Exercises for Hip Joint Arthritis

Most of us will eventually get osteoarthritis in our joints and the hips are no different. It is part of growing older. According to the website Obesityhelp.com, "Osteoarthritis is a degenerative condition in which the articular cartilage that lubricates the joint and absorbs shock to the moving bones erodes, causing pain and limiting motion." You can improve your condition significantly through exercise.

Exercises

• The one thing you want to avoid if you have been diagnosed with hip arthritis is walking excessively. This does not mean you should avoid walking altogether. According to the website Hipsandknees.com, "a reported study in the Annals of Internal Medicine, in 1992 suggests that people with hip arthritis who force themselves to remain active may do better in the long run than those who "baby" themselves." In other words, you are better off forcing yourself to walk a little bit than just staying sedentary. If you do not move, your muscles will atrophy and then your pain will increase. What you want to focus on is strengthening and stretching the muscles that surround your hip joints so that the bare bone ends will rub less against each other.

  Stretch your hamstrings and quads. An easy way to stretch your hamstring is to sit down with one leg extended, the other bent to the side. Hook a towel around the extended leg's foot and lean forward while shortening the towel. You should feel a stretch behind your thigh. To stretch you quad, just stand up, bend one leg so that the heel meets or comes close to your buttock. Grab that foot and feel a stretch at the front of that thigh.

  Great strengthening exercises include leg presses, mini-squats, hip abduction---both lying down and standing ones---straight leg raises, bridges and calf raises.

  In addition to strengthening and stretching, you need to do aerobic exercise. The best alternatives for you are swimming, biking or the elliptical---in that order.

Considerations

• While you should expect to experience muscle fatigue and soreness from the exercises mentioned here, keep in mind that severe pain while exercising or increased pain in the joint itself is an indication that you should cease exercising. Please consult with your physician before beginning any exercise regimen. If you are in pain after exercising, ice the joint for 10 to 15 minutes. Warm up your joints before doing the stretches by doing the elliptical for a few minutes.