If you have increasing hip pain there are a few things to think about. Look to see if any of these might apply to you:

Have you accidentally (or unknowingly) forced some stretch or exercise and possibly irritate something?

All exercises and stretches should never feel TOO "sharp" or “painful” or “ pinchy". However, pain is not a FULL STOP signal, it’s an opportunity to tune in more and figure out what it means.

This video will help you learn how to stretch properly.

As you're going through your workouts, pay attention to any exercises that feel like they may be aggravating your hips. If you find some that feel like they're not good for you:

1) Check your form. Make sure you're doing the exercise properly. A common mistake is NOT using your abs and losing control over your pelvis position.

2) Remove or substitute with a different version of the exercise. Right now you just may not be ready for the version you're trying. Find a regression to make it easier or remove the exercise altogether.

Sometimes as you unlock muscles and increase your range of motion you don't yet have good motor control of those new ranges. Then, you may inadvertently put your hip in positions that irritate it (end ranges of motion).

Practice moving slower and more mindfully in these stages as you are unlocking your hip. Learn to control all movements with a high degree of precision and mindfulness!

Are there any postures and positions that irritate your hip? Is there a new stretch, movement, posture, or position you are doing that might not be agreeing with your body? Look at the way you sit, sleep, stand, exercise, lift weights, stretch, etc. Try to remove or modify any irritating positions and postures for now.

If you're noticing some things feel better but some things feel worse, make sure to look through the exercise related guidance above. You must experiment with different exercises and workouts to identify your weakest, stiffest spots to resolve them.

Remember also that progress is never linear. In fact it often looks more like an upward jagged line. The goal is to generally feel like you are moving in the right direction, but you should expect and plan for minor periods of stagnation or even slight declines. When these periods of plateau or slow-down happens to you on your journey out of hip issues, always ask yourself:

"OK, what is the lesson I need to learn?" Or, "What am I not doing that I know I should be doing?"

Basically, always take the attitude that there is a deeper lesson you’re meant to learn! Your body is trying to teach you something. Maybe it wants you to slow down and be more aware, maybe it’s time to go deeper and be more sustained with your tissue work, maybe you need to breathe more deeply during your exercises, maybe you have to stop forcing your stretching practice, etc.

Whatever the lesson, once you learn it and heed the body’s advice, you'll start progressing again.