Following on from our last blog post about the most effective stretches for your hips … this week we’re focusing on the best exercises to strengthen the muscles the support and control your hip movement.

Weak, buttock muscles can contribute to lots of different painful hip and leg conditions, so here are our favourite exercises to strengthen these muscles:

Clam

Clam exercise for gluten strengthening
  • Lie on your side with your hips slightly bent and your knees bent to 90 degrees.
  • Press your top hip away slightly to lift your wait underneath away from the floor
  • Breathe out to lift your top knee keeping your heels together
  • Breathe in to lower again. Repeat 10 times each side.

 Donkey kicks

Hip strengthening exercise on all fours
  • Lean on your elbows and knees. Tuck your tailbone under slightly so your spine is straight.
  • Breathe out to tighten your abdominals and lift one leg out behind you with your knee bent
  • Breathe in to lower, tap down through your knee and breathe out to lift again.
  • Repeat 10 times on each side

Bridge

Hip strengthening routine
  • Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor
  • Breathe out to curl your tailbone under and lift your spine up off the floor bone by bone
  • Breathe in and open your hips at the top of the movement
  • Breathe out to sink through your ribcage and melt down into your lower back, bringing your tailbone down last
  • Repeat 10 times

I hope you enjoy them. When they start to feel a bit easier, you can tie a resistance band around your thighs (just above your knees) and work into the band to step up the challenge.

Get in touch if you have any questions,

The Pilatesfit Team!

Call us on 01223 914415 to book a private class or book online for group classes.