You may not realize how important your hip joints are for daily functioning; you use them extensively when you bend over, sit down, stand up and walk. With this in mind, you should exercise your hip joints and the muscles surrounding them regularly to help keep them strong. Perform a variety of resistance exercises to strengthen your hips.
Hip Abduction
For hip abduction, you move either leg away from the midline of your body–an imaginary line that divides your body into left and right halves. To perform this exercise, lie on either side with your legs stacked and repeatedly raise and lower your top leg. You can wear ankle weights for added resistance if desired.
Hip Adduction
The opposite movement of hip abduction is hip adduction. For this exercise, you work on the muscles that move either leg toward the midline of your body. According to the American Council on Exercise (ACE), to perform hip adduction, first lie on either side with your bottom leg in front of your top leg. Then raise and lower your bottom leg for as many repetitions as you desire. Like hip abduction, you can wear ankle weights if you want extra resistance.
Lunges
You can perform lunges using only your body weight for resistance, or you can hold a barbell across your upper back or dumbbells at your sides for added resistance. To do the exercise, while standing with your feet about shoulder-width apart, step forward about 2 to 3 feet with either foot; let your opposite heel come off the ground. As your foot secures to the ground, flex your knees to lower your body. When your front thigh is parallel to the ground, reverse back to the starting position and repeat with the opposite leg.
Squats
Squats build muscles in your upper legs that act on your hip joints, including the hamstrings and buttocks. To perform squats, according to strength and conditioning specialists Thomas Baechle and Roger Earle and authors of “Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning,” stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width and hold a barbell across your upper back and shoulders. Then flex your hips and knees to lower your body like you are sitting in a chair. When your thighs are parallel to the ground, powerfully extend your hips and knees to stand back up. Repeat for your desired number of repetitions. You can also hold dumbbells at your sides or use only your body weight for this exercise.
Straight-Leg Deadlifts
Straight-leg deadlifts strengthen your hips through flexion and extension ranges of motion; they require much more hip flexion and extension than lunges and squats. To execute straight-leg deadlifts, stand with your feet 6 inches apart and your knees slightly flexed; hold a barbell in front of your thighs. Then repeatedly bend forward to lower the bar to shin height and extend your hips to stand back up. For safety purposes, keep your back as flat as possible throughout the movement.
About this Author
Matthew Schirm has worked in the sports performance field for 10 years. He has professional experience as a baseball coach and weight training instructor. He recently earned a Master of Science degree in human movement from A.T. Still University in Mesa, Ariz.
