Hip strengthening exercises at home

Which muscles we're training

The hip has big muscles behind it (the glutes), smaller ones on the side that hold your pelvis level when you stand on one leg, and muscles at the front that lift your knee. Most people sit a lot, which leaves the glutes and side hip under-used. You can often see it: on a single-leg stand the opposite hip drops, or on a squat the knees cave in.

The routine below works all three, starting lying down where balance isn't a factor and finishing standing on one leg, which is where the hips have to do their real job.

The routine

Two or three times a week is a good start. Do 2 to 3 sets of each, resting about a minute between sets. Move slowly and squeeze the working muscle.

1. Glute bridge. Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat. Push through your heels and lift the hips until your body is straight from knees to shoulders. Hold 2 seconds, lower slowly. 10 to 15 reps.
2. Clamshell. Lie on your side, hips and knees bent, feet together. Keeping the feet touching, lift the top knee without letting the pelvis roll back. 12 to 15 each side.
3. Side-lying leg raise. Lie on your side with the bottom knee bent and top leg straight. Lift the top leg up and slightly back, toes pointing forward, not up. Lower slowly. 10 to 15 each side.
4. Standing kickback. Hold a chair back. Keeping your back still, push one straight leg behind you, squeezing the glute. 12 each side.
5. Side steps. Bend your knees a little into a half squat and take 10 steps to one side, then 10 back. Keep the toes forward and the knees from caving in.
6. Sit to stand. From a chair, stand up without using your hands, then sit down slowly over 3 seconds. 10 to 15 reps. Lower the chair or slow down to make it harder.
7. Single-leg balance. Stand on one leg for 30 seconds, keeping the pelvis level. Do it near a wall. Progress to closing your eyes or doing a small knee bend.

How to progress

• Bridges: march one foot up at the top, then progress to single-leg bridges.
• Clamshells and side raises: add a pause at the top, then add a light loop band.
• Sit to stand: go slower on the way down, then try a split stance with one foot ahead.
• Add split squats or step ups once all of the above feel easy.
• When you can do 15 good reps of a move, make it harder rather than adding endless reps.

Form checks

• Bridges: if you feel it most in your hamstrings, bring the feet a little closer; in your lower back, tuck the ribs down and squeeze the glutes before lifting.
• Side work: keep the hips stacked. Rolling back lets other muscles cheat.
• Standing moves: knees in line with your toes, and the pelvis level.
• Breathe out as you lift, in as you lower.

If your hip hurts

If you're dealing with hip pain, such as outer hip pain or hip arthritis, many of these moves show up in rehab programs too, but the starting point and pace depend on what's going on. Get it assessed. Apex One has an outer hip pain program, and our outer hip and hip osteoarthritis guides are general education for between physio sessions, not medical advice. Stop any move that causes sharp pain in the groin or hip joint.

A 20-minute hip session

Warm up with 2 minutes of marching on the spot and 10 bodyweight squats. Then do two rounds of: 12 glute bridges, 12 clamshells each side, 10 side-lying leg raises each side and 12 kickbacks each side. Finish with 2 sets of 10 slow sit to stands, two lengths of side steps across the room and 30 seconds of single-leg balance on each leg.

That's about 20 minutes with short rests. Do it two or three times a week. When it gets easy, swap bridges for single-leg bridges, add a loop band to the side work, or add a third round.

Why the hips matter for your knees and back

When the side hip muscles are weak, the knee tends to drift inwards on squats, stairs and landing, which is a pattern many physios look at in knee pain. Strong glutes also take work off the lower back when you bend and lift. So even if your goal is better knees, easier stairs or a stronger back, hip work tends to be part of the plan.

Pairing it with the rest of your training

• Add two or three of these moves as a warm-up before squats or runs.
• On upper-body days, finish with bridges and side work so the hips get trained twice a week.
• Combine them with our squats-per-day and no-equipment leg workout guides for a full lower-body plan.

A sample week

• Three days a week: the strength exercises, 2 to 3 sets each.
• Other days: walking, cycling or swimming.
• Daily: a couple of minutes of hip mobility, such as leg swings and hip circles.
• Every two weeks: make one exercise harder, with a band, slower tempo or single-leg version.

Signs your hips are getting stronger

Stairs feel easier, you can stand on one leg longer, your knees track more steadily during squats and lunges, and your lower back aches less after a long walk. These are better measures than how sore you feel after a session.

Let your phone count

Apex One's camera rep counter doesn't track bridges, clamshells or side raises. It does count squats and lunges out loud and cue your form, so you can use it for those and for leg days. Prop the phone up, step back and go. You can try the free squat demo in your browser before you pay anything; Apex One+ is $19.99/mo or $99/yr.

Count every rep with your phone

Questions

Keep exploring

• Outer hip pain exercisesApex One
• Hip osteoarthritis exercisesApex One
• How many squats should I do a day?Guide
• No-equipment leg workout at homeApex One
• Strength training for seniors at homeGuide