Hip exercises following hip fracture surgery (lying exercises)

Exercising your hip and leg muscles after surgery is vitally important for recovery. Breathing exercises will also help.

Exercises aim to help you quickly regain movement in your hip following surgery, prevent muscle loss, rebuild muscle strength and prevent stiffness of your new hip joint.

The Therapy team will guide you on which exercises to do, when to start them and how often to do them.

The following exercises can be done while lying down.

Ankle pumps

This exercise is important to help with your circulation and to prevent the formation of blood clots.

Frequency	Hourly after surgery
Repetitions	20

Person lying flat on their back — 1.

Sit on the bed with your legs straight, or lie on the bed on your back with your legs straight.

Person lying on their back and bending ankles — 2.

Bend and straighten your ankles briskly.

Static gluteal squeezes

This exercise is important to help with your circulation and to prevent the formation of blood clots.

Frequency	Hourly after surgery
Repetitions	10

Someone squeezing their buttocks together — 2.

Squeeze your buttocks together. Hold for five seconds. Then relax for five seconds.

Static quads

Frequency	Three times a day
Repetitions	10

Person lying with toes bent upwards, pushing the backs of their knees down — 2.

Push the backs of your knees down firmly in to the bed. Hold for five seconds. Then relax for five seconds.

Hip flexion in lying

Frequency	At least three times a day
Repetitions	10

Person lying on their back with knee bent — 2.

Bend your leg, keeping your heel on the bed.

3.

Slowly straighten your knee. Try to keep your hip and knee aligned throughout.

Hip abduction in lying

Frequency	Three times a day
Repetitions	10

Person lying on their back and sliding leg sideways — 2.

Slide your right leg out to the side as far as you can, while keeping your knee straight.

3.

Keeping your toes pointing to the ceiling, slowly slide your leg back in, then repeat with the other leg.

Inner range quads

Frequency	At least three times a day
Repetitions	10

Person lying on their back with a rolled-up towel under their knee — 1.

Lie down on your back with a rolled up towel under your knee.

Person lifting their heel from the bed while keeping back of knee on towel — 2.

Push the back of your knee down into the towel and lift your heel up off the bed as high as you can, without lifting the knee from the towel. Hold for five seconds.

3.

Lower your leg to the starting position.

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Last reviewed: 13 December 2024