By Melissa Macdonald · Pottsville and Cabarita Physio · June 2025
If you’ve been dealing with hip pain, tightness or stiffness, you might be wondering whether Pilates is a good option — or whether movement will make things worse. Here’s the good news: Pilates is one of the most hip-friendly forms of exercise available, and when guided well, it can be genuinely transformative.
At Pottsville and Cabarita Physio and Loft Pilates, our Pilates classes are designed with your whole body in mind — and the hips are very much at the centre of that picture.
Why the hips are central to Pilates
The hip joint sits at the intersection of your core, pelvis, and lower limb. In Pilates, almost every movement — whether you’re working on your powerhouse, your spinal articulation, or your leg alignment — involves the hips in some way. This makes Pilates uniquely effective at improving hip mobility, strengthening the supporting muscles, and restoring the movement patterns that pain often disrupts.
“The hip is the foundation of almost every Pilates movement. When we work the hip well, everything else moves better too.”
4 ways Pilates helps hip pain specifically
- Strengthens the deep hip stabilisers. Exercises like single-leg circles, side-lying series, and the clam activate the gluteus medius and deep rotators — muscles that are almost always weak in people with hip pain.
- Improves hip mobility without strain. Pilates uses controlled, flowing movement through full ranges — not ballistic stretching. This makes it ideal for improving joint mobility safely, particularly for hip osteoarthritis and stiffness.
- Corrects faulty movement patterns. Many people with hip pain have developed compensation patterns — favouring one side, gripping with the hip flexors, or losing pelvic control. Pilates rebuilds clean, efficient movement from the ground up.
- Reduces load on the joint. By strengthening the muscles around the hip, Pilates reduces the compressive forces on the joint itself — which is exactly what arthritic and post-surgical hips need.
Pilates moves particularly good for the hips
In our classes at Pottsville and Cabarita Physio, you’ll encounter hip-focused movements including:
- Single-leg circle — hip mobility and core control
- Side-lying series — gluteal and hip abductor strengthening
- Hip rolls and spinal articulation — posterior chain flexibility
- Prone series — deep hip extensor and glute activation
All movements are modified as needed for your individual presentation.
Is Pilates right for your hip condition?
Clinical Pilates, guided by a physiotherapist, is appropriate for most hip conditions — including osteoarthritis, gluteal tendinopathy, post-hip replacement rehabilitation, and general pain and stiffness. If you have a more complex presentation such as a labral tear or hip impingement, we’ll work with you to modify the program appropriately.
Not sure where to start? Book a physiotherapy assessment with first, and we can design a Pilates pathway that’s right for your hips.
Melissa Macdonald is a physiotherapist and Pilates instructor at Pottsville and Cabarita Physio, serving the Pottsville, Cabarita Beach and Northern Rivers community.