Exercises for groin pain: strength, mobility and return to running

Exercises for groin pain can be part of recovery when discomfort affects the pubic or groin area, particularly when strength work for the adductors, glutes and abdominal muscles is introduced progressively. There is no single routine that suits every case, however: the cause of the pain needs to be identified before choosing movements.

For runners, pain can occur during the stride, while accelerating or after a workout. Temporarily reducing the load and adjusting it to symptoms is often more useful than continuing to run through pain or relying on stretching alone. A healthcare assessment can help distinguish groin pain from other problems affecting the area.

What groin pain is and why it can appear during running

Groin pain describes discomfort around the groin and pubic area, but does not in itself identify a specific injury. Symptoms can be related to the adductors on the inner thigh, the abdominal region, the pubic area itself or structures within the hip. More than one mechanism can be involved.

During running, the pelvis and surrounding muscles experience repeated loads each time the foot contacts the ground. A rapid increase in mileage, hills, hard intervals or insufficient recovery can contribute to symptoms, although there is not always a single cause and the problem cannot automatically be attributed to a muscle imbalance.

Pain may be felt in the centre of the pubic area, in one groin or towards the inner thigh. Some people notice discomfort when bringing their legs together, standing up, changing direction or bracing their abdomen. The location and activities that trigger symptoms can help guide an assessment, but they do not replace a diagnosis.

Before starting: pain, diagnosis and warning signs

New or persistent groin pain deserves assessment by a healthcare professional, especially if it affects walking or returns when sport is resumed. An examination may include hip movements, strength tests and an assessment of the painful area; imaging is requested in some cases. An image alone does not always explain pain and must be interpreted alongside symptoms.

Seek urgent care for sudden testicular pain, severe pain after a fall or an inability to bear weight on the leg. Fever, marked worsening, a painful groin lump that cannot be pushed back in or significant abdominal pain also need prompt assessment. These signs can point to problems that exercises will not resolve.

The suggestions below are general examples, not an individual prescription. Sets and repetitions are starting points for someone who has already been assessed and can tolerate the movements. If exercise causes sharp pain, limping or a clear worsening that persists the following day, stop and review the load with the professional managing your care.

Exercises for groin pain: building strength gradually

Active exercise aims to restore the muscles’ ability to handle everyday demands and, later, the demands of running. The movements below cover different functions of the hips and trunk. There is no need to do all of them on day one: selection and progression depend on the assessment and response to load.

Ball squeeze between the knees

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor. Place a soft ball or cushion between your knees and squeeze gently without holding your breath. Hold for five seconds, then relax slowly. As an initial guide, try two sets of eight repetitions.

This is an isometric contraction: the adductors work without the legs moving through a large range. Adjust the intensity through the pressure you apply, not the size of the ball. If even a gentle squeeze causes significant pain, the movement is not a suitable starting point without adjusting the plan.

Glute bridge

In the same position, place your feet roughly hip-width apart. Press through your feet and lift your pelvis until your shoulders and knees form a comfortable line, then lower slowly. Two sets of eight to 12 repetitions are an initial guide, provided the movement is tolerable.

The bridge mainly works the glutes and allows you to practise hip extension without impact. There is no need to lift the pelvis as high as possible or arch the back: control on the way up and down matters more. As it becomes easier, a professional can adjust the load or the position of support.

Side-lying lower-leg raise

Lie on your side with your lower leg straight. Bend the upper leg and place its foot in front of your body to make room. Lift the lower leg a few centimetres, pause briefly and lower it slowly. You should feel the work on the inner thigh of the moving leg.

One starting option is two sets of eight repetitions on each side, without trying to lift very high. Keep the pelvis steady and avoid turning the trunk to gain range. This is dynamic adductor work and may be more demanding than a gentle ball squeeze.

Opposite arm and leg extension

Place your hands and knees on the floor, with your hands below your shoulders. Slowly extend one arm and the opposite leg as far as you can while keeping your trunk steady; return and change sides. As a guide, perform two sets of six to eight repetitions per side, taking your time and breathing normally.

Also known as the bird dog, this exercise combines trunk work with hip control. The pelvis should not rotate excessively, and the leg does not need to rise above the line of the body. A short, controlled movement is enough to begin with.

Side plank with knees supported

Lie on your side and support yourself on your forearm and bent knees. Lift your pelvis without letting it drop forwards or backwards, and hold for a few seconds. As a guide, try two holds of 10 to 20 seconds per side, resting between them.

The knee-supported version is less demanding than a side plank with straight legs. Alongside the muscles at the side of the trunk, structures around the hip also work. If the position causes groin discomfort, the hold can be shortened or another exercise selected during assessment.

Squat to a chair

Stand in front of a stable chair with your feet a comfortable distance apart. Move your hips back until you lightly touch the seat, then stand up again with control. A possible starting point is two sets of eight repetitions, without added weight and using a comfortable range.

The squat resembles the everyday action of sitting down and standing up, involving the thighs, glutes and trunk. If pain appears as you go lower, the height of the seat can be adjusted. The initial aim is not to reach muscular failure, but to tolerate the movement and recover well afterwards.

Stretching and mobility: what they can offer

Stretching may help some people move more comfortably, but it does not address every cause of groin pain on its own. Forcing range of motion when the area is sensitive can increase discomfort. Gentle mobility makes more sense as a complement to strength work than as a replacement.

Hip flexor stretch in a lunge position

Place one knee on a padded surface and put the other foot in front. Keep your torso upright and move your pelvis slightly forwards until you feel a gentle stretch at the front of the rear hip. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds and switch sides; one or two repetitions per side are sufficient as a guide.

There is no need to sink into a deep lunge or arch your lower back. If pain appears in the pubic area or groin, reduce the range or stop the movement. A tolerable stretching sensation should not be confused with a sharp pain.

Gentle adductor mobility

Start on your hands and knees and extend one leg out to the side, with the foot supported. Slowly move your hips backwards until you feel mild tension in the inner thigh, then return. Try six to eight slow movements per side, without bouncing or pushing with your hands.

The range can be small: the aim is not to spread the legs as far as possible. This variation allows you to explore the movement without holding a fixed position for a long time. If the area is particularly sensitive, it may be better to postpone it.

How often to exercise and how to progress

An indicative schedule for strength work is two or three days a week, with at least one day between sessions when starting. This is not a mandatory frequency and does not replace a clinical plan. Your tolerance of walking, working or running also matters, because all those activities add to the load.

Progression can mean adding a repetition, holding a contraction slightly longer or choosing a more demanding variation. It is preferable to change one variable at a time and observe how the area responds during the session and over the following 24 hours. If ordinary activities become more painful, the dose was probably too high.

The Copenhagen adductor exercise, which involves supporting part of the body with one leg on a bench, can be useful in later stages, but places considerable demands on the groin. It is not essential at the start of recovery and is not a good first choice while symptoms still limit basic movements.

How to return to running after groin pain

Returning depends on the cause and how recovery progresses, not on a fixed date. Before resuming training, it is reasonable to check that walking, climbing stairs and performing basic exercises are tolerated without a subsequent worsening. The professional assessing the injury can advise when to reintroduce impact.

A first session back might alternate short periods of easy running and walking on flat ground. For example, one minute of jogging followed by two minutes of walking, repeated five times, is a conservative way to check the response, not a plan suitable for every diagnosis. Allow time to observe how the area responds before repeating it.

Once easy jogging is consistently tolerated, duration can increase gradually. Hills, sprints, fast intervals and sudden changes of direction usually place greater demands on the pelvis and adductors, so they are introduced later. Finishing a session is not enough: how the body responds the next day matters too.

If pain returns as pace or distance increases, temporarily returning to a previously tolerated load may help avoid further setbacks. Cycling, swimming or the elliptical machine are alternatives for some people, but none is automatically pain-free: they must also be adjusted to symptoms.

Treatment and recovery: beyond exercise

Management often combines adjusting activities with rehabilitation directed at the identified cause. Complete rest may be necessary for a period with some injuries, but prolonged inactivity does not by itself restore the capacity needed to run.

Massage or cold may provide temporary relief for some people, although neither replaces progressive loading when it is indicated. Medicines for pain or inflammation have contraindications and should not be used to mask symptoms and keep training; their use should be discussed with a healthcare professional.

Surgery is not the standard treatment for all groin pain and does not guarantee a quick return. It is reserved for specific diagnoses and circumstances following medical assessment. There is no universal recovery time either: the structure involved, duration of symptoms and response to treatment all matter.

A sustainable return starts with listening to the signs

Pain around the pubic area does not necessarily mean giving up running, but it can require a temporary change in how you train. Combining diagnosis, adapted strength work and a gradual return addresses the problem without reducing it to a simple lack of stretching.

Once activity has resumed, maintaining strength work and managing increases in volume or intensity contribute to more complete preparation. No routine guarantees that pain will not return, but recognising symptoms early can help guide decisions before they affect running again.