9 Exercises To Relieve Hip Pain During Pregnancy

If you’re pregnant and experiencing hip pain, you’re not alone. Medical research suggests that 20% of women experience some type of hip pain during pregnancy. The pain might be focused on the side or the back of the hip, or in the general pelvic girdle area and feel dull or sharp, and come on gradually or suddenly.

Although hip pain can start at any point during pregnancy, it’s more likely to occur in the second and third trimesters as your baby grows and your body prepares for birth. The good news is that there are exercises that can relieve your hip pain during pregnancy. Take a look!

9 Exercises To Relieve Hip Pain During Pregnancy

Some of the exercises that can relieve your hip pain during pregnancy include:

1. Cow pose: You can position yourself on all fours with your knees spread hip-distance apart, hips over your knees and shoulders over your wrists.

Slowly drop your belly towards down, arcing your spine and return to a neutral position and repeat.

2. Fire log pose: You can sit comfortably on the edge of a folded blanket and cross one ankle over the opposite knee.

If you can stack the other ankle and knee too, you can do so or otherwise just relax the bottom leg out.

From here, just try to sit carefully and lean forward. You should feel a stretch in the outer hip right away and this will ease the hip pain.

3. Standing sideways stretch: Try to stand next to a doorway and align your shoulder with it.

You can cross your inner leg over the outer leg and lean towards the door frame and hold onto it with both hands.

You can also try and push into the hand which is on top.

4. Standing ankle to knee: If you have good balance, this exercise can be excellent to open the hips and create strength in the standing leg.

All you need to do is find a ledge at about hip height or higher and stand in front of it.

You can place your ankle on the opposite knee and fold forward and keep your standing leg bent softly. The more you lean forward, the more intense the stretch will be.

5. Bridge pose: You can lie down after placing a small blanket under your lower back. Walk your heels in, until your hands can skim the back of them, and lift your hips to create a straight line from knee to your hip.

Try and relax your buttocks and hamstrings and hold the hip up for at least 30 seconds. After some time, you will feel the supporting muscles in your lower back start to work and support your spine.

6. Lie on your side with a pillow between your knees: Although this is not technically an exercise, it relieves hip pain.

You can lie down on your side and stack your hips, knees and ankles at two 90-degree angles and pull your knees up in front of you and keep space in the knee.

Placing a pillow along your lower leg, try to relax. Lying like this for at least 15 minutes can do wonders.

7. Standing pelvic tilt: Try to stand with your feet hip-width apart and your back against a wall. As you inhale, you must arch your back away from the wall and as you exhale, try to flatten your lower back against the wall.

It is advisable to perform this exercise slowly and mindfully to avoid falling and work your way up to 15 repetitions.

8. Walk engaging your glute muscles: As your belly grows bigger, it’s tempting to arch your back more and tilt your pelvis forward. 

Engaging your glute muscles with each step and lengthening your tailbone by tucking your pelvis in will help to get relief from pain and transition faster postpartum after you have had the baby.

9. Yoga: Yoga can also be a good exercise during pregnancy for relieving hip pain. it calms your mind and helps to deal with perinatal depression.

However, certain forms of yoga, including ‘hot yoga,’ is not recommended during pregnancy.

Hip exercises during pregnancy can improve your overall fitness and promote healthy weight gain. These exercises can help strengthen your hip muscles and reduce the discomfort in the hip area. 

However, it is important to consult a doctor before starting any exercise throughout your pregnancy. It is also recommended to take frequent breaks and keep yourself hydrated during the exercise regimen.

DISCLAIMER: We have taken steps to check the accuracy of the information & practices shared above; however, it is not a replacement for a doctor’s opinion. Please check with either your doctor, or an expert, before trying any suggestion, practice, or medication mentioned here.

Also Read: Back Pain In Pregnancy

Cover image source: freepik.com