5 Mobility Exercises To Strengthen Your Hips

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Our hips are the powerhouse of the body, providing essential stability and strength for a wide range of movements – from walking and running to lifting and climbing. However, sedentary lifestyles and imbalanced workout routines can lead to weak and tight hips, resulting in discomfort and limited mobility. Neglecting this vital area can contribute to poor posture, back pain, and even increase the risk of falls as we age.

Strengthening your hips is crucial for enhancing stability, mobility, and overall lower body strength. Our resident Pilates expert, Jenavieve Adams, is back to show us a five effective mobility exercises designed to help fortify your hip muscles:

1. Cross-legged squat (or Classical Pilates Mount) 

This exercise improves mobility of the hips, knees and ankles and also challenges and improves balance and stability in the feet.

  • Start with your legs in a slightly externally rotated “V” or “Pilates Stance position” - meaning that the heels are connected but the toes are apart 

  • Take one foot and place it behind the other with the ball of the foot down and the heel lifted. The knee of the back leg should be almost directly behind the front knee 

  • Squat down as deeply as you can, bending at the hip, knee, and ankle joints

  • Repeat for 5-10 reps on one side and then perform the same exercise on the other leg 

Modifications: 

  • Reduce the range of motion of your squat if it feels painful at any point 

  • Send the back leg further behind you to increase your level of stability 

2. 90/90 Dynamic Stretch 

This exercise increases mobility in the hip joint. Builds strength in the hip flexors, glutes and abdominals and reduces pain or that “gripping” sensation in the hips.

  • Sit with your legs in a double bent knee position, with the front leg externally rotated and your back leg internally rotated, creating two 90 degree angles with the hips and knees. Turn your upper body towards the front leg. 

  • Keeping your hands off the floor, use your abdominals and hip flexors (or quadriceps) to rotate through the center and rotate the torso the other way and inverse the position of the legs

  • Repeat for 5-10 sets 

  • Advancement option: once fully rotated, attempt using the glute of your back leg to lift your back foot or shin off of the ground 

    • Warning: this can sometimes lead to cramping

Modifications

  • Place your hands on the floor behind you if it’s too challenging on your own

  • Reduce the range of motion of the upper body rotation if it’s painful or creates any type of cramping 

3. Glute Bridges with distance increase for each set 

This exercise strengthens the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back and Improves hip extension and stability

  • Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Keep your arms at your sides.

  • Engage your core and squeeze your glutes as you lift your hips toward the ceiling until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees.

  • Hold for 5-10 seconds, then lower your hips back down.

  • Walk the feet further from your hips and repeat with more distance between the heels and hips 

  • Repeat for 3-5 reps, walking further each time 

  • Note: even on your last and furthest rep, the legs shouldn’t be all the way extended

4. Internally Rotated Lateral Leg Raises

This exercise strengthens the gluteus medius, the weakest of the three gluteal muscles. Strengthens the hip abductors and Improves hip mobility

  • Lie on your side with legs extended and stacked on top of each other.

  • Lift your top leg a few inches above the bottom leg toward the ceiling and send the leg further forward towards your chest. 

  • Keep the knee straight, but internally rotate from the hip so that the toes of the top foot are pointed downward.

  • Lift the top leg above this initial position,  hold briefly at the top, then return to the starting position.

  • Repeat for 12-15 reps on each side.

Modifications:

  • For any neck or shoulder pain, extend the bottom arm and lie flat on it

5. Single-Leg DeadliftsModifications:

This exercise enhances hamstring and hip strength. Improves balance, coordination, and core stability.

  • Stand on one leg with a slight bend in the knee, holding a dumbbell in the opposite hand.

  • Hinge forward at the hips, lowering the dumbbell toward the ground while extending the lifted leg behind you.

  • Keep your back straight and core engaged.

  • Return to the starting position.

  • Repeat for 10-12 reps on each leg.

Modifications 

  • If balance is an issue 

    • Option A: stand next to a wall, chair, table, piece of gym equipment that provides a stable surface to grab on to when needed 

    • Option B: Perform traditional deadlifts instead of single leg 

Incorporating these exercises into your routine can help build stronger hips, which can enhance athletic performance, prevent injuries, and improve daily functional movements. Adjust the number of sets and repetitions based on your fitness level and goals.

Give these moves a try and then join us on Patreon to get Jenavieve’s FULL library of Pilates classes and workouts!

xo

Renata