Is Your Walking Routine Causing Knee or Hip Pain?

Walking is often recommended as one of the best forms of exercise. It’s free, accessible, good for the heart, and doesn’t require Lycra (always a bonus).

Many people start walking more to improve their fitness, get fresh air, clear their heads, or balance out the effects of sitting at a desk all day.

But sometimes we see the opposite effect in clinic — people start a new walking routine with great enthusiasm and suddenly find themselves saying:

“I thought walking was meant to be good for you… why does my knee (or hip) hurt?”

At Bodyright Physiotherapy in Drogheda, we see this quite often. Someone decides to become more active (which is brilliant), but the body isn’t always thrilled about the sudden increase in steps.

The good news is that walking itself is rarely the problem. Usually it’s how much, how quickly, or how the body is coping with the load.

Why Can Walking Cause Knee or Hip Pain?

Walking places repeated load through the feet, knees, hips and lower back. Normally the body adapts very well to this.

But problems can occur when the load increases faster than the body has time to adapt.

A few common triggers we see include:

Increasing Distance Too Quickly

This is probably the number one reason people develop walking-related pain.

For example:

• Going from very little walking to suddenly doing 10,000 steps a day

• Deciding to “get fit” and starting long daily walks

• Doing far more walking than usual on holidays or weekend breaks

Your joints and muscles are very adaptable, but they like gradual changes, not a sudden lifestyle transformation overnight.

Walking on Hard Surfaces

Many people do most of their walking on pavements or roads.

While this is convenient, hard surfaces can increase the forces going through the knees and hips, especially if the walking volume suddenly increases.

Your body can cope with this — it just sometimes needs a bit of time to catch up.

Muscle Weakness

The muscles around the hips and thighs act like shock absorbers when you walk.

If these muscles are weaker or not working efficiently, the joints themselves may end up taking more of the load, which can lead to irritation and pain.

This is one of the most common things we find when assessing people with knee or hip pain.

Footwear

Your walking shoes don’t need to be fancy, but they do need to be comfortable and supportive.

Very worn shoes or extremely flat footwear can increase the load through the foot, knee and hip.

If your runners are old enough to remember lockdown, it might be time for an upgrade.

Sometimes walking-related discomfort can also begin in the foot itself. If you’re noticing heel pain or pain along the sole of the foot, particularly first thing in the morning, you may find our article “Why Your Heel Hurts in the Morning: Plantar Fasciitis Explained” helpful.

Changes in Terrain

Walking hills, uneven ground, or longer distances than usual can place extra demands on the hips and knees, particularly if the body isn’t used to it.

Your glutes (hip muscles) work particularly hard when walking uphill — and they will let you know if they’re not impressed.

Increasing walking or running distances too quickly can also lead to shin pain in some people. If this sounds familiar, our blog “Shin Splints: Why They Happen and What Actually Helps” explains common causes and treatment options.

Common Walking-Related Knee Pain

People often notice:

• Pain around the front of the knee

• Pain when walking downhill

• Pain after long walks

• Stiffness when getting up after sitting

This type of pain is often related to irritation around the kneecap or surrounding soft tissues.

The good news is that it usually responds very well to strengthening and load management.

Common Walking-Related Hip Pain

Hip pain related to walking often presents as:

• Pain on the outside of the hip

• Pain when walking longer distances

• Discomfort when lying on that hip at night

• Tightness along the outer thigh

This can sometimes be related to irritation of the hip tendons or surrounding muscles.

Often the hip muscles are simply saying:

“We were not consulted about this new exercise plan.”

What Actually Helps?

The aim usually isn’t to stop walking completely (which would defeat the whole purpose of getting active). Instead we look at helping the body tolerate walking more comfortably.

1. Adjust Walking Volume

Reducing walking distance temporarily can allow irritated tissues to settle.

Gradually building back up tends to work much better than the classic approach of “I’ll just push through it.”

Your body will usually thank you for a more gradual return.

2. Strengthen the Supporting Muscles

Strengthening the hips, thighs and calves helps the body manage walking loads more efficiently.

Exercises that often help include:

• Glute strengthening

• Hip stability exercises

• Quadriceps strengthening

• Calf strengthening

A physiotherapist can guide you on exercises suited to your specific symptoms.

3. Review Footwear

Good walking shoes should provide:

• Cushioning

• Support

• Comfortable fit

Sometimes simply replacing worn shoes can make a noticeable difference.

4. Modify Terrain

Mixing walking surfaces — such as parks, the firmer sand on the beach  or grass — can reduce repetitive stress compared with walking only on pavement.

Plus it’s generally a bit nicer than staring at traffic.

5. Physiotherapy Assessment

At Bodyright Physiotherapy in Drogheda, we assess several factors when someone develops knee or hip pain from walking, including:

• Hip and leg strength

• Walking mechanics

• Foot mechanics

• Training load and activity levels

Treatment may include:

• Hands-on treatment to settle irritated tissues

• Strengthening exercises for the hip and leg

• Advice on gradually increasing walking distances

In some cases, treatment modalities such as dry needling, shockwave therapy, or laser therapy may also be helpful depending on the presentation.

The aim isn’t simply to reduce pain, but to help you continue walking comfortably and confidently.

When Should You See a Physio?

It’s worth seeking physiotherapy advice if:

• Knee or hip pain has lasted more than 2–3 weeks

• Pain limits how far you can walk

• Symptoms keep returning

• Walking is becoming uncomfortable

Early treatment can often prevent a small irritation turning into a longer-term problem.

Physiotherapy for Knee and Hip Pain in Drogheda and Louth

Walking is one of the best ways to stay active, and most people should be able to enjoy it without pain.

If your walking routine is causing knee pain or hip pain, a physiotherapy assessment can help identify what’s contributing and guide you safely back to comfortable activity.

At Bodyright Physiotherapy in Drogheda, we regularly help people from Drogheda, County Louth and surrounding areas recover from walking-related knee pain, hip pain and other musculoskeletal problems.

✔ Bodyright Physiotherapy – Sports Physiotherapy and Family Health Physiotherapy in Drogheda, Co. Louth

Helping people stay active, mobile and pain-free.