Our hips are among the most underrated muscles in our body that are often not given priority while setting a workout regime. It is only when it starts bothering us, we start thinking about it, and sometimes we are too late to cover up the damage. Therefore, the importance of hip-strengthening exercises can’t be stressed enough. They are, in fact, a must for those who spend a considerable portion of their time sitting in front of a computer.

Today, let us take a look at some of the most beneficial hip-strengthening exercises that will have a long-lasting impact on the mobility and health of your hips.

Hip-Strengthening Exercises – Target Zone

Hip-strengthening exercises are designed to target two areas on your body – the gluteus maximus, which refers to the primary extensor muscle of your hip; and the gluteus medius, which is the primary muscle on the side of your hip.

To put it simply, you will be working towards strengthening and stretching the sides and back of your hips. In fact, these exercises also function as great fat-burning regimes that help you get in your favorite piece of clothing which you might have missed out on because of those extra chunks on your hips.

These exercises will not only help you look better but will also assist you in moving better. Although most functional exercises strengthen and stretch the muscles of your hip to some degree, a focused plan of a hip workout will undeniably hit the core areas.

Warm-Up Regimes for Hip-Strengthening Exercises

Hip-strengthening exercises can be tedious. As such, if you speak to any fitness expert at a multi-gym near you, they will advise you to start with some basic warm-up regimes that will prepare you for the upcoming exercises.  The warm-up regimes for hip-strengthening exercises are as follows:

Double Banded Pull Through

To do this, you would need to attach a long resistance cable or band low to the floor behind you. Keep the band above your knees and stand in front of it with your feet shoulder-width apart from each other. Next, hinge yourself forward at the hips and push your butt by bending your knees to grab the band between your feet.

Doing so, you will immediately feel a stretch in your glutes and hamstrings. After this, lift up your chest and stand back up, by pushing your hips forward and squeezing your butt. Continue these entire process 12-15 reps.

Banded Hip March

Get your legs hip-width apart and stand upright by engaging your core and lifting your chest, all the while keeping a mini resistance band around both your legs. Put your right knee in front of you and bring it up to the height of your hip.

Make sure your pelvis is on an even level and the leg that you are standing on is inclined to the adjacent ankle, hip, and knee. Finally, finish it up by slowly and steadily putting your leg down. Repeat the entire process 5-8 times, altering between both the legs.

7 Exercises to Boost Your Hip Strength

With the warm-up done, your body is now ready for the hip-strengthening exercises. Although there are dozens of exercises that can take care of the said area, we are enlisting seven of the most beneficial ones among them.

Lateral Lunge

Hold a dumbbell in each of your hands and stand with your legs together. Proceed to take a large step of about 2 ft out towards your right-hand side. When you hit the floor, hinge forward at your hips by bending your right knee to a lunge and pushing your butt back.

You need to ensure that the weights frame your right knee and that your left foot should be perfectly straight. Wait for a second, and push off your right foot back to the starting position. Repeat the process on your other leg. Continue this for 10-12 reps switching between each leg.

Bulgarian Split-Squat

To do this, you need to stand with your back to an elevated surface, such as a bench. Keep your left leg on the ground a few feet in front of the bench and put the topmost portion of your right leg on the bench. Hold a dumbbell in each hand.

Next, bend your knees into a split-squad and brace your core. Make sure that your left knee is at a 90° angle to make your thigh parallel to the floor while suspending your right knee over the floor. Resume your starting position after driving through the left heel. Complete 12-15 reps on both the legs.

Dumbbell Sumo Squat

Your first plan of action in order to perform this hip-strengthening exercise is finding a dumbbell that allows you to squat in proper form while still making you fatigued by the end of the process.

Next, keep your legs wider than shoulder-width apart and stand up as straight as you can. Ensure that your toes are slightly turned out. Hold the dumbbell close to your chest and slowly bend your knees. You will soon find yourself in a squatting position. Finally, squeeze the top-most area of your butt and stand back by pushing through the heels. Repeat the process 8-10 times.

The best part of the dumbbell sumo squat is that you will not only reap the benefits of hip exercise for pain but also the long-lasting effects of weight-lifting exercises as well.

Kettlebell Swing

The popularity of kettlebell exercises has risen significantly over the past couple of years. And they do have a pivotal role in hip exercises for pain.

To begin, keep a kettlebell on the ground between your feet and stand with our feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees, and hinge forward to grab the handle of the kettlebell with both your hands. You will inadvertently find yourself in a squatting position.

Follow this by swinging the kettlebell between your feet. You need to make sure that when you stand back up, you use the momentum to swing the weight up to your chest height. Don’t forget to squeeze your butt when the kettlebell is at the top-most position.

As you get the kettlebell back between your feet, you need to lower your back down immediately. Repeat the entire process 10-12 times.

Banded Marching Hip Bridge

Get a small resistance band and loop it around your legs and lie down with your face up in front of a step, chair, or bench. Keep your heels on the bench.

Follow this up by squeezing your butt to raise your hips off the ground while pushing through your heels at the same time. Your core must be engaged and your back must stay flat. Bring your right knee towards your chest, hold it for a second, and then put your leg back on the chair or bench. Repeat the same process with your other leg. This entire process is considered one rep. You must do 10-12 reps to gain maximum benefit from this exercise.

Explosive Sprinters Lunge

Probably the most fun hip-strengthening exercise that you will have the pleasure of performing, the explosive sprinters lunge is a high-intensity workout. To perform this, you have to stand tall and keep your feet hip-width apart. Next, you need to step your right leg back a few feet into a lunging position.

You then have to explosively jump into the air by pushing through your left leg. While taking the leap, you would have to drive your right knee towards your chest.

Make sure you land softly and immediately return back to the starting position to take another lunge. It should be repeated 5-8 times.

Step Up Reverse Lunge

Stand in front of an elevated surface such as a chair, bench, step, or a box. Step on to the elevated surface with your right leg and drive through the right heel and butt to bring your left foot up to the surface. Try to keep your left leg suspended, and keep most of your body weight on your right leg.

Follow this by stepping back down with your left leg and step your right leg back about two feet behind. Proceed to push your left leg back up to the surface. Repeat this process 12-15 times.

Remember, there is no hard and fast rule to follow a chronological order to perform this set of exercises.  Choose your own rhythm based on which order is convenient for you. Just, remember that you must do the warm-up beforehand in order to avoid any injury.

Final Thoughts

Hip-strengthening exercises are more crucial for your health and easier to execute than you think. From avoid terrible pain in your hips when you get old to improving your overall posture, the benefits that these exercises bring with them are numerous.

What is even better is the fact that these exercises are simple to execute and don’t demand any fancy settings or equipment. As such, you can perform them in the comfort of your home. So, get your fitness gear on and work those hips.