These bursitis exercises can help relieve the pain and stiffness associated with bursitis. Not only will you strengthen your muscles for future use, but you may also prevent further bursitis problems.

Before You Begin
You must treat the bursitis before you start exercising. First, treat the pain and swelling by applying ice and taking an over-the-counter pain reliever, like ibuprofen or naproxen. Once the swelling is down, you can gradually begin exercising. Begin with gentle stretching exercises. You need to warm the muscles up before doing any exercising to avoid causing more injury. The important thing is to start slow, and if it becomes painful, stop. This is not a situation where the old adage "no pain, no gain" applies.

Hip Stretch
One area bursitis often affects is the hip. To stretch this area, start by lying on your back. Bend your knees so your feet rest on the floor. Next, cross your legs as if you were sitting in a chair. Reach forward, and grasp the uninjured leg right below your knee with both hands. Pull the knee gently toward your chest as far as it will go without pain. Hold for a count of 15. Repeat the stretch two or three times.

Hip Exercise
Once your leg is stretched properly, you can work on this simple exercise. Stay on your back, but straighten out your legs. Isolate and tighten the muscles in the thigh of the leg bothered by bursitis. Keeping the knee straight, raise that leg up about 6 to 8 inches off the floor. (Keep those thigh muscles tight!) Lower your leg back to the starting position slowly. Repeat 10 times. Work your way up to 3 sets of 10.

While this exercise may seem simple, if you do it consistently, you will see relief. If you have trouble throughout the day with your hip, consider doing this stretch, and exercise before you get out of bed in the morning. If you have a firm mattress, you can get good results right from bed and loosen up your legs before your day even begins.