9 Best Exercises for Hip Strength and Mobility
The hips are quite literally the connection between your upper and lower body. When our hips are weak or tight, it impacts all of the surrounding muscles and tissue. As important as they are, they are often neglected in favor of glute or hamstring workouts. However, actually targeting the muscles in the hips can help us support more weight in our other exercises, give us more range of motion, and help protect our backs.
Some of these exercises are with weights, others with resistance bands, and a few are more bodyweight mobility exercises. For more care of your hips, check out my 7 Hip Mobility Exercises.
1. Standing Hip Circles
Let’s start with a great warmup exercise. You can use this at the beginning of any exercise routines, especially one in which you’re using your legs. You’ll see all kinds of athletes and gymgoers doing hip circles, as they are an effective way to engage the muscles of the hips and work on the range of motion. You will be working your flexors, adductors, abductors, as well as the glutes and quads.
To do this exercise, stand one one foot. You can stand next to a bar or wall if you want support and to stay on balance. Begin by lifting your other knee up to make a 90 degree angle directly in front of you. Then, move the knee toward the outside of your body and around, forming a circle. When you do this exercise, try to move from the hip. Don’t twist the torso or open the hips too much as you’ll be moving from other parts of your body and not actually engaging the correct muscles. I generally do 5-10 hip circles one way, then 5-10 the other way. Then, switch legs!
2. Frankenstein Walks
This is another great exercise for hip strength that can be used as a warmup if you’d like. You’ll work your hips, quads, and hamstrings with these. You can do this exercise while standing in one spot, but I recommend giving it a try while moving if you’re able. Remember not to bend at the waist, trying to keep your body upright and really squeezing in the hips and legs. Also, if you can’t quite get to a 90 degree angle, just go as far as you can comfortably.
For this exercise, find a place you can walk. Keep your arms extended directly out in front of you, palms down. Begin by reaching one leg out and up in front of you, at a 90 degree angle from your body if you’re able. Try to keep this a slow and controlled motion rather than just using momentum. With your next step with the other leg, do the same. Reach the foot forward and out as far as you’re able. You may feel your quads and the front of your hips working, and a stretch through the glutes and hamstrings.
3. Sidesteps with Band
For this hip exercise you’ll need some sort of resistance band. To make the exercise more difficult, you can use a band with more resistance or move the band lower toward your ankles. You can also lower the squat position to get more activation in the legs.
Place the band around your thighs, just above your knees. Go into a half-squat position. Don’t squat all the way down to your full range of motion, especially to begin. With the band taut between your legs, take a step to one side. As you take the step, don’t come out of the squat position; try to stay low. Continue slowly stepping your legs to the side a few times, then move back the other direction. I like to do these a few times back and forth to really get the muscles of the hips activated.
4. Clamshells
Clamshells likewise use a resistance band, and target hips, glutes, and quads. It can be relatively gentle on the lower back, and will help stabilize your pelvic muscles. If you master this exercise, there are plenty of clamshell variations you can do to target the muscles in different ways.
To do this exercise lie on the ground or a yoga mat with your knees bent. Put the resistance band around your thighs. Moving from your hip, rotate your top leg and knee up toward the sky and back as far as you’re able. Pause at the top, squeezing your glute and hip before returning to start. Repeat this 10+ times and move to the other side.
5. Fire Hydrants
Fire hydrants can be done without bands, or with bands if you want to up the difficulty. It is a bit similar to the clamshell movement, but the body will be facing a different direction. Make sure when you do this exercise you keep your hips parallel to the floor and move from the hip.
Begin on all fours, with your knees directly under your hips and your hands directly under your shoulders. Keeping your knee bent at a 90 degree angle, move your knee up and out to the side. Remember to try to keep your hips parallel with the floor, engaging your core and glutes. Lift the knee up as high as you’re able without opening the hips, squeeze for a moment and return to start. After 10 reps, switch to the other leg.
6. Single Leg Deadlifts
The single leg romanian deadlift is a great compound movement to incorporate into your exercise routine. In addition to targeting the glutes and hamstrings, the factor of balancing will encourage you to use your hips to stabilize. This is much like a normal romanian deadlift, with the added aspect of being on one foot.
To dot his exercise, stand on one leg with the knee slightly bent. With a dumbbell in the opposite hand to the leg that is on the ground, bend forward. Hinge from the waist, and keep your spine straight. As you bend down, allow your other leg to raise up behind you. Keep the hips even and move slowly. After 10 reps, switch to the other leg.
7. Single Leg Glute Bridge (or Hip Thrust)
Glute bridges and hip thrusts are solid exercises for your hamstrings and glutes. By switching to the single leg variety, you will engage the smaller muscles in the hips that you use to help stabilize. You can do this flat on the floor (glute bridge), or with your shoulders up against a bench (hip thrust). I recommend the hip thrust, as it allows for a larger range of motion.
Begin by getting into the correct position with your shoulderblades on the bench and butt on the floor. Plant the feet on the floor in front of you. Move one leg a few inches forward and rest on the heel. Using mainly the foot that is firmly planted on the ground, squeeze your glutes and lift your hips up toward the sky. Squeeze your glute at the top, and slowly come back down. After 10 reps, switch to the other side.
8. Squats (and Sumos)
Squats are a compound movement that really everyone who is able should be doing. They work a ton of your body, are relatively easy to master, and can be done anywhere. Also, there are a ton of different squat variations that can help target the muscles of the legs in different ways. Sumo squats will help target the inner thigh muscles, known as the adductors.
To do a sumo squat, start with your feet slightly wider than hip width apart. Angle your toes slightly outward from your body by opening the hips. Make sure to keep your knees over your toes. Move your hips back and bend your knees as you slowly lower into the squat position. Go as low as you can without altering the shape of your back, squeeze, and return to start.
9. TRX Inverted Openers
Finally, we have a trx exercise that isn’t easy but will be sure to work those hips. This builds off an inverted TRX plank, so it may be good to familiarize yourself with that exercise first and get comfortable. You can also jump right into this if you want, and see how it goes!
Begin by putting your feet in the TRX bands, about 6-12 inches above the floor. You can rest on your back with your feet in the bands and a resistance band around your thighs. Lift your body off the floor, squeezing your glutes so that only your shoulders are resting on the ground. With the glutes engaged, open your legs slowly and return to center. Repeat 10-15 times, rest, and go again!
For more exercises and routines, check out my Exercise Routines.
More Hip Exercises
More Exercises
