Hip Flexor Strain Exercises

Your healthcare provider may recommend exercises to help you heal. Talk to your healthcare provider or physical therapist about which exercises will best help you and how to do them correctly and safely.

You may do these exercises right away. Make sure you feel just a mild discomfort during the stretches and not sharp pain. Discontinue any exercise if it increases your pain.

• Hip flexor stretch: Kneel on one leg with your other leg in front of you at a 90 degree angle (like a lunge). Keep that your foot flat on the floor. Keep your lower back straight and lean your hips forward slightly until you feel a stretch at the front of your hip. Try not to bend forward as you do this. Hold this position for 15 to 30 seconds. Repeat 3 times with each leg.
• Quadriceps stretch: Stand at an arm's length away from the wall with your injured side farthest from the wall. Facing straight ahead, brace yourself by keeping one hand against the wall. With your other hand, grasp the ankle on your injured side and pull your heel toward your buttocks. Don't arch or twist your back. Keep your knees together. Hold this stretch for 15 to 30 seconds.
• Abdominal drawing-in maneuver: Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Try to pull your belly button in towards your spine. Hold this position for 15 seconds and then relax. Repeat 5 to 10 times.
• Prone plank: Lie on your stomach on the floor with your elbows bent and your forearms resting on the floor. Lift your hips and knees off the floor and try to stay in this position while keeping your back flat. Work up to holding this position for at least 1 minute. Do 3 sets.
• Supine Hip Flexion: Lie on your back on a firm surface with your knees bent. Do the Abdominal Drawing-in Maneuver and slowly raise the foot on your injured side toward your chest. Slowly return to the starting position. Do 2 sets of 15.
• Seated Hip Flexion: While sitting on a firm chair, draw your belly button toward your spine and raise the knee of your injured side toward your chest. Lower slowly. You can make this exercise more challenging by doing it while seated on an exercise ball.
• Resisted hip flexion: Stand facing away from a door. Tie a loop in one end of a piece of elastic tubing and put it around the ankle on your injured side. Tie a knot in the other end of the tubing and shut the knot in the door near the floor. Tighten the front of your thigh muscle and bring the leg with the tubing forward, keeping your leg straight. Return to the starting position. Do 2 sets of 15.
• Quadruped hip extension: Get onto your hands and knees. Draw your belly button in towards your spine and tighten your abdominal muscles. Lift your injured leg behind you and straighten your knee. Lower slowly. Do 2 sets of 15.