Hip Pain After Starting the Gym | A Shoreham Physiotherapist Explains Why
Your hip is one of the most load-tolerant joints in the human body. It routinely handles forces up to five times your body weight with every step you take, and considerably more when you run or squat. Yet for all that engineering brilliance, the hip has a surprisingly low tolerance for sudden change — and that is exactly what the gym represents.
Whether you are brand new to exercise or returning after a long break, a sharp increase in what you are asking your hip to do is one of the most reliable ways to make it grumble.
At Shore Health Physio in Shoreham-by-Sea, one of the most common things we see is hip pain that develops shortly after someone joins a gym, starts running again, or returns to training after a period away from exercise.
The good news? In the vast majority of cases, it is not a sign of serious damage.
The Good News
Most hip pain that develops after starting the gym is not caused by anything serious.
In fact, it is often a sign that your body is adapting to a new challenge.
Muscles, tendons and joints become stronger when we ask them to do more than they are used to. Occasionally that adaptation process becomes a little noisy and painful along the way.
Understanding the difference between a normal adaptation response and a genuine injury is one of the most valuable things a physiotherapist can help with.
Why Does Hip Pain Appear When You Start Training?
The answer is usually simple: you have increased the load faster than your body has adapted to it.
Your cardiovascular system adapts relatively quickly. You can feel fitter within a few sessions. Tendons, muscles and joints are slower. They often need weeks, and sometimes months, to build the strength and resilience required for new training demands.
Push volume or intensity ahead of that adaptation curve and tissues can become irritated.
This does not necessarily mean injury or damage.
Whether you’re training at the gym, getting back into running along Shoreham Beach, or preparing for Hyrox, the principle remains the same: your body needs time to adapt to increased load.
The Most Common Causes of Hip Pain After Starting the Gym
Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome (GTPS)
The greater trochanter is the bony prominence on the outside of your hip.
Several tendons and a small fluid-filled bursa sit over this area. When training load increases too quickly — particularly with exercises such as step-ups, lateral lunges, hill walking or heavy squats — these tissues can become irritated.
Pain is typically felt on the outside of the hip and is often worse when lying on that side, climbing stairs or crossing your legs.
Hip Flexor Tendinopathy
The iliopsoas is the primary hip flexor muscle and sits deep at the front of the hip.
Running, cycling, repeated leg raises and certain gym exercises can overload this structure.
People often describe an ache or pinch at the front of the hip or groin that builds during activity and lingers afterwards.
A clicking or snapping sensation at the front of the hip is common and usually harmless.
Adductor-Related Groin Pain
The adductor muscles on the inner thigh work hard during squats, lunges and lateral movements.
When these muscles are exposed to more load than they are prepared for, discomfort can develop where the muscle attaches near the groin.
This often presents as a deep ache in the groin that is aggravated by changing direction, lunging or squeezing the knees together.
Femoroacetabular Impingement (FAI)
The hip is a ball-and-socket joint.
In some people, subtle differences in the shape of the ball, socket or both can create pinching when the hip moves into deep flexion or rotation.
Deep squats, leg press and cycling are common triggers.
FAI is not something that suddenly develops after joining the gym. Many people have these anatomical variations for years without symptoms. The increase in activity simply brings them to the surface.
It Is Almost Certainly Not What You Are Worried About
The word “hip” often makes people think of arthritis, worn-out joints and hip replacements.
For someone who was walking comfortably a month ago and now has hip pain after increasing their gym training, that is rarely the most likely explanation.
Osteoarthritis develops gradually over many years. It tends to cause increasing stiffness, reduced mobility and slowly progressive symptoms rather than pain that suddenly appears after a new exercise programme.
Similarly, stress fractures can occur around the hip, but these are relatively uncommon and usually seen in endurance athletes who have dramatically increased training volume or individuals with significant bone health concerns.
For most people starting or returning to the gym, the far more likely explanation is irritation of muscles, tendons or other soft tissues that simply have not yet adapted to the demands being placed upon them.
What Can You Do Straight Away?
Before anything else, reduce the aggravating activities to a level where symptoms are manageable.
Think of a discomfort level around two or three out of ten rather than complete avoidance of movement.
Complete rest is rarely helpful and can actually make tendons more sensitive.
Instead, continue moving while temporarily reducing intensity, load or training volume.
Avoid aggressively stretching into pain, particularly if the front or side of the hip is already irritated, as this can sometimes aggravate symptoms further.
When Should You Speak To A Physiotherapist?
Most hip pain that develops after starting a new training programme settles within a few weeks with sensible load management.
However, professional assessment is worthwhile if:
Symptoms are not improving after two to three weeks.
Pain is affecting your walking, sleep or day-to-day activities.
You are struggling to return to the activities you enjoy.
The pain repeatedly flares every time you increase training.
You are unsure exactly what structure is causing the problem.
A physiotherapist can help identify the source of the symptoms, guide rehabilitation and help you continue exercising safely rather than simply stopping altogether.
When Should You Seek Medical Advice?
Most gym-related hip pain is not serious and improves with sensible load management.
However, it is worth seeking assessment sooner if:
The pain is getting progressively worse rather than slowly improving.
You are struggling to walk normally.
Night pain is consistently waking you from sleep.
You experienced a significant fall or injury.
You have unexplained symptoms such as fever, feeling generally unwell or unexplained weight loss.
If any of those apply, a healthcare professional can advise whether further investigation is required.
Fortunately, the vast majority of people reading this article will not fall into these categories.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I Stop Going To The Gym Completely If My Hip Hurts?
Usually not.
Complete rest is rarely the best solution for tendon or soft tissue pain and can sometimes prolong recovery.
The goal is to find a level of exercise that keeps symptoms manageable while allowing the tissue to adapt.
A physiotherapist can help identify which exercises to continue and which may need temporary modification.
How Long Does Hip Pain From The Gym Usually Last?
It depends on the structure involved.
Delayed onset muscle soreness often settles within a week.
Tendon-related symptoms can take several weeks to calm down and may require adjustments to training volume and exercise selection.
Most people begin noticing improvement within a few weeks when the underlying cause is addressed.
Can I Keep Squatting And Deadlifting With Hip Pain?
Sometimes.
Adjusting stance width, squat depth, training load or exercise selection can often keep you training while symptoms settle.
The key is understanding exactly what is causing the pain before deciding which modifications are most appropriate.
Is Clicking Or Popping In The Hip A Problem?
Usually not.
A clicking hip is extremely common and often results from a tendon moving over a bony prominence as the hip moves.
If the clicking is painless, it is generally nothing to worry about.
If it is consistently painful or developed after an injury, it is worth having assessed.
Need Help With Hip Pain In Shoreham?
If hip pain is stopping you from enjoying the gym, running, walking or sport, a thorough assessment can help identify the cause and create a plan to get you back to doing what you enjoy.
At Shore Health Physio in Shoreham-by-Sea, we regularly help people overcome hip pain, return to training and build confidence in their movement again.
The earlier you understand what is driving the problem, the easier it is to address it.
Written by CJ Bestwick, MSc Physiotherapist and Founder of Shore Health Physio.
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