10 Exercises for Strong, Healthy Hips as You Age
Improving hip health as you age is possible—even if it's something you've previously placed on the back burner. You can tailor your workouts to help you build and maintain bone mass, strengthen your muscles, and boost your mobility. With the right trainer-approved exercises for strong, healthy hips on deck, you'll be well on your way to a more resilient, mobile you.
But before we dive in, it's important to know three key players contributing to healthy hips. Focusing on these areas during your workouts is key to maintaining and improving your overall quality of life.
"Having healthy hips means the bones around your hips are structurally strong. This makes them resistant to bone fractures that occur following a fall," explains Domenic Angelino, CPT with International Personal Trainer Academy (IPTA). "[It also means] you have the mobility and flexibility to move through the full range of motion of your hips. This means you can do things like fully swing your legs forward, backward, and side to side. [And lastly,] the muscles associated with your hips are strong enough to allow you to complete activities of daily living without compromising your quality of life."
Below, Angelino outlines 10 of his best exercises for strong, healthy hips as you age.
First Set: Bone Mass Focus
This first set of exercises helps boost bone mineral density in your lower body and improve the strength of the muscles surrounding your hips.
"Increasing bone mass requires you to perform very heavy exercises," Angelino points out. "It also requires you to perform exercises that place a meaningful amount of stress on bones in and around your hips."
For each exercise in this first grouping, breathe out on the way up and breathe in on the way down.
1. Barbell Conventional Deadlift (3 sets, 4-6 reps)
Stand tall with your feet planted shoulder-distance apart. Press your hips back and keep your torso straight as you lower to grab the barbell. Push your feet into the ground and straighten your knees to lift the barbell.
"Once the bar passes your knees, drive your hips forward as you continue straightening your knees," Angelino instructs. "Do not lean back once you are standing upright. Standing in a neutral position, begin to return the bar to its starting position. Start the lowering motion by breaking at your hips and bending at your knees as appropriate."
2. Barbell Back Squat (3 sets, 4-6 reps)
Begin standing tall, facing away from the squat rack. Securely place the barbell on your upper back, making sure it's right below your neck, not on your neck. Unrack the barbell, and plant your feet outside shoulder-width. Squat down, lowering until your thighs become parallel to the ground. Then, push through your feet to rise up to the start position.
3. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift (3 sets, 4-6 reps)
Begin holding a dumbbell in each hand and planting your feet shoulder-distance apart. Both knees should be slightly bent. Press your hips back, keep your back straight, and lower the weights toward the floor. Lower until your torso becomes parallel to the floor. Press your hips forward to rise back up.
Second Set: Limiting and Reversing Atrophy
"The following set of exercises focuses on limiting and reversing the atrophy of muscles related to the hips," Angelino tells us. "This counters the natural effects of sarcopenia that affect you as you age. It [will also] help increase the strength of these muscles [in a different way] from the first set of exercises I listed. This will further support your ability to continue performing [daily activities] as you age."
For the exercises in this second grouping, breathe out on the way up and breathe in on the way down.
4. Barbell Glute Bridge (3 sets, 8-12 reps)
Begin sitting on the ground with a barbell placed over your lap. Then, lie down with bent knees and your feet planted ahead of your hips. Grab the barbell, push your feet into the floor, and press your hips up to lift the weight. "As you do this, make sure to keep your feet and head firmly planted on the ground," Angelino instructs. "Continue until your hips are parallel to the ground. Then, allow your hips to bend so that you lower the bar back down to the ground."
5. Lateral Box Step-ups (3 sets, 8-12 reps per side)
Stand to the side of a sturdy plyometric box, workout bench, or step. Lift your leg laterally and position it on the surface. Next, push through your foot to lift your body onto the surface until your raised leg is straight. Return to the floor. Complete all reps on one side before switching over to the other side to make one full set.
6. Lying Leg Raise (3 sets, 8-12 reps)
Lie flat on the floor with your legs extended and your arms by your sides. Keep your legs together as you lift them until they are above your hips. Next, engage your core as you lower your legs to the floor without touching it. Make sure your head stays on the ground.
Third Set: Improving Static Flexibility
"The following set of exercises will help you improve the static flexibility of muscles that cause motion about your hips," explains Angelino. "This relates to how flexible your hips are when not in motion and how much muscles related to them can be stretched."
For the exercises in this third grouping, inhale and exhale regularly throughout each range of motion.
7. Toe Touch Hold (3 sets of 30 seconds)
Stand tall with your feet planted shoulder-distance apart and your toes facing forward. Press your hips back and bend forward to touch your toes or the floor. Hold the toe touch for 30 seconds before releasing and repeating the exercise.
8. Front Knee Hug Hold (3 sets of 30 seconds per side)
Stand tall with your feet planted shoulder-width apart. Lift one of your legs ahead of you and bend it. Hug the leg to your chest. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds before releasing and switching sides.
Fourth Set: Enhancing Dynamic Flexibility and Mobility
"The following set of exercises will help you improve the dynamic flexibility and mobility of muscles that cause motion about your hips," says Angelino. "This relates to how easily you can move through the range of motion of your hips when you are in motion."
For the exercises in this fourth grouping, inhale and exhale regularly throughout each range of motion.
9. Forward to Backward Leg Swing (3 sets, 12 reps per side)
Stand tall with your feet placed shoulder-distance apart. Hold onto a wall or sturdy chair for support. Swing one leg forward as high as you can, then swing it backward. Return to the start position. Perform all reps on one side before switching to the other side and repeating to complete one full set.
10. Side-to-Side Leg Swing (3 sets, 12 reps per side)
Stand tall with your feet planted shoulder-distance apart. Hold onto a wall or sturdy chair for support. Swing one leg out to the side as high as you can comfortably. Then, swing it back toward the middle and across your body. Return to the position you started in. Perform all sets on one side before switching to the other side to repeat and complete one full set.
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