Isometric hip extension works your buttock and the back of your thigh while the hip stays still. You lie on your back, hold one thigh up with your hands behind it, and press the thigh down toward the mat against your hands without letting it move. It needs no equipment and is often used while moving the hip is still painful.

How to do the isometric hip extension

Lie on your back on a mat, bend the knee of the leg you are working with the foot flat, and let the other leg rest out straight.
Lift the bent leg until the hip and knee are both at about a right angle, with the thigh pointing up at the ceiling.
Clasp your hands behind the thigh, just above the knee.
Press the thigh down toward the mat, as if to straighten the hip, while your hands hold it exactly where it is. Nothing should move.
Hold the press for a few seconds, breathing steadily, then let the pressure go slowly without moving the thigh.
After your set, lower the foot back to the mat and switch legs.

What you should feel

Tightening in the buttock of the working leg, with some effort in the back of the thigh.

Common mistakes

Letting your hands pull the thigh closer to your chest instead of only holding it still.
Lifting your head or shoulders off the mat to hold the leg.
Arching your lower back as you press.
Holding your breath.

How often

Many programs begin with holds of about 5 to 10 seconds, done 5 to 10 times per leg, once or twice a day. Your physio will adjust this.

Stop and check with your physio if

Sharp pain in the buttock, hip or groin while you press.
Pain, numbness or tingling spreads down your leg.
Your calf or thigh becomes swollen, warm, tender, red or darker than usual, or has a throbbing or cramping pain that feels different from normal muscle ache. Stop and get medical advice the same day, as this can be a blood clot. If you are also short of breath or have chest pain, call emergency services.

From the clinic

Begin with a medium push rather than your hardest, and build up only while it stays comfortable. If you have high blood pressure, breathe steadily through every hold and never hold your breath. The isometric hip extension against a ball works the same muscles with your foot on a ball. The glute bridge works them through movement.

If you have had a hip replacement, get the go-ahead from your surgeon or physio before you try isometric hip extension. Pulling the thigh closer to your chest than upright bends the hip past a right angle, and many surgeons ask you to avoid that for the first months after some operations. Your hands only stop the thigh from moving, never draw it in, and the knee stays in line with your hip rather than drifting across your body. You start with the hip at about a right angle, so if your limit is lower, ask your physio for a version with less bend. If you are pregnant and past the first three months, check with your physio before exercising flat on your back.

Written and checked by the PocketPhysio editorial team. Last updated 2026-09-26.

This page is general education, not a diagnosis or a personal treatment plan. If you have pain, an injury or a health condition, see a physiotherapist or doctor before starting new exercises.

Isometric hip extension