Hip & Glute Rehabilitation Exercises
Weakness in the hips and gluteal muscles can contribute to knee pain, lower back discomfort, and poor movement mechanics. At Body Mechanix, we frequently incorporate hip strengthening into rehabilitation programs for patients across Tauranga and Papamoa.
These exercises focus on activating and strengthening the glutes, improving pelvic stability, and enhancing lower limb alignment. Movements such as bridges, clams, and controlled squats help restore balance and reduce strain on surrounding joints.
Hip stability is particularly important for runners, athletes, and individuals recovering from knee or ankle injuries.
If you’re unsure which exercises are right for your injury or performance goals, our podiatry and physiotherapy team can guide you with a personalised treatment plan.
Hip Exercises
Cook hip lift
- Lie on your back with knees bent up
- Pull one knee tightly to the chest. To make sure that the knee stays tightly against the chest place a tennis ball just under the bottom rib so that the thigh must pin the tennis ball in place.
- The opposite knee stays bent at 90 degrees and the foot stays planted on the floor
- Push that foot into the floor at the heel and extend the hips upward. Do not allow the tennis ball to fall out of place. You should feel a very good isolation and contraction of the glutes.
Hip Bridge
- Lying on your back with knees up
- Lift up hips, only until the body is in a straight line, do not overextend and do not overgrip buttocks
- Lower down slowly
Modified Side Bridge
Half Kneeling
- Arms relaxed by the side
- The rearfoot should be flat (not like in the image)
- Pelvis level
- The body should be relaxed
Bridges & Straight Leg Raise
Bridges:
- Lie on your back with your knees bent.
- Tighten your stomach and buttock muscles.
- Keeping these muscles tight, lift your hips up off the floor until they are in line with your knees.
- Hold for 5 seconds.
- Lower slowly, rolling from the top of your spine down to the bottom.
- Repeat as instructed by the practitioner.
Straight Leg Raise:
- Lie on your back with your legs out straight.
- Tighten your stomach and buttock muscles.
- Keeping muscles tight, lift one leg up off the bed.
- Hold for 5 seconds.
- Lower slowly, and lift the alternate leg, keeping those muscles tight.
- Repeat at practitioner’s instructions.
To make it harder, do both legs at the same time.
Glute Sequence
- Lie on your side with legs on top of each other and out straight.
- Lift the top leg up about one foot (this is the starting position).
- Pulse your leg up 10 times.
- Pulse leg backwards 10 times.
- Pulse leg forwards 10 times.
- Trace a clockwise circle with your foot 10 times.
- Trace the anti-clockwise circle with your foot 10 times.
Remember to keep your heel higher than your toes, and don’t put your leg down between different movements.
Repeat at practitioner’s instructions.
Squats
- Stand with feet hip-width apart.
- Stretch your arms straight out in front of you.
- Squat down, keeping your back straight, looking straight ahead and keeping your shoulder back. Imagine you are sitting back on something far away.
- Repeat the practitioner’s instructions.
Clams
- Lie on the side with knees bent.
- Tighten stomach and buttock muscles.
- Keep muscles tight and ankles together, and lift knees apart.
- Hold five seconds, lower and repeat.
- Repeat the practitioner’s instructions
