Orthopedics Hip & Knee Pelvic Drop Exercise to Improve Hip Strength Print By Brett Sears, PT | Medically reviewed by Richard N. Fogoros, MD Updated December 19, 2018 More in Orthopedics Hip & Knee Causes of Pain ACL Injury Kneecap (Patella) Conditions Knee Ligament Injuries Knee Replacement Surgery Meniscus Injuries Hip Injuries Hip Replacement Surgery Surgical Procedures Replacement Implants View All Sprains & Strains Fractures & Broken Bones Physical Therapy Orthopedic Surgery Osteoporosis Pediatric Orthopedics Sports Injuries Shoulder & Elbow Hand & Wrist Leg, Foot & Ankle Assistive Devices & Orthotics Medication & Injections View All The muscles in the hips are important to help you perform many functional tasks, including walking, running, or rising from a chair. These muscles are also responsible for helping you walk up and down stairs. Weakness in the hip muscles can cause a variety of problems in the body. Some problems that can be attributed to hip weakness include: Hip painLow back painKnee painIliotibial band friction syndrome If you are experiencing hip weakness, you should visit your doctor or physical therapist to help you find the correct exercises to strengthen the hips. Basic hip exercises may help, or advanced hip strengthening may be necessary to help you return to normal function. The pelvic drop exercise—also known as hip hikes—is a great exercise to improve the strength of the hips. This exercise strengthens the gluteus medius muscle located in the side of your hips and buttocks. Strength in this muscle is essential to help maintain normal walking. Keeping this muscle strong can also help prevent hip, knee, or ankle pain. If you have had hip surgery, like a total hip replacement, this particular hip strengthening exercise may not be right for you. Performing the pelvic drop exercise may cause you to break your hip precautions. This may lead to problems with your hip replacement surgery. How to Perform the Pelvic Drop Ben Goldstein Start the pelvic drop exercise by standing on a step stool or on the bottom step of your stairs. If your balance is a problem, be sure to hold onto something stable, like a stair rail. Stand sideways on the step and hang one leg off the step. Be sure to keep your abdominals tight and keep your pelvis level. Use a mirror to ensure you are in the proper position if necessary. Position 2 of the Pelvic Drop Exercise While standing on the step with one leg, keep your support leg straight and your abdominals engaged. Then allow your leg that is hanging off the step to slowly fall towards the ground. Do this by allowing your pelvis to slowly drop down. It is essential to keep your support leg on the step as straight as possible. Many people want to bend the knee to lower down but lower down by letting the pelvis drop slowly. Your foot should not lower enough to touch the ground—be sure to control the movement with a slow, steady drop. When your pelvis drops down as far as possible, hold this position for a second or two, and be sure to keep your abdominals tight. Then proceed to the final step of the exercise. Finishing the Exercise After you have lowered the pelvis, simply use your hip muscles in your support leg on the step to raise your pelvis up. Your support leg should remain straight and your stomach should be tight. When your pelvis is level again, you have completed one repetition of the pelvic drop exercise. Repeat the pelvic drop 10 to 15 times. When it becomes easy to perform, you can challenge yourself further by performing 2 to 3 sets of the exercise, or you can hold a small dumbbell in your hand to add resistance to the exercise. Remember that this exercise is not for everyone, and a visit to your physical therapist or doctor is essential before starting any exercise program. The pelvic drop exercise is a simple way to help improve the strength of the gluteal muscles in the hips. By keeping the hips strong, you may be able to prevent hip, back or knee problems and you can maintain appropriate functional mobility. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Dealing with joint pain can cause major disruptions to your day. Sign up and learn how to better take care of your body. Click below and just hit send! Email Address Sign Up There was an error. Please try again. Thank you, , for signing up. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Continue Reading