Why Your Hips Need Daily Movement
The hip is the largest ball-and-socket joint in your body, designed for a wide range of motion. But modern life — sitting for hours, walking on flat surfaces — uses only a fraction of that range. Over time, the muscles tighten, the joint stiffens, and pain sets in.
The solution is not rest. It is movement — gentle, varied movement that takes your hips through their natural range of motion. Stephen Jepson does this every day through play, balance training, and whole-body movement. These five exercises target the specific muscles and movements that keep hips healthy.
5 Exercises for Healthier Hips
Clamshells
Lie on your side with your knees bent at about 45 degrees and your feet together. Keeping your feet touching, slowly raise your top knee as high as comfortable — like a clamshell opening. Hold for 3 seconds, then slowly lower.
Repeat 12 times per side. Clamshells strengthen the gluteus medius — the muscle on the side of your hip that stabilizes your pelvis when you walk and prevents that side-to-side wobble.
Standing Hip Circles
Stand behind a sturdy chair and hold the back for balance. Lift one knee to hip height and slowly draw small circles in the air with your knee. Do 8 circles forward, then 8 circles backward. Switch legs.
Repeat the full sequence twice. Hip circles take your joint through its full range of motion, lubricating the cartilage and loosening tight muscles around the hip.
Seated Hip Flexor Stretch
Sit on the edge of a sturdy chair. Slide one foot back under the chair while keeping the other foot flat on the floor in front of you. Sit tall and lean slightly forward until you feel a gentle stretch in the front of the hip on the side with the foot back.
Hold 20 seconds per side, repeat 3 times. Tight hip flexors are one of the most common causes of hip pain in seniors — this stretch directly addresses that tightness.
Side-Lying Leg Lifts
Lie on your side with both legs straight and your hips stacked vertically. Slowly lift your top leg about 12 inches, keeping it straight and your toes pointing forward (not up). Hold for 3 seconds, then lower slowly with control.
Repeat 10 times per side. This exercise strengthens the hip abductors — the muscles that keep you stable when standing on one leg, like when you step over a curb or climb stairs.
Figure-4 Stretch
Sit in a sturdy chair and cross one ankle over the opposite knee, creating a figure-4 shape. Sit tall and gently press the raised knee down with your hand until you feel a comfortable stretch deep in the hip. Keep your back straight throughout.
Hold 20-30 seconds per side, repeat 3 times. The figure-4 stretch targets the piriformis and deep external rotators of the hip — muscles that often contribute to hip and lower back pain when tight.
See These Exercises in Stephen's Video Program
Watch 93-year-old Stephen Jepson demonstrate his complete movement method — hip mobility, balance training, strength building, and more. One purchase, lifetime access.