Hip & Buttock Exercises

Before attempting these exercises, please see below for tips on how to safely stretch and use resistance bands.

Seated Butterfly Stretch

Stretch the muscles of your inner thighs, groin and hips with a proper seated butterfly stretch. Stretch slowly, just until you feel a gentle stretch in your muscles. Gradually increase the depth of the stretch over time.
 

Quadriceps Stretch

Keep the largest muscles around your hips and knees flexible to ease walking and other daily tasks with this quadriceps stretch. Stretch slowly, just until you feel a gentle stretch in your muscles. Gradually increase the depth of the stretch over time.

Knee-to-Chest Stretch

Increase your flexibility in your lower back, hips and buttocks with the knee-to-chest stretch. Stretch slowly, just until you feel a gentle stretch in your muscles. Gradually increase the depth of the stretch over time.

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Bridge With Leg Extension Progression

Strengthen your lower back, abs, glutes and hamstrings by following these step-by-step directions for a bridge with leg extension.  

Sit-to-Stands

Each of these sit-to-stand exercises, provided by physical therapists from the American Physical Therapy Association, can improve your ability to get up from a chair, get in and out of bed or your car. If you’re just starting out, begin with level 1 (the easiest) and slowly progress to level 4 (the hardest).

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Step-Ups

Make climbing stairs and moving around and up and over obstacles safer and easier with a variety of step-up exercises provided by physical therapists from the American Physical Therapy Association. If you’re just starting out, begin with level 1 (the easiest) and slowly progress to level 3 (the hardest).

Side-Steps With Resistance Band

Add a resistance band to side-step exercises to increase your leg strength and stability. If you’re just starting out, begin with level 1 (the easiest) and slowly progress to level 4 (the hardest). These exercises were provided by physical therapists from the American Physical Therapy Association.

Speed Skaters With & Without Resistance Band

Increase the strength in your glutes and legs with this functional speed skater exercise provided by physical therapists from the American Physical Therapy Association. If you’re just starting out, begin with level 1 (the easiest) and slowly progress to level 4 (the hardest).

Hip Hinge

Work your core and hip flexors with this simple hip hinge exercise.
 

March

Get some cardio while you improve your range of motion with this seated march.

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Deadlift With Resistance Band

Use a resistance tube or band to work your glutes, hip and leg muscles with this deadlift exercise.

Side Leg Raise

This simple but effective side leg raise will strengthen your hip abductors, making daily tasks like getting in and out of your car easier.

 

Standing Hip Extension

Gain flexibility and strength in your hip extensor muscles with this standing hip extension exercise. 
 

The Clam

The clam exercise is a great way to strengthen the muscles on the outer hip and in the buttocks.

Tips to Safe and Successful Stretching:

• Stretch just until you feel gentle pulling in your muscles, then hold the stretch.
• The stretch shouldn’t be painful.
• Stretch gently and smoothly. Do not bounce. 
• Breathe naturally as you hold the stretch. Don’t hold your breath. 
• Repeat stretches as needed, slowly increasing their depth over time. 

 

Tips to Safely and Successfully Use Resistance Bands:

• Use a resistance band or tube with foam handles. They’re easier to grip.
• Or add foam pipe insulation to bands or tubes to create handles.
• Handles not an option? Opt for resistance tubes. They’re gentler on hands. 
• Resistance tubes and bands come in many lengths and resistance levels. Don’t rely on their color to gauge these factors. Manufacturers use different colors to indicate them.
• Try different ones to find the best fit.
• The last few reps in a set should be difficult, but not impossible.