Don’t you find it bothersome when you crave to wear your preferred pair of jeans, only to learn that they no longer fit your physique? Whether you’ve packed on a few extra pounds, put on some fat over recent weeks, or were naturally blessed with wide hips, you will find specific methods to lose what you’ve gained.
Best Reasons Why you Should Exercise your Hips
Well, aside from wanting to wear those favorite jeans of yours that wouldn’t fit anymore, you should do hip workouts primarily for health reasons. Body fat accumulation can compromise your lower body parts which cause backache and knee joint pains.
Your movements are limited, which makes it harder for you to do even a simple physical task. If you’re starting to feel those symptoms in your body and want to change to a healthy lifestyle, you can start doing basic hip fat exercises to boost your health, feel lighter, and do better.
Keep your back strong: Strengthen Your Back with these Home Exercises
Hip Fat Exercises You Can Do at Home
If you’re still not up to getting a gym workout, here are some exercises you can do at home that don’t require complicated workout equipment.
Standing Slow Side Kick
Before performing exercises that require big movements, this exercise is a simple yet effective one to help you with your control and stability and lose fat in your hips and thigh.
As starting position, stand straight with your hands on your hips. With your left leg holding your weight, slowly lift your right leg sideways at 70 degrees angle. Make sure that the other leg is kept straight during the lift. Gently put your right leg down to the initial position and repeat the movement 10 to 15 times in one leg, then switch to the other leg with the same number of reps.
Balancing Squat
This exercise helps to improve your balance while engaging your hips, core, and glutes the entire time. To do this, get into position by standing with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart with proper chest lifted and spine neutral posture. Put your hands together (like you’re praying) and lower into a squat position.
As you come back up, shift your weight on one leg (you can start with the right one) as you bend the knee of your other leg with your hand grabbing onto the bended knee. Hold the position for one second before returning to the initial position.
Side Lunges
This movement targets the inner thighs and hips. To start, stand properly with your hands resting on the sides. Bend one of your knees and move sideways while stretching your other leg with your butt sticking out. Keep the pose for 10 to 15 counts before going back to the initial position. Repeat the movement on the other leg.
Wall Squats
This exercise helps you lose hip fat and build core strength, lose weight, and develop muscle endurance.
Stand against the wall with your upper back firmly leaned on it while your legs are a few inches away from the wall. Slide your back down while bending your knees until you reach a sitting position. Make sure that your legs are at the right angle and hamstrings are parallel to the floor. Maintain the position for 20 to 30 seconds or even up to a minute (if you can) before returning to the starting position.
Workouts with Exercise Equipment
Side Hip Raise with Resistance Band
If you’ve been sitting for long periods of time, this exercise will help you with muscle endurance which targets your hips and thighs. This workout can be done with or without a resistance band.
Lie down on one of your body’s sides. You can start with your right side touching the ground. On the free side, hold your hip with your left hand. Then, slowly lift your pelvis upward while the body weight is being supported by your right arm, with your legs still together. Once established, slowly lift your left leg away from your right leg.
Hold the posture for 10 seconds, then slowly return your left leg beside your right leg. If you’re using a resistance band, put it around the knee to provide you with extra pressure. Do 10 to 15 reps for each leg.
Step-Ups
Step-up exercise can improve your balance and stability aside from getting your hip and thigh toning. Stand in front of a knee-high step or a steady bench with your feet hip-width apart to get into the starting position. You can hold a pair of dumbbells in each hand. Begin the movement by stepping one of your feet onto the step or bench, then drive your other foot up with the weights at your side. Lower your lifted leg and back away. Perform 10 to 15 reps before switching the legs to do the same of 2 to 3 sets.
High-Intensity Interval Training
If you’re aiming for a complete weight loss in line with losing your hip fat, HIIT is an effective way to burn overall body fat by performing intense exercises followed by a short rest period.
This program only consists of cardio workouts. Basically, you have to do a series of cardio workouts in 10 to 30 minutes with 15-second rest in between. For example, you can do 30 seconds on the treadmill of fast sprinting and then follow a walk on the same treadmill as rest.
You can also do a more intense workout of 45-second jump squats, then give yourself a rest for 15 seconds. Doing HIIT at least 2 times per week can provide you with great results.
Need more advanced training? You may like this: How to Get into CrossFit
Tips to Keep Your Hips Healthy
Having a lean and toned hip should not be enough. Keeping it strong and healthy should be a priority, too, to ensure that it can support both your upper and lower body while keeping an awesome body figure.
Diet and Exercise Regularly
Eating properly and working out go hand in hand to reduce hip fat and maintain the body figure and overall health. Avoid eating food and beverages with high sugar content, portion your food, and burn calories through exercise.
Don’t Take Sleep for Granted
Getting good sleeping hours is part of keeping yourself healthy. It can support your weight loss journey. Sleeping continuously at night can prevent you from midnight snacking and give you enough energy for your workout routine.
Avoid Getting too much Stress
Stress is part of our lives, and it’s challenging to ignore. But stress is one of the significant contributing factors for weight gain and other health issues. If you have a regular source of stress, meditation helps to reduce stress levels.
