Your hip strength is truly essential for almost every move you make. It controls your pelvis and spine, supports solid posture, and keeps you balanced. Keeping your hips strong and capable helps you lift yourself out of a chair, bend down to pick things up, and perform daily tasks with ease.
“Hip strength matters every time you take a step. It helps you climb stairs and get out of a car. It also helps control your pelvis when you’re standing on one leg. That’s something you do over and over while walking. Keeping those muscles strong helps keep everyday movement manageable,” explains Jacob Siwicki, founder and head coach of Siwicki Fitness, NCSF and AFAA certified, former top 1% globally ranked Equinox group fitness instructor (2019), Dartmouth economics graduate and former Dartmouth football player, fitness expert on FOX 5 DC.
The good news? You don’t have to leave the comfort of your home in order to build and maintain hip strength. We spoke with Siwicki who shares six home exercises that can help restore hip strength after 60.
“I like these because you can do them at home with very little equipment. There’s no travel time. You can start with your own body weight and add resistance as you get stronger. Gym workouts can build hip strength, too. The advantage here is how easy it is to fit the work into your day,” Siwicki says.
Sit-to-Stands
- Begin seated at the front of a sturdy chair with your feet hip-distance apart.
- Cross your arms over your chest so that your hands are resting on your shoulders.
- Lean slightly forward, press through your feet, and stand up tall.
- Use control to slowly sit back down.
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Glute Bridges
- Begin by lying flat on your back with bent knees and feet hip-width apart on a mat.
- Place your arms at your sides with palms pressing into the surface.
- Press through your heels to lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from head to heels.
- Squeeze your buttocks, holding at the top for 2 to 3 seconds.
- Lower your hips back to the start position.
RELATED: 5 Daily Exercises That Restore Hip Mobility Faster Than Floor Stretches After 55
Clamshells
- Lie on your side with your knees stacked and bent.
- Keep your feet together as you lift your top knee, like a clamshell opening.
- Lower.
- Avoid rotating through your lower back throughout.
- Perform the exercise for the prescribed time or reps on each side.
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Standing Side Leg Raises
- Begin by standing tall with your feet hip-width apart and hands on your hips or holding onto a sturdy chair for support.
- Activate your core and shift your weight onto your left leg.
- Keep your right leg straight and toes pointed forward as you lift it out to the side as high as you’re comfortably able to.
- Hold at the top for a moment before lowering.
- Repeat on the other side.
Low Step-Ups
- Begin by standing tall, facing a low step.
- Place your left foot firmly onto the surface, keeping your core engaged and chest tall.
- Press through your left heel to lift your body until your left leg is straight and you’re standing on the surface.
- Use control to lower back to the start position.
- Repeat on the other side, doing the exercise for 1 minute on each.
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Supported Hip Hinges
- Stand tall, feet hip-width apart.
- Place your hands on the back of a sturdy chair for support.
- Press your hips back while maintaining a tall chest.
- As you hinge forward, feel a solid stretch in your hamstrings.
- Activate your hamstrings and glutes to drive your hips forward.
The post 6 Home Exercises That Restore Hip Strength Faster Than Gym Sessions After 60 appeared first on Eat This Not That.
