Hip Pain When Walking: Causes and Gentle Fixes

Walking is meant to be the easy, free exercise that fits around everything: the school run, a lap of the park, a Sunday stroll up to Highgate Wood. So it is frustrating when your hip starts to ache halfway round, or you get a sharp twinge every time you step off a kerb. Hip pain when walking is something many parents in their 30s, 40s and 50s notice, especially after years of carrying children on one hip, sitting at a desk and not doing much strength work. This post covers some of the general causes, gentle movement that often helps, and when a GP or physio should take a look.

Please remember: I am a coach, not a doctor or physiotherapist. I cannot diagnose your hip, and neither can a blog post. Use this as a starting point and get it checked if it is not improving.

Common reasons for hip pain when walking

The NHS page on hip pain in adults lists a range of possible causes, and it is clear that you should not try to diagnose the cause yourself. Some of the general possibilities it mentions:

• Sprains, strains or tendonitis from intense or repetitive exercise, or a sudden change in activity.
• Osteoarthritis, more common over 45, which can cause pain when walking and stiffness after moving. The NHS has more on osteoarthritis treatment, where exercise often plays a part.
• Bursitis, where pain may spread to the thigh and get worse lying on that side.
• Rheumatoid arthritis, with stiffness that is worse after rest, such as first thing in the morning.

Pain felt “in the hip” can also come from the lower back or the groin. That is another reason a proper assessment matters.

What I see a lot in busy parents is not a specific injury but a pattern: weak glutes, tight hip flexors from sitting, uneven habits like always carrying the toddler on the same side, and a sudden jump in walking because someone has started a step challenge. The hip complains because it is doing a lot of work without much support.

What you can try at home

The NHS self-care advice for hip pain includes keeping moving without overdoing it, using an ice pack wrapped in a towel for up to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours, wearing supportive shoes with soft soles, gentle hip stretches, and avoiding carrying heavy loads or sitting in low chairs. Painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen gel or tablets may help; check with a pharmacist if you are unsure what is right for you.

From a coaching point of view, I would add these practical changes:

1. Shorten, do not stop. If 40 minutes hurts but 15 does not, walk 15 minutes twice a day for a while.
2. Choose flatter routes. Hills, steps and uneven paths ask more of the hip. Save them for later.
3. Swap sides. Carry the bag or the child on the other hip, or better, use a sling, buggy or rucksack.
4. Break up sitting. Stand up and move every 30 to 45 minutes. My post on hip flexor stretches for desk workers has a few you can do at work.

A gentle 10-minute hip routine

If your GP or physio has said gentle exercise is fine, this is a simple routine to do on most days. Move slowly and keep everything pain-free or close to it. Stop if anything feels sharp or makes your pain worse later.

• Glute bridges: lie on your back, knees bent, push through your heels and lift your hips. 2 sets of 10.
• Side-lying clamshells: lie on your side with knees bent, keep feet together and lift the top knee. 2 sets of 10 each side.
• Standing hip flexor stretch: step one foot back, tuck your tailbone under gently. Hold 20 to 30 seconds each side.
• Supported side leg raises: hold a chair, lift one leg out to the side with toes facing forward. 2 sets of 8 each side.
• Sit-to-stand: from a normal-height chair (not a low sofa). 2 sets of 8.
• Slow marching on the spot: 1 minute to finish, holding a support if needed.

If you are not sure which pain is “OK” to work with, my post on exercising with joint pain has more on training around sore joints.

When a GP or physio should assess your hip

The NHS says to see a GP if:

• The pain is stopping you doing normal activities or sleeping.
• It is getting worse or keeps coming back.
• It has not improved after 2 weeks of treating it at home.
• You have stiffness in the hip that lasts more than 30 minutes after waking.

It says to get an urgent GP appointment or call 111 for sudden, severe hip pain without an injury, a hot and swollen hip, skin changing colour around the hip, or hip pain with feeling unwell and a high temperature. Call 999 or go to A&E for severe pain after a fall or injury, if you cannot walk or put weight on the leg, or if you have tingling or numbness after an injury.

A physiotherapist can assess how your hip, back and legs move and give you a plan built for you. In my experience that is time very well spent.

Where a bootcamp class fits

Stronger hips and a stronger core take pressure off walking, and that is the sort of work I build into my classes. If your hip is sensitive, I will adapt anything that bothers it. My SYP Unlock class focuses on hip and back mobility, with controlled movement rather than jumping, which makes it a good first step for many people. When walking feels good again, try one of my family walks in North London.

FAQs

Should I keep walking if my hip hurts?

The NHS advises keeping moving without overdoing it. Shorter, flatter walks are often more comfortable. If pain gets worse or lasts, see your GP.

Why does my hip hurt when I walk but not when I sit?

Walking loads the joint and the muscles around it, so problems often show up then. The cause could be several things, so get it assessed if it continues.

What shoes help hip pain when walking?

The NHS suggests supportive shoes with soft soles. Very worn or very flat shoes may not help.

Can weak glutes cause hip pain?

Weak hip muscles may contribute in some people. A physio can check this, and strengthening is often part of the plan.

Book your first class

If you would like to build stronger, more comfortable hips with a coach watching your form, SYP Bootcamp runs 45-minute small-group classes indoors in a church hall in Archway N19, max 10 people, £15 a class. Every exercise has an easier and harder option. Book my £15 class or call or WhatsApp me on 07301 512215. For one-to-one work around a sore joint, see my injury-safe personal training.

About the author

Artem Olekhnovych is a personal trainer in Archway and the founder of SYP Fitness and SYP Bootcamp. He has coached clients in Archway, Highgate and across North London for over 10 years, and runs small-group bootcamp classes for busy mums and dads. Read reviews from his 1-1 clients.