Hip Sprain and Strain Rehab for Beginners
A 20-week program using dip stations, balance boards, tennis balls, and kettlebells to aid recovery from hip sprains and strains.
Professional rehabilitation program designed for effective recovery and pain management.
Key facts at a glance
- Body part
- lower-limb · hip
- Injury type
- sprain-strain
- Level
- beginner
- Duration
- 20
- Sessions/week
- 3
- Minutes/session
- 45
- Evidence level
- expert_opinion
- ICD-10
- S72
- Cost tier
- moderate
Hip Sprain and Strain Rehabilitation Program: Beginner 20-Week Guide A structured, gradual program designed to help you recover from a hip sprain or strain using simple equipment and a phased approach.
Who This Program Is For and Its Goal This program is for adults beginning recovery from a hip sprain or strain who want a safe, steady path back to daily activity. Its goal is to reduce pain, restore hip movement and strength, and rebuild confident walking and movement patterns over 20 weeks.
Before You Start Please review this guide with your supervising clinician before beginning, and use it alongside, not instead of, professional care.
Safety Notes and When to Stop If you have had a recent hip fracture, do not start this program without explicit clearance from your clinician or surgeon. Always warm up first, avoid overloading the hip, and stop if pain increases. Stop and contact your clinician if you notice sharp or worsening pain, new swelling, inability to bear weight, numbness, or pain that keeps you awake at night.
Weekly Structure Plan for three sessions per week, about 45 minutes each, with rest days between sessions.
How the 20-Week Plan Is Organized The program runs in phases, starting gently with pain control and protection, then gradually adding hip stabilization and strengthening, balance work, and more functional movement. Early on, water-based exercise and gentle movement may be used; later phases add kettlebell and balance-board work while keeping the dip station for supported exercises. Progress is based on how you feel and meet your clinician's checkpoints, not the calendar alone.
What a Typical Session Looks Like Each session follows a warm-up, main exercise block, and cool-down to prepare the hip, challenge it safely, and help it settle.
Warm-Up, Main Work, and Cool-Down Begin with gentle walking and easy hip movements to warm up. The main block uses the dip station for supported strength work, the balance board for controlled stability, the tennis ball for gentle soft-tissue work, and the kettlebell for graded strengthening as you advance. Finish with slow stretching and relaxed breathing to cool down.
Tracking Progress Keep a simple log of pain, exercises completed, and how movement feels, and share it with your clinician.
Using Progression Criteria and Outcome Measures Your clinician uses phase checkpoints—such as pain levels, hip range of motion, strength comparisons, and pain-free walking—to decide when you are ready to advance. Outcome measures like the Harris Hip Score, Hip Outcome Score, iHOT-12, pain scale, and Timed Up and Go help track change over time and guide adjustments.
Recovery and Self-Care Rest, consistent sleep, and pacing activity all support healing.
Pain Management and Red Flags Discuss any pain-relief options with your clinician rather than self-prescribing. Expect some mild soreness after activity, but stop if pain increases during exercise. Seek prompt advice for severe or sudden pain, new swelling, fever, or inability to put weight on the leg.
Recovery phases
Pain level at rest <3/10 on VAS scale, Able to tolerate weight-bearing as tolerated with assistive device if needed,Hip flexion ROM >70 degrees with minimal pain,No signs of hip joint effusion or significant synovitis,Tolerance of gentle passive range of motion without increased symptoms,Ability to perform isometric contractions of hip abductors and adductors without exacerbation
→ Advance to: Phase 2
Continued resolution of hip pain with weight-bearing activities,Hip extension ROM within 10 degrees of contralateral side,Tolerance of active assisted hip range of motion in all planes,No reproduction of groin pain or anterior hip clicking indicative of labral irritation,Ability to perform supine hip strengthening without posterior hip pain,Demonstrates proper gait pattern with assistive device if indicated
→ Advance to: Phase 3
Pain <2/10 with activities of daily living,Hip internal rotation ROM >15 degrees without pain,Full weight-bearing without assistive device if pain allows,No tenderness over greater trochanteric bursa on palpation,Tolerance of 10-minute continuous ambulation without increased symptoms,Hip flexor strength rated at least 3/5 on manual muscle testing
→ Advance to: Phase 4
Hip external rotation ROM >25 degrees,No night pain or pain at rest,Functional movement screen hip mobility subscore improved,Ability to ascend and descend stairs with reciprocal pattern,Isometric hip abduction strength >50% of contralateral side,No signs of iliopsoas tendon irritation with resisted flexion
→ Advance to: Phase 2
Hip abduction strength 3+/5 on manual muscle testing,Active hip flexion ROM 0-110 degrees without compensation,Tolerance of closed-chain mini squats to 45 degrees knee flexion,No reproduction of acetabular labral symptoms with passive hip flexion and internal rotation,Demonstrates proper pelvic alignment during standing activities,Can perform 3x10 repetitions of gluteal sets without increased pain
→ Advance to: Phase 3
Hip extension ROM within 5 degrees of contralateral side,Single leg stance time >10 seconds without hip drop or Trendelenburg sign,Tolerance of side-lying hip abduction without greater trochanteric pain,Ability to perform hip adduction against gravity without pain,No clicking or catching sensation with hip movement indicative of cartilage irritation,Functional reach test within 80% of contralateral side
→ Advance to: Phase 3
Hip abduction strength 4-/5,Hip flexion strength 4/5 on manual muscle testing,Can perform 2x10 repetitions of clamshells without hip pain,Tolerance of stationary bike 10 minutes at low resistance,No provocation of ischial bursa pain with sitting activities,Demonstrates normal hip mechanics during gait cycle
→ Advance to: Phase 4
Hip external rotation strength 3+/5,Single leg squat to 45 degrees without knee valgus or hip adduction,Hip internal rotation ROM >20 degrees without labral symptoms,TUG test completion under 15 seconds,Tolerance of aquatic therapy for 20 minutes,No residual hip joint stiffness after rest periods
→ Advance to: Phase 3
Hip abduction strength 4/5,Hip extension strength 4-/5,Can perform 3x12 repetitions of side-lying hip abduction with resistance,Single leg stance >20 seconds with maintained pelvic stability,No pain with FABER test position indicating hip joint or labral involvement,Tolerance of step-up exercises onto 4-inch step
→ Advance to: Phase 4
Hip flexor strength 4/5,Can perform 3x10 repetitions of resisted hip flexion in standing,Hip adduction strength 4-/5,No reproduction of groin pain with resisted hip flexion,Single leg squat to 60 degrees with good control,Can complete 15-minute walk at moderate pace without pain
→ Advance to: Phase 5
Hip external rotation strength 4/5,Can perform 3x12 repetitions of clamshells with resistance band,No hip joint catching or locking symptoms,Tolerance of mini lunge movements without anterior hip pain,Pelvic stability score improved on single leg loading tasks,Can perform 3x10 repetitions of bridges without hip tendon pain
→ Advance to: Phase 6
All hip muscle groups 4/5 strength,Hip range of motion within 5 degrees of contralateral side in all planes,Can perform 2x10 repetitions of single leg deadlift without compensation,No pain with resisted hip external rotation in prone,Functional hop test within 80% of contralateral side,Patient reports >50% improvement in hip outcome score
→ Advance to: Phase 4
Hip abduction strength 4+/5,Can perform 3x12 repetitions of single leg squat to 70 degrees,No pain with sprint start or cutting movements in pain-free range,Tolerance of resisted hip abduction in functional positions,Can complete single leg hop for distance >80% of contralateral side,No recurrence of hip bursa inflammation symptoms
→ Advance to: Phase 5
Hip flexion strength 4+/5,Can perform 3x8 repetitions of walking lunges,Hip extension strength 4+/5,No symptoms with sustained sitting >30 minutes,Single leg hop for time within 110% of contralateral side,Can perform agility drills at 50% speed without hip pain
→ Advance to: Phase 6
All hip muscle groups 4+/5 strength,Can perform 3x10 repetitions of single leg Romanian deadlift,No reproduction of labral symptoms with end-range hip flexion and rotation,Tolerance of high-intensity interval cycling 15 minutes,Y-balance test anterior reach within 90% of contralateral side,Can complete stair climbing test without hip compensation
→ Advance to: Phase 6
Hip adduction strength 4+/5,Can complete figure-8 running drills without pain,No hip joint clicking, catching, or giving way symptoms,Tolerance of plyometric box jumps from low height,Functional movement screen score >14/21,Patient reports >70% improvement in Harris Hip Score
→ Advance to: Phase 5
Full hip range of motion in all planes without symptoms,Can perform sport-specific drills at 75% intensity,No pain with cutting, pivoting, or deceleration activities,Single leg hop test within 95% of contralateral side,Tolerance of full practice session without increased symptoms,Hip Outcome Score activities of daily living subscale >85%
→ Advance to: Phase 6
Hip muscle endurance within 90% of contralateral side,Can complete high-intensity interval training without hip symptoms,No recurrence of greater trochanteric pain with side-lying activities,Return to work activities without limitations if applicable,Full confidence in hip stability during dynamic movements,iHOT-12 score >70
→ Advance to: Phase 7
Can perform sport-specific activities at 90% intensity,No post-exercise hip joint swelling or effusion,Tolerance of full-length practice or training session,Y-balance test composite within 95% of contralateral side,No hip flexor tendon tightness or strain with high-speed running,Patient reports >80% return to pre-injury function
→ Advance to: Phase 6
Full return to sport or activity without restrictions,Hip muscle strength 5/5 or within 95% of contralateral side,No hip joint symptoms with maximal effort activities,All functional tests within normal limits,Harris Hip Score >90 or within 10 points of contralateral side,Patient discharged with home maintenance program
→ Advance to: Discharge
Return to activity milestones
Pain-free basic activities of daily living
Week 6Ankle dorsiflexion adequate for normalised gait pattern over heel
Light functional activities and conditioning
Week 9Weight-bearing tolerance increased by ≥ 25% from previous baseline
Moderate activity and sport-specific conditioning
Week 12Able to ascend and descend 4 stairs with reciprocal pattern, no rail
Full return to sport, occupation, and recreation
Week 20Weight-bearing tolerance increased by ≥ 25% from previous baseline
Precautions
- warm-up-before
- avoid-overloading
- stop-if-pain-increases
Contraindications
- recent-fracture
Pain management
- Ice therapy for acute pain and inflammation reduction
- Heat therapy for chronic stiffness and muscle tension
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications as prescribed by physician
- Manual therapy including soft tissue mobilization to hip abductors, adductors, and flexors
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) for pain modulation
Equipment & modalities
Frequently asked questions
How much soreness is normal after a session?
Can I skip sessions if I feel better?
Do I need all the equipment to start?
This information is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
This content is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the guidance of a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you have about a medical condition, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you read here.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your local emergency number or go to the nearest emergency department immediately.
Medically reviewed by WellAlly Editorial Team Last reviewed October 6, 2026. · Read our editorial policy