Why Hip Exercises Are a Good Health Investment

Most fitness enthusiasts focus on toning their abs or sculpting their glutes, but only a few add hip exercises to their workout menu. The gluteal, iliopsoas, and hip adductors muscles that surround the hip joints play a crucial role in keeping your upper and lower body in tune. That’s why incorporating moves like side leg raises and reverse lunges can be super beneficial, especially if you spend long hours with your butt glued to the chair.

Still not convinced? Ahead, we’ll break down the main benefits of hip workouts and recommend several exercises to strengthen your lumbo-pelvic-hip complex (LPHC) area.

Research has found that hip exercises are effective in increasing flexibility and joint range of motion. In other words, training your hip flexors and gluteal muscles helps make simple tasks become even simpler. You can walk, jump, bend over, and reach up without straining. Plus, this means you can try out more challenging yoga poses.

Additionally, your entire musculoskeletal system stands to gain from the newfound flexibility. When your hips can move freely, they absorb much of the shock from activities like running. This alleviates pressure on your knees, which is handy when training for a spartan race or engaging in high-impact workouts.

If you often feel tightness around your shoulders or constantly wake up with achy muscles, it’s never too late to fine-tune your stance. First, stop slouching and straighten your neck the best you can. Most importantly, escape the trap of a sedentary lifestyle and work your hips.

Conditioning your hip adductor and iliopsoas muscles (the strongest hip flexor) helps realign your pelvis and correct any imbalance. As a result, you’ll find it easier to keep a neutral, upright posture. Additionally, studies have shown that having a good posture can reduce your risk of experiencing hip pain. So, consider it a win-win.

You know what they say: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Injuries during exercise happen when you push your body without noticing the subtle SOS it sends. Here’s where hip exercises step in. Since your hips are engaged in virtually every physical activity, they’re prone to wear and tear. Strengthening the muscles around the hip joint helps reduce the likelihood of common issues such as IT band syndrome and knee sprain.

Flexible hips can also minimize the strain on the lower back by distributing the load more evenly. Based on the findings from a 2020 study, hip muscle stretching paired with core stability exercise alleviates lumbago, a.k.a. low back pain. Consequently, you’ll have more time to stay fit, which brings us to the next point.

Hip exercises are the secret sauce to stepping up your game. Well-conditioned hip muscles act like coiled springs that allow you to train longer and harder. According to the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, this training helps improve agility. In sports like basketball and soccer, this translates to quicker acceleration and sharper change of direction. As for powerlifters, strong hips enable you to lift heavier weights.

Aside from side leg raises and lunges, these beginner-friendly hip exercises can be the key to better health.

Lie on your side with your legs bent at a 90-degree angle. Make sure that your feet touch each other. Then, lift your top knee as high as you can without hurting your back. Slowly bring it back down while keeping your feet in contact. Repeat on the other side.

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and toes pointing outward. Tighten your core and push your hips back, keeping your chest open and back straight. Continue bending your knees until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Now engage your glutes and rise slowly. 

Get on all fours with your hands placed directly under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Next, lift one leg behind you while keeping your knee bent at a 90-degree angle. Remember to flex your glutes, too. Lower your leg down gently and reverse the movement.

Post-workout, hop in the shower and wash up with Lifebuoy Antibacterial Soap Total 10. Formulated with Activ Silver+, it fights 99.9% of germs per lab test on select bacteria, leaving your skin fresh and protected. Or you can try Lifebuoy Antibacterial Bodywash Total 10, which boasts the same germ-fighting power but in a liquid form.

Don’t forget to take care of your underarms by applying Rexona Advanced Brightening Deodorant Spray Anti Stain. It combines the benefits of sunflower oil and vitamins C, E, and F to brighten your kili-kili and keep them smelling nice. Now you can do your hip exercises without worries about BO or unwanted pit stains.