Sit in a firm chair (one that is higher if possible).

Slowly lift your foot up and straighten the knee of your arthritis leg (exercising leg) until it is fully straight.

Keep the back of your thigh on the chair.

Hold for 5 seconds and lower slowly.

“Slowly up, hold, 2, 3, 4, 5, slowly down”.

Keep the back of your thigh on the chair.

Add an ankle weight or heavy shoe to the exercising leg.
Increase 1 kg at a time.

Stand up tall with your legs shoulder-width apart. Turn your feet slightly outwards.

Stay safe: Hold onto a table or chair for balance.

Bend at your hips and knees.

Lower yourself down slightly, as if you were going to sit on a chair. Remember, when we sit down on a chair our bottom goes back behind us and down.

Hold for 3 seconds.

Slowly straighten back up.

Keep your knees behind your toes. Don’t let your knees collapse in.
Keep your heels on the ground.

Don’t squat down as low.

1. Add weights: Hold weights in your hands while squatting. Add 1 kg at a time.
2. Split leg position: Move your exercising leg slightly closer to the chair. Move your non-exercising leg slightly further away from the chair. Take more weight through your exercising leg (the one closest to the chair).
3. Split leg and weighted: Hold weights in your hands while squatting in split leg position. Add 1 kg at a time.

Stand with a chair in front of you. Lightly hold the back of the chair for balance.

Slightly bend your knees and stick your bottom slightly behind you. Your nose should be in line with your toes.

Note: For this particular exercise, it is recommended to do it on both sides. This will exercise your arthritis leg in different ways.

Keep your weight on your left leg and slowly slide your right foot out to the right, straightening your right knee. Slide your right leg back in.

Slide the right leg out and in 10 times. 

Repeat the exercise on your other side by keeping your weight on your right leg and sliding your left foot out and in 10 times.

Keep your hips level (e.g. don’t let your hip hitch up or drop down when you slide the leg out and in).

On the leg that is taking your body weight keep the knee over the foot and keep the leg still. 

On the leg that slides out  keep the toes pointing forward, don’t let your toes point in or out. 

Use an elastic exercise band around your ankles if you have one.

If sliding your leg out to the side is too challenging, try tapping the toe out to the side instead.

Stand tall with your legs shoulder width apart.

Stay safe: Use a chair or table for balance.

Standing tall and strong, bend your arthritis leg (exercising leg) up so that your thigh is parallel to the ground (or lower if discomfort is experienced).

Slowly lower your leg back down. Lightly touch your foot to the ground before repeating straight away.

The aim of this exercise is to progressively build speed, while keeping all the movement at the hip joint. Your body (trunk and pelvis) should not be rocking backwards or forwards during the exercise.

Try and easier exercise: Crook lying hip bends

Lay on a firm surface/bed, with both knees bent and feet resting flat on the bed.

Think about drawing your leg up into the hip joint and slowly raise your arthritis leg (exercising leg) into the air.

Slowly lower the down. This exercise should be slow and controlled. You are aiming to work the muscles deep in the front of the hip.

Add an ankle weight or heavy shoe to the exercising leg. Add 1kg at a time.

Lie on a mat on the floor or on a firm bed.

Gently squeeze your buttock muscles, tuck your tailbone under, and lift your hips and buttocks from the bed.

Hold for 3 seconds.

Slowly lower your bottom down to the floor/ bed.

Keep your hips level during the exercise.

Add a weight: hold a weight over your hips/pelvis during the exercise. Add 1 kg at a time.

If this exercise doesn’t work for you, we recommend you pick an exercise you prefer from one of the three My Hip Exercise programs and do that exercise instead of this one.