25) | Lying on your back, arms by your sides, knees to the ceiling. Using your arms, slowly push the hips up, hold a few seconds, lower slowly. Up and down = 1 repetition | — |
| 4. Sideways hip lift (0:19) | Standing, one hand on a chair or wall. Lift the leg furthest from the chair out to the side, keeping it straight. Hold a few seconds, lower. Out and back = 1 repetition | Keep the trunk upright (our gloss) |
| 5. Standing hip extension (0:18) | Standing, chair in front for support. Keep one leg straight and lift the other behind you; hold a few seconds, return. Out and in = 1 repetition | Don’t arch the back (our gloss) |
| 6. Hip Rotation in Lying (0:36) | Lying with the head supported, knees bent, feet on the bed. Gently let the knees roll out to the side until you feel a stretch in the inner thigh; hold a few seconds, return. Out and back = 1 repetition | — |
| 7. Leg Swings (0:33) | Stand side on at the bottom stair or a step, affected leg over the side, hands on the banister or another support. Slightly bend the knee on the step. Swing the affected leg like a pendulum, small at first then bigger, leg relaxed | — |
| 8. Step Up (0:33) | Video only: on the day we checked, the text under this exercise repeated the leg swings instructions | The same-titled video is described as exercise 8 in knee osteoarthritis exercises (our summary) |
Names and lengths are the video titles as shown. All 8 videos together run 3 min 25 s (our sum). Compared with the general hip exercises, bridging, sit to stand and the side and back lifts overlap; the lying knee bend, hip rotation, leg swings and step up are the additions (our summary).
How much pain is OK — NHS inform
| Type | What NHS inform says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Pain score | Rate pain out of 10 (0 = no pain, 10 = the worst you have ever had). 0 to 3 minimal, 4 to 5 acceptable, 6 to 10 excessive | — |
| During exercise | Keep pain within 0 to 5. If it goes above: fewer repetitions, a slower movement, or more rest between movements | Changing one of the three may be enough (our reading) |
| After exercise | Exercise should not make your existing hip osteoarthritis pain worse overall. New exercises can cause short-term muscle pain while the body adapts, but it should ease quickly and be no worse the morning after | The next morning is the test |
How many and how often — NHS inform
| Type | What NHS inform says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Adding them | Add exercises to your routine gradually. You can do them all together or start with one or two and add more | — |
| Starting | Start new exercises at 2 to 3 repetitions at a time; small amounts through the day are better, e.g. every hour | — |
| Building up | As it gets easier, add 1 or 2 repetitions every few days | — |
| Sets | As you can do more, break them into sets: more at a time, less often. Repeating the movements helps strengthen the muscles and tendons. E.g. 8 repetitions, rest a minute, 8 more, 2 to 3 times a day | 32 to 48 a day (8 x 2 sets x 2 to 3, our sum) |
| Ceiling | Aim for a maximum of 2 sets of 15 | 30 at a time (our sum) |
Unlike the knee osteoarthritis page, this page has no separate stretch-holding guidance (20 to 30 seconds); only the hip rotation mentions feeling a stretch in the inner thigh.
When to stop and get advice — NHS inform
| Type | What NHS inform says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| When to stop | Stop if they make symptoms worse or cause new pain | — |
| Get advice | If your hip worsens while following this advice, talk to a healthcare professional | In Korea, orthopaedics or rehabilitation medicine (our gloss) |
| 6 weeks | If it hasn’t improved within 6 weeks, talk to a healthcare professional | 6 weeks = 42 days (our sum) |
Checklist
- ☐ Lying exercises (1, 3, 6) on the bed, head supported
- ☐ Standing ones (4, 5) holding a chair or wall; leg swings on a stair holding the banister
- ☐ Sit to stand: just touch the chair
- ☐ Start at 2 to 3; 8, rest a minute, 8, two to three times a day; at most 2 sets of 15
- ☐ Pain 0 to 5, stop if worse, advice if not better in 6 weeks
Questions that remain
I’ve had a hip replacement. Can I do these?
This page says nothing about surgery. The site’s general hip exercise page says to follow your clinician after recent surgery. We didn’t read the hip fracture recovery page this time.
How is the step up done?
On the day we checked, the step up entry on this page repeated the leg swings text. A same-named video (0:33) on the knee osteoarthritis page says to stand at the bottom stair, step up leading with the affected leg, keep it on the step and slowly step up and down with the other leg.
Sources
- NHS inform (NHS 24, Scotland) — Exercises for osteoarthritis of the hip — source (no update date shown; checked 2 November 2026). Why, at first, safety; 8 video titles and lengths; instructions (the step up entry repeats the leg swings text); the 0 to 10 and 0 to 5 pain guide; pain after exercise; 2 to 3, hourly, 1 or 2 more every few days; the set example; at most 2 sets of 15; when to stop; 6 weeks.
- NHS inform — Exercises for osteoarthritis of the knee — source (same day). The step up instructions only.
- Not read. The videos themselves, the hip self-management page (link only), the hip osteoarthritis condition page, the hip fracture recovery exercises.
- What we added. The “worth noting” column, our sums (3 min 25 s, 32 to 48 a day, 42 days) and the Korean care gloss.
Where to check further
- Orthopaedics or rehabilitation medicine — if it’s no better after 6 weeks, or worse.
- Physiotherapy — adjusting the moves and repetitions.
Written on 2 November 2026. The content is from NHS inform; the glosses are ours.
