Stiff Hips? 3 Exercises to Improve Hip Mobility

By Roel van den Bogaard, personal trainer at Aurora Personal Training in Eindhoven.

Want to improve your hip mobility? Start with gentle movements you can control. This routine uses the Seated Hip Pry, Seated Hip Swivels, and Heel Clicks. Below, you will find the videos, technique tips, and a practical starting routine. Avoid forcing an end position, and adjust the exercises if they cause pain.

You stand up after a long workday and your hips feel stiff. Or you notice that a particular position feels difficult during a squat. These can be reasons to spend some time practicing the movements you want to perform more comfortably.

You do not need an extensive routine to get started. Begin with a small amount, notice how you respond, and choose exercises that support your training or everyday movement.

In this article, hip mobility refers to the range of movement you can actively use and control at your hips. This includes bending and extending your leg, moving it out to the side, and rotating it inward or outward.

Walking, standing up, squatting, and lunging use different combinations of these movements. More range of motion is not automatically better: what you need depends on your goal.

During hip rotation, your thigh bone turns within the hip socket. Internal rotation means turning inward; external rotation means turning outward. Seated Hip Swivels allow you to practice these directions alternately in both hips.

Want to understand the broader difference between flexibility and active movement control? Read our explanation of mobility in strength training.

A feeling of stiffness does not identify its cause. You might notice it after sitting for a long time, when you first start moving, or after a demanding workout. It does not automatically mean that your muscles are permanently shortened or that your hip is damaged.

Stiffness accompanied by pain can have several causes. Joint symptoms may relate to physical demands, an injury, or osteoarthritis, for example. A single mobility exercise cannot establish the cause.

Back or knee pain also cannot be attributed to stiff hips without an appropriate assessment. This routine gives you a way to practice movement; it is not a treatment for every type of pain.

If stiffness is your main concern and you can move comfortably, you can start by gently exploring the exercises below.

You will need a sturdy bench or a chair without wheels, some floor space, and an optional exercise mat. Start without additional resistance. Walk around briefly or move gently before you begin.

1. Seated Hip Pry: explore hip movement while seated

This exercise is also called the Seated Rotational Dip & Pry in our routine. From a seated position, you explore inward and outward movement at your hips.

Watch the Seated Hip Pry demonstration.

How to start:

1. Sit on a sturdy bench or chair with your feet on the floor.
2. Keep your upper body comfortably upright.
3. Gently move one knee inward, staying within a comfortable range.
4. Bring the knee back, then gently open your hips outward as shown in the demonstration.
5. Repeat with control and alternate sides.

Starting point: 6–8 slow repetitions per side.

What to focus on: avoid pushing your knee farther with your hands. Aim to control the movement without forcing an end position.

Make it easier: reduce the range of movement or use a slightly higher, stable chair. Stop the movement sooner if you feel pressure or pain in your knee or groin.

2. Seated Hip Swivels: controlled movement from side to side

In this exercise, you move both knees to one side and back while seated. One hip rotates inward while the other rotates outward. The aim is a smooth transition that you can control yourself.

Watch the Seated Hip Swivels demonstration.

How to do the exercise:

1. Sit on the floor with your knees bent and your feet on the floor in front of you.
2. Place your hands behind you for support.
3. Slowly move both knees toward one side.
4. Stop before you need to force the movement. Your knees do not need to touch the floor.
5. Return through the middle, then gently move to the other side.

Starting point: 6 slow repetitions to the left and 6 to the right.

What to focus on: use your hands for support and allow your feet to turn as needed. Avoid forcing the movement by pressing your knees down.

Make it easier: use a smaller range of movement or sit on a firmly folded towel. If sitting on the floor is uncomfortable, use the first exercise as an alternative for now.

3. Heel Clicks: small movements with control

Use this exercise as an additional way to practice controlled leg movement. The name is used for different exercises, so follow the version shown in our demonstration.

Watch the Heel Clicks demonstration.

How to do the exercise:

1. Adopt the starting position shown in the video.
2. Lift your feet slightly off the floor.
3. Slowly bring your heels together and tap them gently against each other.
4. Move back and repeat without swinging or building momentum.

Starting point: 6–8 slow repetitions in total.

What to focus on: keep the movement small. You do not need to lift your feet as high as possible or tap your heels together forcefully.

Make it easier: perform fewer repetitions at a time and rest between attempts. If you cannot control the movement comfortably, leave this exercise out for now.

Start with one round on two or three days per week. Allow approximately five minutes to practice gently and move between exercises. Take more time while you are learning them.

This is a practical starting point, not a proven optimal dose for everyone. The three exercises have not been tested together as a complete program in the research listed at the end of this article.

Notice how you feel during the routine and later that day. If one round feels comfortable, you can gradually try a slightly larger range of motion or a second round. Change one thing at a time.

More repetitions are not automatically more useful. A smaller movement performed with control may suit your current ability better.

Before strength training

Choose one or two exercises that fit the movements in your workout. Then build up your first strength exercise with lighter sets. This mobility routine alone is not a complete preparation for heavy squats or deadlifts.

Read more about stretching before or after strength training.

During or after a workday

Take a short movement break if it feels helpful. You do not need to complete the entire routine during every break. A brief walk, standing up, and changing position can be practical ways to add movement to your workday.

On a separate day

You can also do the routine independently of strength training. Choose a time you can maintain easily, such as after a walk. Keep it gentle and avoid turning it into an exhausting challenge.

Connect your exercises to something you want to improve. That might be standing up from a chair more comfortably or controlling a squat more confidently.

Use this simple check:

1. Choose one movement, such as standing up slowly from the same chair five times.
2. Notice how easy it feels and whether you have any symptoms.
3. Complete a short mobility routine.
4. Repeat the same movement and compare how it feels.

An immediate difference may suggest that the preparation is useful at that moment. It does not prove that a restriction has been permanently resolved.

Also review your progress after three to four weeks under comparable conditions. Do you need less support? Does the movement feel easier? Can you control the same range more comfortably? These observations can help you adjust your approach.

Appropriate strength training can also help you work on your range of motion. A meta-analysis of 55 studies found that resistance training using external loads can improve range of motion. Comparisons with stretching programs found no statistically significant difference in improvement. This does not mean every exercise produces the same effect.

For example, you could practice a squat to a bench, a supported split squat, or a lightly loaded hip hinge within a range you can control. The right choice depends on your goal and what you can perform comfortably.

Learn how to build up your training demands gradually with progressive overload.

Make an appointment with your GP if the pain gets worse, keeps returning, or interferes with your normal activities or sleep. A physiotherapist can help assess and adapt your movement and training.

Seek immediate medical help if you have severe pain after a fall or cannot put weight on your leg. Contact your GP or the out-of-hours GP service immediately if you have a painful joint that is warm or swollen, together with a fever or feeling unwell.

Stop an exercise if it causes sharp pain, tingling, or a clear pinching sensation. Do not keep pushing or stretching into that feeling.

How can you loosen up stiff hips?

Start with gentle movement and choose one or two exercises you can perform comfortably. The Seated Hip Pry and Seated Hip Swivels offer ways to practice hip rotation. Then check whether the movement you want to improve feels easier.

Do you need to train hip mobility every day?

No. You could start with two or three short sessions per week. Gentle daily practice may suit you if you tolerate it well, but it is not a requirement. Choose a frequency you can maintain and pay attention to how you respond.

How quickly can your hip mobility improve?

This varies between people and goals. A movement may feel easier immediately after a warm-up, while a lasting change needs to be assessed over a longer period. Use three to four weeks as a review point, not a promised deadline for results.

Can these exercises help with back or knee pain?

That cannot be promised in advance. Pain can have several causes. A movement routine may form part of an appropriate approach, but persistent symptoms should be assessed and your exercises adapted accordingly.

Do you need a resistance band?

No. Start without a band. Additional resistance is only a possible next step once you can control the movement and the extra demand fits your goal.

Want to know which exercises fit your training? At Aurora Personal Training, we combine mobility work with strength training and individual coaching.

In our private studio at Vestdijk 159 in Eindhoven, we look at the movements you want to improve, the exercise variations that suit you, and how to build up your training. This can be relevant if you spend much of your working day sitting or want more structure in your workouts.

Learn more about our personal hip and mobility training or book a free trial session.

The sources below support the general information about joint symptoms, range of motion, and when hip pain needs assessment. They do not establish that these three exercises are the best choice for everyone or that they will resolve pain.

1. Thuisarts: joint symptoms, possible causes, and when to contact a GP. Dutch-language patient information.
2. Alizadeh et al. (2023): systematic review and meta-analysis of resistance training and range of motion.
3. NHS: hip pain in adults, including when to seek medical advice.