The hip area is a trouble spot for most of us women. All the chocolates and desserts and ice cream and cheesecake that we are guilty of indulging in, seem to come to rest on our hips, no? Well, there is a scientific reason behind that. Centuries ago, we needed to store fat in our body to survive environmental hazards like drought and long and harsh winters. Women who tended to have more lower body fat, passed it on to the next generation through their genes. The times have changed, but our bodies have not caught up with the changed state of affairs it seems!
Yes, one can shed excess fat by cutting back on their snack size or their portions, but that is not a permanent solution to the problem. The only healthy and lasting way to go about it is through exercise. For this reason, here are 10 exercises for hips just for you, to firm your body muscles and to get that toned, curvy hip!
Suggested read: 12 effective exercises to get skinny arms in 3 months’ time
P.S.: Perform these exercises 5 days a week. Two days of rest is compulsory for your body to recuperate from the shocks, and for it to brace itself for the challenge.
1. Bent-knee crossover
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To begin, get down on all your fours. Keep your back flat. Place your head slowly, in line with your back. Bending your right knee to make a 90 degree with the floor, lift the right leg up. The sole of your right foot should be facing the ceiling. Now cross it over (hence the name!) the calf of your left leg. Keeping your glutes tight at all times. Finish a rep by extending the right leg as far as possible. Now slowly revert to the starting position while exhaling deeply. Repeat the rep with the left leg. Perform 10 such reps.
To up the game, you can tie 1-pound ankle weights to both your feet to make this more challenging and hence more effective. However, try to follow the beginner’s guide alone if this is your first time.
2. Plié squat
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Plié squat is definitely one of the most effective hip exercises for women. All you need to do is, stand tall with your back straight and your feet slightly apart (wider than shoulder-width). Keep your toes pointed out. Keeping your back upright, and knees over your toes, try to shift the weight of your body on the heels of your feet. As you lower into a deep squat, make sure you engage your glutes and also your thighs. Once the thighs are parallel to the ground, stop and hold the posture for 10 seconds. Pushing into your heels, revert to the original position. Perform 12 sets of plié squats.
3. Fire hydrant
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For the fire hydrant exercise to reduce hips, begin with a table top position, where you place yourself on all your fours: knees and hands. For this exercise to be beneficial, try to engage your abs while performing it. You do so by pulling the belly button as inwards as possible towards the spine.
Keep your hips extended outwards so that it is closer to the ground. Now bend your right leg to make a 90 degree angle with the floor. Next, raise the right leg slowly to the side. Try to take it as high as possible. Hold the pose for 6 seconds, and revert slowly to your initial position. Switch legs and repeat the drill. 10 reps for each leg is advisable.
4. Standing abduction
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For the standing abduction, you need to use the wall for balance. Hold on to it with your right hand. Now stand straight, keeping your knees slightly bent. Extend your left leg, keep the knee soft and the foot flexed. Extend it as far out as possible. Now raise them without moving the upper part of your body. Hold the posture for 10 seconds. Slowly revert to the initial position while exhaling deeply. This was one set. Perform 10 reps for each side.
Suggested read: 14 best bum exercises that will tone up your butt in no time
5. Lunge
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Stand straight on the floor. Keep your feet together. Hold a dumbbell in each of your hands. Place your arms on your sides; your elbows should not be bent. Also your palms and the dumbbells in them should face your thighs, that is, they should be inwards. Now take a giant step forward with the help of your left leg. Plant the left foot on the floor firmly. Then slowly and lightly place your right knee on the floor too. Make sure your left knee is at right angles with the floor. Your back must be straight at all times. Pressing into your left foot, push your body back to the starting position and relax for ten seconds. Repeat with your right leg. 10 reps on each side should do the trick.
6. Split squats
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Stand straight on the floor. Keep your feet together while your arms should be in a relaxed position by your sides. Now slowly shift the weight of your body onto the left foot. The toe of the right foot should be placed next to the left foot for steadiness. Make certain that your back is straight.
Now comes the tough part (this is going to melt all that extra fat away!). Bend at your hips and try to sit on your left leg (imagine you are sitting on a chair. You can use a chair if you think you cannot balance the posture). Your knees need to be bent. Raise your arms straight in front of you while you keep lowering yourself. When your thighs are parallel to the floor, stop lowering yourself further. Hold the pose for ten seconds, after which put pressure onto your left foot and stand up. Repeat on the other side. Do five such reps for both the right and the left leg.
7. Side jump
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This is one of the exercises for hips (inner and outer) that is also effective on the inner thighs, the glutes, and the hamstrings.
Begin by standing upright with your hands on your hips. Now find your ground and your balance before you go in for the hop. After you are ready, hop 3 feet to your right and land on the right foot. Your right knee should be slightly bent. Bringing your left foot to the floor, exhale. Now, repeat the movements on the left side. Keep alternating but make sure you perform at least 15 on both the sides.
8. Seated bridge
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Take a sturdy chair. Sit at its edge. Rest the feet on the floor; your knees should make a 90 degree angle with the floor. Place your palms at your sides, on the chair. With the help of the strength in your arms and feet, raise your hips from the chair. Exhale while doing the same. Make sure that your arms and feet can support your bodyweight. We don’t want you to get hurt, and since these exercises for hips will be done at home, unguided, you need to be extra careful. Perform 10 of these reps.
9. Seated hand push
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Sit on a tough chair (avoid plastic ones). Rest both your feet on the floor. Make sure your knees are at a right angle with the floor. Now place your palms on top of your knees. Keeping the palms and the arms still, push the knees outward, as in, the knees should move against your palms. In chorus, press the knees inward, with your hands preventing the thighs from pushing the knees outward. This is called an isometric contraction. You need to hold the pose for a minute, while breathing normally, after which release and slowly come back to the initial position. Perform 12 reps of the seated hand push.
Suggested read: 10 easy exercises to get rid of an unseemly double chin
10. Seated pillow squeeze
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Start by sitting on a sturdy chair, the ones without wheels in them. Now rest your feet on the ground with the knees making a 90 degree angle with the floor. Position your pillow between the thighs. As you exhale, squeeze the pillow with your thighs. For the exercise to work wonders, imagine that you are actually squeezing out the fat from the pillow. Now hold that pose for about a minute while you breathe normally. Release and revert to the starting position. Perform 10 reps for the seated pillow squeeze.
When it comes to any exercise, “consistency” is vital and yet, the most ignored practice! The hip exercises mentioned here neither require a lot of space nor any special equipment. A pair of dumbbells is recommended however, to increase resistance and have a faster action on the target areas. A sturdy pair of athletic shoes is also suggested to protect from unnecessary sprains and other accidents. These hip exercises are designed to help you work on and tighten your midsection at home itself. So all you need to promise us is that you will be consistent with your workout this time round. Fantastic results await you!
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