Top 5 Exercises for a Groin Strain
Clifton Physical Therapy
What Is a Groin Strain?
A groin strain happens when one or more muscles on the inner thigh are stretched or loaded beyond what they can tolerate. These muscles are called the adductors. Their main job is to pull your leg toward the midline of your body and help stabilize the hip and pelvis during movement.
Groin strains are common in sports and active lifestyles, but they are not limited to athletes. Anyone can develop one during sudden movements, awkward stretches, or repetitive lower-body activity. The injury can range from a mild irritation to a full muscle tear, depending on how much tissue is involved.
What makes groin injuries tricky is that these muscles work hard during everyday tasks like walking, getting in and out of a car, or climbing stairs. That is why even a small strain can feel surprisingly limiting.
What Causes a Groin Strain?
Most groin strains occur when the adductor muscles are forced to contract while lengthening at the same time. This creates high stress within the muscle fibers. Common causes include:
Sudden changes in direction, such as cutting or pivoting
Sprinting, kicking, or jumping at high intensity
Overstretching during warm-ups or flexibility work
Repetitive loading without enough recovery time
In some cases, the injury builds up gradually. Repeated training, long cycling sessions, or sports with constant lateral movement can slowly overload the groin until pain appears. Direct impact to the inner thigh is less common, but it can also damage muscle tissue.
Poor hip strength, weak core control, and limited mobility elsewhere in the body can increase strain on the groin over time. This is why exercise selection during rehab matters just as much as rest.
What Are the Common Symptoms of a Groin Strain?
Groin strain symptoms can vary depending on severity, but most people notice pain along the inner thigh or near the front of the hip. Typical symptoms include:
Sharp or aching pain in the groin
Tenderness when pressing along the inner thigh
Pain with walking, running, or lifting the leg
Stiffness or weakness in the hip
Occasional swelling or bruising
Some people feel a sudden popping sensation at the time of injury, followed by immediate pain. Others notice discomfort that slowly worsens during activity and does not settle afterward.
Clinically, groin strains are often grouped into three grades. Mild strains cause pain without much strength loss. Moderate strains involve partial tearing and weakness. Severe strains involve complete tearing and significant loss of function.
How Is a Groin Strain Treated in the Early Phase?
Early management focuses on calming symptoms and protecting the injured tissue. During the first phase, the goal is not to stretch aggressively or push through pain. Key principles include:
Reducing painful activity and avoiding movements that aggravate symptoms
Using ice briefly to help manage pain and irritation
Gentle compression for comfort and support
Gradual reintroduction of movement once pain settles
As pain improves, exercise becomes the most important part of recovery. Well-chosen movements help restore strength, control, and confidence in the groin. This is where many people either recover fully or end up with lingering issues.
Why Exercise Is Essential for Groin Strain Recovery
Once the sharp pain and swelling settle, exercise becomes the main driver of recovery. Rest alone is not enough. Without strengthening, the groin muscles often heal in a weakened state, which increases the risk of re-injury. The goal of rehab exercises is to:
Restore strength to the adductor muscles
Improve hip and pelvic stability
Rebuild confidence with movement
Prepare the groin for real-life demands like walking, running, and cutting
Research consistently shows that structured physiotherapy programs reduce pain, improve function, and lower recurrence rates in adductor-related groin pain. The key is choosing exercises that load the groin gradually and progressively, rather than jumping straight into aggressive stretching or heavy strengthening.
The exercises below follow that principle. They move from low-load activation to more demanding strength work, similar to what is recommended by physiotherapists and demonstrated in the video analysis earlier.
Top 5 Exercises for a Groin Strain
These exercises are most appropriate once your resting pain has largely settled. Mild discomfort during exercise is acceptable, but sharp or worsening pain is not. Quality of movement matters more than intensity.
1. Isometric Adductor Squeeze
This is one of the safest ways to begin strengthening the groin. It activates the adductors without joint movement, making it ideal early in rehab.
How to do it:
Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat
Place a ball, pillow, or rolled towel between your knees
Gently squeeze and hold for 5 to 10 seconds
Relax fully between reps
Reps: 10 to 15 reps, 2 to 3 sets
This builds early strength and improves neuromuscular control without stressing the healing tissue.
2. Side-Lying Hip Adduction
This exercise targets the inner thigh directly and helps rebuild isolated strength in the adductors.
How to do it:
Lie on your side with the injured leg on the bottom
Cross the top leg over and place the foot on the floor
Lift the bottom leg slowly, keeping it straight
Lower with control
Reps: 10 to 12 reps, 2 to 3 sets
It strengthens the groin through a controlled range while minimizing compensation from other muscles.
3. Standing Band Adduction (Multi-Directional)
This movement introduces functional loading and improves balance and pelvic control.
How to do it:
Attach a resistance band to your ankle
Anchor the other end to a stable object
Pull your leg inward against the band
Progress by working slightly forward and backward angles
Time: 30 seconds per direction, 2 to 3 rounds
This mirrors real-world demands like walking, running, and change of direction.
4. Sumo Squat
The wide stance increases adductor activation while also engaging the hips and glutes.
How to do it:
Stand with feet wider than shoulder-width
Turn toes slightly outward
Sit back into a squat while keeping knees aligned
Push through heels to stand
Reps: 10 to 15 reps, 3 sets
This builds strength through a functional range and prepares the groin for higher-load activities.
5. Copenhagen Adductor Plank
This is one of the most effective exercises for restoring high-level adductor strength and reducing re-injury risk.
How to do it:
Lie on your side with the top leg supported on a bench or chair
Support your body with your elbow
Lift your hips and bring the bottom leg up
Hold with steady breathing
Hold: 10 to 20 seconds, 2 to 3 reps
It challenges the groin under bodyweight load and improves pelvic stability, which is essential for sports and dynamic movement.
How to Progress Safely and Avoid Re-Injury
Progression should be gradual. Increase only one variable at a time, such as reps, hold time, or resistance. Pain during or after exercise should return to baseline within 24 hours. If it does not, the load is too high. Return to running, sprinting, or kicking should only begin once:
You have near-full strength on the injured side
Daily activities are pain-free
Groin loading exercises feel controlled and confident
Persistent groin pain, pain near the pubic bone, or repeated flare-ups are signs that professional assessment is needed. Early guidance can prevent a short-term strain from turning into a long-term problem.
Final Thoughts
Groin strains respond best to a structured rehab plan that focuses on progressive strengthening, not just rest. The right exercises help reduce pain, restore confidence with movement, and lower the risk of the injury coming back. Skipping rehab or returning to activity too soon often leads to lingering symptoms or repeat strains.
If your groin pain is not improving, keeps returning, or is limiting your ability to train or move comfortably, getting professional guidance can make a real difference. The team at Clifton Physical Therapy can assess the root cause of your injury and build a recovery plan that fits your goals and activity level.
To book an appointment or speak with a physical therapist, call (973)-241-1338. Early care often leads to faster, more complete recovery.
What patients are saying
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Clifton Physical Therapy
✆ Phone (appointments): (973)-241-1338
Address: 1059 Bloomfield Ave, Clifton, NJ 07012
