Your hip has started aching, and high kicks, deep lunges, splits or turnout now come with a twinge. Dancing often takes your hips to the edges of their range, so a sore one can affect many moves. Adapting for a while can help you keep dancing while your hip settles.

Why dancing can affect your hip

Many styles ask your hips to move through a big range, often at speed. High kicks and extensions lift the leg high. Turnout in ballet rotates the hips outwards. Splits, deep lunges and floor work stretch the hip to its limits. Hip hop and Latin styles add lots of quick hip movement and sinking low.

Where you feel the pain can give a clue:

• Front of the hip or groin. Often linked with the muscles that lift your leg, especially with high kicks and extensions.
• Outside of the hip. Often linked with the tendons that attach your buttock muscles, especially with lots of standing on one leg or hip-swaying moves.

In most cases, the hip is irritated rather than damaged.

Moves to adapt for now

Some ideas for adapting the moves that tend to bother a sore hip:

• High kicks and extensions. Keep your leg lower, at a height that feels comfortable.
• Turnout. Turn out only as far as feels easy, rather than forcing your feet.
• Splits and deep stretches. Stay well short of your usual end range for now.
• Deep lunges and sinking low. Keep the bend smaller.
• Standing on one leg for long. Touch the other foot down lightly for support.

Moves that often feel comfortable

Much of your dancing can carry on:

• Arm work and upper body styling.
• Stepping and travelling moves at a comfortable range.
• Moves with smaller leg lifts.
• Slower routines and technique work.

Notice which moves feel comfortable and which bring on pain, and adapt accordingly.

Stretching with care

Dancers often stretch a lot, but holding deep hip stretches can irritate a sore hip, especially at the front or the outside. Easing off deep stretches for a while, and focusing on gentle movement through a comfortable range, can help.

Talking to your teacher

If you go to a class, letting your teacher know means they can suggest alternatives. Marking a movement, doing a smaller version, keeps you learning the routine while your hip settles.

Outside of dance

Some everyday habits can help your hip settle:

• If the outside of your hip is sore, you could avoid crossing your legs, stand with your weight even on both feet and sleep with a pillow between your knees if you lie on your side.
• If the front of your hip is sore, choosing higher chairs and avoiding sitting low for long periods can help.

Reading how your hip responds

A mild ache during or after dancing that settles within an hour or so is usually fine. If your hip is sore the next morning, ease back next session.

Warming up

A thorough warm-up helps your hip feel ready. Something to try:

• March or step gently on the spot for a few minutes.
• Gentle hip circles.
• Small leg swings forwards and backwards, building up gradually.
• Shallow lunges.

If you would like a guided stretch, VIDA has short videos you can follow at your own pace. Keeping stretches gentle and short of your end range is a good idea for now.

Building strength

Strong hip muscles help control your leg through big movements. Something to try two or three times a week:

• Bridges. Lie on your back with your knees bent, lift your hips, then lower slowly. Progress to single-leg bridges.
• Side-lying leg lifts. Lie on your side and slowly lift your top leg, then lower.
• Sit to stand. Rise from a chair without using your hands, then lower slowly.
• Reverse lunges, going only as deep as feels comfortable.

If you would like to follow along, VIDA has short videos of bridges, sit to stands and lunges you can use at your own pace.

Building back up

As your hip settles, you can gradually bring back higher kicks, deeper turnout and stretches, one at a time. Your VIDA pain check-in is a good way to keep track of how your hip responds.

What to take away

• Dancing often takes your hips to the edges of their range.
• Keep kicks lower and turn out only as far as feels easy.
• Ease off deep hip stretches for now.
• Let your teacher know and mark moves that feel uncomfortable.
• Build hip strength and bring moves back gradually.

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