If you have back or hip arthritis, then you know how painful it can be. The pain is severe, and uncomfortable, and can make even the most basic of activities a struggle.

But here’s the good news: there are core exercises that can help relieve your pain. In fact, one study found that just three months of core training reduced pain by as much as 90%. And when you look at the numbers for rheumatoid arthritis patients in general—the most common form of inflammatory arthritis—you’ll see that over half of them say their condition has improved after following an exercise program.

So, if you’re suffering from back or hip arthritis right now (or any other form of inflammatory arthritis), this article is for you! We’ll walk through some core exercises that will help reduce inflammation and ease your symptoms while also improving your overall health and fitness level.

1) Pelvic Tilt

Some people are surprised to learn that core exercises can help relieve back and hip arthritis pain. In fact, a 2011 study published in Clinical Biomechanics found that just three months of core training reduced pain by as much as 90%. And when you look at the numbers for rheumatoid arthritis patients in general—the most common form of inflammatory arthritis—you’ll see that over half of them say their condition has improved after following an exercise program.

So, if you’re suffering from back or hip arthritis right now (or any other form of inflammatory arthritis), this article is for you! We’ll walk through some core exercises that will help reduce inflammation and ease your symptoms while also improving your overall health and fitness level.

2) Lying March

This is a great exercise to start with because it’s easy to do, and it will give you an idea of what lies ahead. All you need to do is lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Then slowly raise your left knee up as high as possible, hold for one second, then lower it back down. Repeat this 10 times before raising your right knee, and then repeat another 10 times for each leg.

This exercise helps strengthen your core muscles and improve balance and coordination. It also improves circulation and flexibility, which can help reduce pain from arthritis. For more information on how this exercise works and how to perform it correctly, check out our article on Lying March.

3) Bridge

The bridge exercise is one of the best core exercises for relieving back and hip arthritis pain because it strengthens your lower back muscles, which support your spine. Your lower back muscles are also known as the erector spinae group, and they help keep your spine straight and strong. When they’re weak, they can cause poor posture and increased strain on your joints. This leads to pain and stiffness in the lower back area, which makes it difficult or impossible to sit or stand up straight.

The bridge exercise strengthens these muscles by forcing them to support your entire body weight. It’s important that you do this slowly so that you don’t put too much pressure on your spine at once; otherwise, you could do more harm than good! Start with two sets of 10 reps per day and gradually increase from there until you’re doing three sets of 15 reps per day (or more).

4) Marching on the Ball

The fourth core exercise is a simple one, but it works wonders for relieving back and hip pain. It’s called marching on the ball, and it’s basically just walking in place while standing on a large stability ball. This exercise can be done almost anywhere—at home, at work, or even outside (if it’s not too hot out). It’s easy to do, and most people are able to perform it with little or no instruction.

The main benefit of this exercise is that it strengthens your core muscles without placing much stress on your joints. As we discussed in our article about arthritis pain relief exercises for seniors, arthritis sufferers should choose exercises that don’t put too much stress on their joints because this will only exacerbate their condition and make their symptoms worse over time. So, if you have arthritis and want to improve your condition through exercise, this is one of the best exercises you can do!

5) Half Crunch on the Ball

You know that you should exercise and work out to stay healthy, but that doesn’t always mean you have the time or energy to make it happen. That’s where this simple, 3-minute core exercise comes in. This exercise is easy, quick, and requires no equipment. Set aside three minutes of your day and follow these easy steps:

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart
2. Place a Swiss ball between your back and the wall
3. Grab onto the ball with both hands and lift it off the ground until your arms are straight above your head
4. Bring your left knee up to meet your left elbow as you crunch forward
5. Switch sides and repeat

Do this eight times per side for three minutes total—and if you can do it more than once today, then go for it! And don’t be surprised if you start feeling better after just one session.

6) Oblique Crunch on the Ball

The easiest way to find core exercises is to start with the basic, classic ab exercises: the crunch, the leg raises, and the plank. These have been shown time and time again to be effective in strengthening your core.

The oblique crunch is one of these classic exercises—it’s done by lying on your back, then raising your torso towards one side while reaching with your opposite arm towards that same side. It can be done on a mat or on a gym mat, but it’s especially good when done using a stability ball because it helps you really focus on engaging those abdominal muscles.

Start out by holding the ball above you with both hands, then lower yourself onto the ball so that it’s supporting your lower back and upper butt (don’t let your hips drop down too far). Next, bring one hand down to grab underneath one knee and pull it up towards your chest (the other leg should not move). Then switch sides! Remember to breathe throughout this exercise.