Why Figure Skaters' Hips Take a Beating (and What Helps)

Figure skating looks effortless from the stands, but the hips are working overtime the whole time. Every jump, spin, and landing asks the hip to rotate, stabilize, and absorb force, often on one leg. Over a season of training, that adds up, and the hip is one of the most common trouble spots skaters bring into the clinic.

The good news is that most skating hip problems respond well to the right plan. The key is understanding what is happening and acting before a small niggle becomes a season-long issue.

Why skating is so demanding on the hips

A few things make the hip a hotspot for skaters:

• Repetitive rotation for jumps and spins
• Landing forces absorbed on a single leg
• Deep positions and extreme ranges in spirals and spins
• High training volume, often on hard ice
• The same movements repeated thousands of times

That combination of rotation, load, and repetition is exactly what irritates the structures in and around the hip.

Common hip problems in skaters

A few show up again and again:

Femoroacetabular impingement, or FAI: The ball and socket of the hip pinch together at the edges of deep or rotated positions. It often causes a deep pinch in the front of the hip or groin.

Labral irritation or tears: The labrum is a rim of cartilage that helps stabilize the hip. Repetitive load can irritate or tear it, sometimes causing clicking, catching, or a deep ache.

Snapping hip: A snapping or clicking sensation as tendons move over the hip, which can be harmless or become painful with heavy training.

Warning signs to watch for

Catching it early makes a difference. Look out for:

• A deep ache or pinch in the front of the hip or groin
• Clicking, catching, or a snapping sensation
• Pain that worsens with jumps, spins, or deep positions
• Stiffness after training or sitting for a while
• A feeling that the hip is not moving smoothly

Pain that keeps returning every time you train is the signal to get it looked at rather than push through.

What you can do early

For a mild, recent flare-up:

• Ease off the movements that trigger it rather than stopping completely
• Reduce jump and spin volume for a short period
• Apply gentle heat before training and ice after if it is sore
• Keep the hip moving within comfortable, pain-free limits
• Get it assessed if it keeps coming back

Pushing through deep, pinching hip pain tends to make things worse, not tougher.

How physiotherapy helps

Hip problems in skaters rarely fix themselves with rest alone, because the underlying control and strength issues stay. Physiotherapy typically involves:

• Pinpointing exactly what is being irritated
• Settling the pain so you can move comfortably
• Building strength in the glutes and deep hip stabilizers
• Improving control of rotation and landing
• Checking technique and training load
• Guiding a gradual return to full skating

Strengthening the muscles that control the hip is usually the difference between short-term relief and a hip that holds up to a full season.

Recovery and common mistakes

Most skating hip issues settle with a steady plan, though a true labral tear can take longer and sometimes needs a specialist opinion. The hip often feels usable before it is truly strong, which is where skaters get caught out.

Common mistakes to avoid:

• Training through a deep, pinching pain
• Only resting and never rebuilding hip strength
• Ramping jump volume back up too quickly
• Ignoring clicking or catching that keeps getting worse

Protecting your hips

A few habits go a long way:

• Build glute and core strength off the ice
• Warm up the hips properly before training
• Manage training load and build volume gradually
• Address small aches before they grow

Hip pain is common in figure skating, but with the right approach most skaters keep training and competing comfortably.

It is often not just the hip

The hip rarely works in isolation. Stiff ankles, a weak core, or poor control through the knee can all push extra demand onto the hip, so the spot that hurts is not always the root of the problem. That is why a good assessment looks at the whole chain, from the foot up through the trunk, rather than just the sore joint.

Skaters are often surprised that improving ankle mobility or core control settles a stubborn hip. Treating the hip alone, without addressing what is loading it, is a common reason the pain keeps coming back.

Getting back to full training safely

Before returning to full jump and spin volume, you generally want a hip that moves freely, feels strong on a single leg, and handles rotation and landing without pinching. Rushing back before then is the classic way a settled hip flares up again. A staged return that builds volume gradually protects the progress you have made and keeps you on the ice for the long run.

Our team at Vaughan Physiotherapy Clinic helps skaters in Vaughan and Thornhill settle hip pain and build the strength to keep performing on the ice.