The Complete Hip Prehab Guide: Strength, Mobility, and Longevity for Your Hips

If you’ve been battling nagging hip issues, you know how much they can affect everything—from lifting and running to simply sitting comfortably. At Moment PTP in NYC, we focus on hip pain treatment that doesn’t just mask symptoms, but addresses movement, strength, and joint health before small issues become big ones.

Now I’m not a huge fan of the term “prehab” but think of this as proactive care — movements designed to maintain hip mobility, build strength, and prepare your hips for the daily demands of life and the intense stresses of sport.

Here, we’ll break down our top movements for priming the hip flexors, gluteus medius, adductors, and gluteus maximus, giving you the tools to move stronger and more freely.

 

1. 90/90 Hip External Rotation Lift-Offs

This exercise opens up hip external rotation while teaching your glutes to do the work - not your lower back.

How to do it:

1. Sit in a 90/90 position.

2. Stay tall or lean onto your forearm to reduce back involvement.

3. Open your lead leg’s shin toward the ceiling, keeping your knee planted.

4. Add a resistance band above your knees for extra challenge.

Key cues: Feel the glute working. If your back or hip flexors take over, adjust your torso angle until the sensation stays in your glute.

2. 90/90 Hip Internal Rotation Lift-Offs

Internal rotation is often limited, but it’s essential for hip health and athletic performance.

How to do it:

1. From the same 90/90 position, lean slightly forward on your forearm.

2. Press your lead knee into the floor while lifting your ankle.

3. Adjust your knee position and torso angle until you feel a deep glute contraction - not pinching in the front of the hip.

Tip: 15 clean reps, keeping the movement controlled.* 

3. Banded Curtsy Step-Down (Glute Medius & Lateral Hip)

This move builds strength in the outer hip and challenges your stability.

How to do it:

1. Loop a band around your waist and anchor it to the side.

2. Stand on one leg, slowly step the other foot behind and across your stance leg.

3. Let the band pull you into your stance hip - then push out of it.

Tip: Start with bodyweight. Progress by adding a dumbbell or kettlebell in a goblet hold. Aim for 8–10 reps per side.

4. Copenhagen Plank (Adductors/Groin)

The adductor magnus is a powerhouse stabilizer for the pelvis, yet it’s often undertrained.

How to do it:

1. Place your top leg on a bench or roller at mid-shin level.

2. Lift your hips as high as possible, hiking the top hip toward the ceiling.

3. Hold 30–45 seconds. Progress by lowering your support point toward the ankle and adding hip dips.

5. Long Lever Bridge Isometric (Glute Max & Posterior Chain)

This isometric builds hip extension strength and endurance while reducing reliance on the lower back.

How to do it:

1. Lie on your back, heels farther away than a traditional glute bridge.

2. Lift hips until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees.

3. For more challenge, lift one leg and cross your arms or reach upward.

Hold: 35 - 45 seconds. Start with double-leg before progressing to single-leg.

6. Standing Cable Hip Flexor Pull-Through

We stretch hip flexors all the time - but rarely strengthen them through full range.

How to do it:

1. Attach a cable at ankle height and step forward so the hip starts in extension.

2. Pull your knee forward and up until the hip is flexed.

3. Keep your balance with a dowel if needed.

Tip: Use light-weight and focus on feeling the hip flexor work - not pinching in the joint.

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Final Words: Train for the Demands You Face

Too many “prehab” routines stop at easy, low-load drills. Real hip resilience comes from challenging the muscles through strength, endurance, and full range of motion - just like the demands of sport or daily life.

These six moves give you a complete approach to mobility and stability, so your hips can keep up with everything you throw at them. And if your hip pain has been stubborn or linked to issues in the knees, back, or elsewhere, a tailored plan will get you further than any generic routine.

Take control of your hip health. 

Book a session with Moment PTP in NYC and experience how personalized physical therapy for hip pain can unlock better mobility, build lasting strength, and keep your hips performing at their best—on the field, in the gym, or in daily life.