Do you find yourself struggling to keep up with your regular activities due to weak or tight hips? If so, you’re not alone. Many of us experience hip pain or stiffness at some point in our lives. Thankfully, there are exercises that can help strengthen your hips and improve your mobility. In this blog post, we’ll cover the top seven exercises that can help you build hip strength and increase mobility. Keep reading to learn more about these helpful exercises!
1) The Squat
The Squat is one of the most important exercises to help with hip strength and mobility. It is a compound exercise that works multiple muscles at once and it is essential for developing strong hips, glutes, hamstrings, and quads. It also helps improve core stability and balance, as well as flexibility. To perform the squat, start by standing with your feet hip-width apart and your toes pointing slightly outward. Keep your chest up, back straight, and core engaged. Bend your knees and push your hips back as you lower yourself into a squat position. As you lower yourself, make sure to keep your weight evenly distributed on both feet and keep your knees tracking in line with your toes. Once you reach the bottom of the squat, pause briefly before pushing back up to standing.
Squats are an effective exercise for building overall strength and mobility in your hips, legs, and core, but they also have additional benefits. Squats can help improve posture and reduce the risk of injury from everyday activities. Additionally, performing squats regularly can help boost your overall fitness level and promote weight loss by increasing your metabolic rate.
Make sure to perform the squat correctly and always use good form to ensure maximum benefit from the exercise. If you feel any pain or discomfort in your hips or knees during the exercise, stop and seek professional advice before continuing.
2) The Lunge
The lunge is an effective exercise for strengthening the hips and improving their mobility. It requires minimal equipment and can be done anywhere. The basic lunge involves standing with your feet shoulder-width apart. Step one leg forward while keeping your torso upright, and then lower your hips until both knees are bent at a 90-degree angle. Make sure to keep your knee over your ankle rather than letting it collapse inward. Push back up to the starting position. You can use this exercise as a warm-up or add additional weights for increased resistance. If you’re feeling adventurous, try the reverse lunge, where you step back instead of forward.
3) The Glute Bridge
The Glute Bridge is a great exercise for strengthening your hips and glutes, as well as improving hip mobility. To do this exercise, start by lying flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place your arms out to the side for stability. From there, slowly raise your hips off the ground, pushing through your heels and squeezing your glutes to lift up.
Keep your core tight throughout the motion. At the top of the bridge, your body should form a straight line from shoulders to knees. Hold for a few seconds before slowly lowering back down to the starting position.
This exercise is great for building strength in the glutes and hips. It can also help to improve hip mobility, as it strengthens the muscles around the joint. It is important to keep your core engaged throughout this exercise to ensure that you are activating the correct muscles and getting the most out of the movement.
4) The Fire Hydrant
The Fire Hydrant is a great exercise to help improve hip strength and mobility. This exercise can be performed either on all fours or in a side-lying position. To begin, start on all fours with your hands underneath your shoulders and your knees directly beneath your hips. Keep your abdominal muscles contracted and your spine neutral. Lift your right leg up towards the ceiling, keeping the knee bent and your foot flexed. Inhale as you move your leg out to the side, then exhale as you bring it back in towards your body. Aim to keep your hips square and level throughout the entire movement. Repeat this exercise 8-10 times on each side for optimal results. The Fire Hydrant is a great way to target the glutes and activate the muscles that support the hip joint.
5) The Clamshell
The Clamshell is an excellent exercise for strengthening the hip muscles. It helps to build strength, stability, and mobility in the hips, as well as improving the flexibility of the surrounding muscles.
To perform the clamshell, start by lying on your side with your legs bent at a 90-degree angle. Place your arms out in front of you for support. Engage your core and keep it tight throughout the exercise.
Next, lift your top knee up towards the ceiling while keeping your lower leg on the floor. Be sure to keep your feet together as you do this. Hold the position for a few seconds, then slowly lower your top knee back to the starting position.
Repeat this motion 10 times and then switch sides. Make sure to keep your core engaged and your hips square throughout the movement.
The Clamshell is an effective exercise that can help to build strength and improve mobility in the hips, glutes, and surrounding muscles. Incorporate this exercise into your workout routine to help build stronger hips and increased mobility.
6) The Side-Lying Leg Raise
The Side-Lying Leg Raise is a great exercise for targeting your hip muscles and improving hip mobility. It is an effective way to activate the muscles in your hips and glutes, helping to build strength and stability.
To perform the exercise, start by lying on one side with your legs stacked on top of each other and your arm resting under your head. Slowly lift the top leg away from the bottom leg, keeping it straight. Keep lifting until your foot is just above hip level and hold for a few seconds before slowly returning to the starting position. Make sure that your core is engaged throughout the exercise. Repeat 10-15 times before switching sides.
This exercise can be done as part of an overall workout routine or as part of a targeted hip strength and mobility program. It can also be done with added weights or bands for increased difficulty. For those who find it too difficult to complete the full range of motion, you can modify the exercise by only going half way up or by using a wall or other support for extra stability.
By including the Side-Lying Leg Raise in your workout routine, you can help improve the strength and mobility in your hips, which will benefit you both in everyday activities and more intense exercises.
7) The Hip Circles
The hip circles exercise is an excellent way to strengthen the muscles that stabilize your hip joints and increase your range of motion. This exercise works both your internal and external hip rotators, which helps improve the mobility of your hips and create a stronger base for movements like squats and lunges.
To perform this exercise, begin by lying on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Put your hands on either side of your hips to help keep your core engaged and your back pressed into the floor.
Next, rotate your hips in a circular motion while keeping your feet and shoulders still. Start by making small circles with your hips, then gradually make them bigger. Continue this motion for 30-60 seconds. To make the exercise more challenging, you can add a resistance band around your thighs or ankles.
If you find that you’re having trouble maintaining the correct form during the exercise, take a break and reset your position.
Once you’ve regained your form, continue with the exercise until you have completed the desired number of repetitions.
The hip circles exercise is a great way to increase your range of motion and strengthen the muscles around your hips. With regular practice, you’ll soon see improvements in your hip mobility and strength.
