Do you experience persistent hip pain or discomfort, especially during physical activities?
Have you been diagnosed with a hip labral tear?
If so, we understand that the struggle is real.
A hip labral tear is a common injury that can cause significant discomfort and limit your mobility.
Today, we’re going to explore some of the best exercises to alleviate the symptoms of a hip labral tear, allowing you to regain strength, mobility, and confidence in your body.
Hip Labral Tear Exercises
Let’s take a look at the best hip labral tear exercises and stretches:
1. Prone Hip Extension
This exercise strengthens the muscles around your hip joint, including your glutes and hamstrings.
By doing so, it helps stabilize your hip joint and supports the healing process of a labral tear.
Additionally, it promotes proper movement patterns, reducing the risk of further injury.
How to do it?
- Lie face down on a comfortable surface such as a yoga mat.
- Keep your legs straight and toes pointed towards the ground.
- Engage your core muscles by pulling your belly button towards your spine.
- Slowly lift one leg off the ground, focusing on squeezing your glutes.
- Lift your leg until it’s in line with your body or slightly higher.
- Hold for a brief moment, then slowly lower your leg back down.
- Repeat the movement with the opposite leg.
- Aim for 2-3 sets of 10-15 repetitions on each leg.
2. Hip Flexor Stretch
Stretching your hip flexors can alleviate tightness and tension in the muscles at the front of your hip.
This can be particularly beneficial if you’ve been experiencing hip flexor tightness due to compensatory movements caused by a labral tear.
Stretching helps improve flexibility and range of motion, allowing for smoother and more comfortable movement.
How to do it?
- Kneel on the ground with one knee and place the other foot flat on the ground in front of you.
- Engage your core muscles to stabilize your body.
- Slowly lean forward, shifting your weight onto the front foot, while keeping your back straight.
- You should feel a stretch in the front of the hip of the kneeling leg.
- Hold the stretch for 20-30 seconds while maintaining steady breathing.
- Repeat the stretch on the opposite side.
- Aim for 2-3 sets of 2 stretches on each side.
3. Glute Bridges
Glute bridges target the gluteus maximus, one of the primary muscles responsible for hip extension.
Strengthening your glutes can help improve hip stability and function, which is crucial for supporting a hip with a labral tear.
Strong glute muscles can also help distribute forces more evenly across your hip joint, reducing strain on the labrum.
How to do it?
- Lie on your back on a mat with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
- Keep your arms relaxed by your sides with palms facing down.
- Engage your core muscles and squeeze your glutes as you lift your hips towards the ceiling.
- Your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to your knees at the top of the movement.
- Hold this position for a few seconds, then slowly lower your hips back down to the starting position.
- Aim for 2-3 sets of 10-15 repetitions.
4. Wall Sit
Wall sits are among the best exercises for hip labral tear as they primarily target the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes.
By strengthening these muscles, you can improve the stability of your entire lower body, including the hip joint affected by a labral tear.
Wall sits also promote proper alignment and weight distribution, reducing the risk of aggravating the injury during daily activities.
How to do it?
- Stand with your back against a wall and feet shoulder-width apart.
- Slowly slide your back down the wall until your knees are bent at a 90-degree angle.
- Your thighs should be parallel to the floor, and your knees should be directly above your ankles.
- Keep your back flat against the wall and your core engaged.
- Hold this position for 30-60 seconds, or as long as you can maintain good form.
- Slowly push through your heels to return to the starting position.
- Aim for 2-3 sets of wall sits, gradually increasing the duration as you get stronger.
5. Dead Bug
Dead bugs engage the core muscles, including the abdominals and deep stabilizers of the spine.
A strong core provides a stable base of support for the entire body, including the hips.
By strengthening your core muscles, you can improve overall body mechanics and reduce strain on the hip joint affected by a labral tear.
How to do it?
- Lie on your back on a mat with your arms extended towards the ceiling and legs lifted with knees bent at a 90-degree angle.
- Engage your core muscles to press your lower back into the mat.
- Slowly extend your right leg straight out, while simultaneously lowering your left arm overhead towards the floor.
- Keep your lower back pressed into the mat throughout the movement.
- Return to the starting position, then repeat the movement with the opposite arm and leg.
- Aim for 2-3 sets of 10-15 repetitions on each side, focusing on controlled movements and maintaining stability.
6. Side-Lying Hip Abduction
This stretch targets the muscles of the outer hip, including the gluteus medius and minimus.
Strengthening these muscles can enhance hip stability and alignment, which is important for protecting the hip joint and preventing further injury to the labrum.
It is one of the hip labral tear stretch and workout that also helps improve overall hip strength and function.
How to do it?
- Lie on your side with your bottom arm extended straight out to support your head and your bottom leg bent slightly for stability.
- Keep your top leg straight and in line with your body.
- Engage your core muscles to stabilize your body.
- Slowly lift your top leg towards the ceiling, leading with your heel.
- Lift your leg to a comfortable height, then slowly lower it back down.
- Aim for 2-3 sets of 10-15 repetitions on each side.
Recap
Dealing with a hip labral tear can be challenging, but with the right exercises and dedication, you can effectively manage your symptoms and regain control of your hip health.
Now, we’d like to ask a question; which of these hip labral tear exercises stood out for you?
Or do you have some workouts you’d like to recommend?
