If your hip, buttock or hamstring has been sore for a while, you might have found yourself avoiding certain lifts or never quite getting back to your old weights. Long-term pain in these areas often responds well to strength training, especially when the load builds steadily. With a few choices about stance and depth, and a plan that progresses over months, you can keep building.

Why steady loading helps

Long-term hip, glute and hamstring pain does not usually mean damage is getting worse. Tendons, in particular, adapt slowly and tend to respond better to gradual, regular loading than to rest. Research on long-term pain on the outside of the hip has found that a steady exercise programme, with advice on everyday habits, helped people more than waiting to see.

The aim is to find a level your hip can manage now, and build from there.

Stance and depth choices

Small changes can make lifts more comfortable:

• Squats. Try a slightly wider stance and turn your toes out a little if the front of your hip pinches. Squat to a box at a depth that feels comfortable.
• Lunges. Reverse lunges and split squats are often easier than forward lunges.
• Deadlifts. Trap bar deadlifts can be more comfortable than conventional ones, and sumo stance suits some people better.
• Romanian deadlifts. Stop before you feel a strong stretch near your sitting bone, and build range gradually.

These are not permanent changes. They are a starting point you can build from.

From holds to heavier lifts

Loading tends to work best when it builds in stages. Something like this:

• Holds. Hold a position, like a bridge, a wall sit or a split squat at a comfortable depth, for 30 to 45 seconds. These often ease pain and start building strength.
• Slow lifts. Move to slow, controlled reps with lighter weights, taking around three seconds to lower.
• Heavier lifts. Gradually add weight, keeping the reps controlled.
• Faster work. Bring back jumps, sprints or explosive lifts last, if they are part of your training.

Move to the next stage when the last one feels comfortable and settles by the next morning.

Tracking the next 24 hours

How you feel over the next 24 hours tells you more than how you feel during a session. A simple guide:

• Pain during a lift stays mild, around 3 out of 10 or lower.
• Any extra soreness has settled by the next morning.
• Pain and stiffness are not building from week to week.

If you are within these limits, you can usually carry on or add a little. If not, step back to the last level that felt fine.

Exercises worth building in

Some exercises that tend to suit long-term pain in these areas:

• Bridges and hip thrusts, progressing from both legs to single leg.
• Side-lying leg lifts or side planks for the side of the hip.
• Hamstring bridges with your feet further away, then slider curls.
• Step-ups, keeping your pelvis level.

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.

Warming up

A thorough warm-up helps a sensitive hip or hamstring feel ready. Walking or cycling for five minutes, then leg swings, gentle bridges and light warm-up sets, can ease you in. If you train in classes, picking the lower-impact option for jumps and sprints while you build up is fine.

Everyday habits

If the side of your hip is sore, avoiding crossing your legs and sleeping with a pillow between your knees can help. If pain near your sitting bone flares with sitting, a cushion and regular breaks help. VIDA’s Pomodoro stretches, in the top right corner, can remind you to get up.

A plan over months

Progress with long-term pain tends to be steady rather than quick. A sore day after a heavier session does not mean you are back to the start. Your VIDA pain check-in is a good way to notice how things are changing over weeks and months.

What to take away

• Long-term hip, glute and hamstring pain often responds well to steady loading.
• Choose a stance and depth that feels comfortable, and build from there.
• Progress from holds to slow lifts, then heavier and faster work.
• Use the next 24 hours to guide how much you add.
• Expect steady progress over months, with some ups and downs.

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