Menopause Hip Pain: Why Your Hips Ache and How Swimming Helps

If the outside of your hip aches when you lie on your side at night, or climbing the stairs to your flat feels harder than it used to, the timing may be more than coincidence. Menopause hip pain is common, it has a clear explanation, and the pool is one of the most comfortable places to keep moving while you work on it.

Yes, menopause can cause hip pain. Falling oestrogen thins the tendons on the outside of the hip, and that tendon pain most often affects women aged 45 to 63. Swimming with a gentle flutter kick keeps the hip moving with little load, and strengthening exercises on land help the tendons most.

Why Menopause Hip Pain Often Starts Around 45

The most common cause of aching on the outer hip at this age is greater trochanteric pain syndrome, often called hip bursitis. It mainly involves the tendons of the gluteal muscles where they attach to the bony point at the side of the hip. A 2016 paper in BMC Women’s Health reports that the condition most commonly affects postmenopausal women between 45 and 63 years old.

The same researchers explain why. As oestrogen levels decline, collagen production declines and tendons become thinner, so they cope less well with load. A sports medicine physician writing for Main Line Health says gluteal tendon problems are the most common menopause-related hip condition she sees.

Outer Hip Pain or Something Else

Menopause hip pain from the tendons usually sits on the outside of the hip and buttock, and sometimes travels down the outside of the thigh towards the knee. NHS Ayrshire and Arran describes pain at night when lying on the affected side as a typical sign, and notes that the condition affects more women than men.

Osteoarthritis of the hip joint itself is the other common cause at this stage of life. If your knees and fingers ache as well, our guide to menopause joint pain explains the wider pattern. A physiotherapist or doctor can tell you which one you have, and the right exercises depend on that answer.

Why Swimming Suits Sore Hips

Water carries much of your body weight, so your hips can move through a full range with very little pounding, which is exactly what menopause hip pain needs. Health advice adapted from the NHS on nidirect suggests low-impact exercise such as swimming or cycling in place of running when exercise brings on hip pain. Arthritis UK calls swimming a brilliant way to get a workout while keeping strain off the hip.

Staying active matters in its own right. The Main Line Health physician adds that being sedentary often makes hip pain worse, so a regular swim is part of the treatment rather than a break from it.

Strokes and Kicks That Feel Kinder to Menopause Hip Pain

Breaststroke deserves care. The American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine notes that breaststroke swimmers may develop hip pain from inflamed hip tendons, and lists hip problems from breaststroke kicking among the common overuse injuries.

So while your hip is sore, freestyle and backstroke with a small, relaxed flutter kick are usually the comfortable choice. If even the flutter kick aggravates the hip, a pull buoy between your thighs lets you swim with your arms alone. Bring breaststroke back gradually once the ache has settled, with a narrower kick at first.

Strength Work Makes the Biggest Difference

Swimming keeps you fit, and targeted strengthening is what helps the tendon itself. In the LEAP trial, published in the BMJ in 2018, 204 people with gluteal tendon pain took part, 167 of them women, with an average age of about 55. After 8 weeks, 51 of the 66 people who had education and exercise reported success, compared with 38 of 65 after a steroid injection and 20 of 68 who waited to see.

The NHS Ayrshire and Arran leaflet includes simple starting exercises, such as pressing the side of your foot into a wall and holding for ten seconds, and bridges. A physiotherapist can build these into a plan for your menopause hip pain.

Everyday Habits That Ease Outer Hip Pain

Small changes take pressure off the tendon through the day. The NHS Ayrshire and Arran leaflet suggests sitting with both feet on the floor and your legs uncrossed, and standing with your weight even on both feet rather than resting on one leg with the hip pushed out.

At night, lie on your back with a pillow under your knees, or on your good side with pillows between your legs. On stairs, lead with your good leg going up and with the sore leg coming down. In Singapore, that might mean standing evenly on the MRT, taking the lift on bad days, and keeping a pillow ready at bedtime, all small habits that add up for menopause hip pain.

Starting Gently With a Coach

Start with short, easy sessions and judge each one by how your hip feels that night and the next morning. If you are new to the pool or returning after years away, our guide to the benefits of swimming for females shows what regular swims can do at every age. Our article on how often women should swim to stay fit suggests a weekly rhythm, and our guide to swimming for menopause shows how to fit swims and strength sessions into the same week.

A female swimming coach can adjust your kick, add a pull buoy and pace your sets around menopause hip pain. If you would rather learn alongside other women, our ladies swimming lessons run in small groups at public pools, including ActiveSG swimming complexes, and at private properties.

When Hip Pain Needs a Doctor First

According to nidirect, see your GP if your hip is still painful after a week of resting it at home, if you also have a fever or rash, or if the pain is in both hips and other joints as well. Go to the emergency department straight away if the pain followed a serious fall, if you are unable to move your hip or put weight on your leg, or if hip pain comes with a temperature and you feel unwell.

Hip fractures become more likely as bones weaken with age, so take any fall seriously. In Singapore, your GP, a polyclinic or the emergency department can assess you, and a clear diagnosis means your swimming can be planned around the real cause of your menopause hip pain.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it safe to swim with hip bursitis?

For most women, yes. Keep the kick small, favour freestyle or backstroke, and ease off any stroke that makes the outer hip ache afterwards. If the pain keeps returning, ask a physiotherapist to check the tendon.

Does weight gain around menopause make hip pain worse?

It can. Extra weight adds strain to the hip with every step, and nidirect lists losing weight, if you are overweight, as one way to relieve that strain. Regular swimming helps here because it burns energy while sparing the joint.

Should I stop exercising when my hip hurts?

Cut back rather than stop. nidirect suggests reducing the amount of exercise if it is too much, warming up before you start and stretching afterwards. Gentle movement usually keeps the hip more comfortable than rest alone.

How often should I swim if my hip aches?

Two or three easy sessions a week is a sensible start for menopause hip pain. Singapore’s guidelines ask adults for 150 to 300 minutes of moderate activity a week, and swims, brisk walks and cycling all count towards that total.