193 Lemarchant Rd, St. John's
Hip Exercises
Strong hips are key for movement, strength, and injury prevention. They power activities like squatting, running, and lifting while stabilizing the pelvis and protecting the knees and back. Strong hips also improve balance, posture, and athletic performance. In daily life, they make walking, climbing stairs, and standing easier. Building hip strength helps you move better, feel stronger, and stay pain-free.
Clam Shells strengthen the glutes and abductors and helps with hip mobility, and is a great way to start building strong pain free hips.
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Starting Position:
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Lie on your side with your hips stacked and knees bent at about 90 degrees.
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Your feet should be in line with your spine, and your head can rest on your arm or a pillow.
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Keep your core engaged and your hips stable.
Movement:
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Keeping your feet together, lift your top knee as high as you can without rotating your pelvis or lifting your hips.
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Pause at the top for a second or two.
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Slowly lower the knee back down with control.
Glute Bridges help strengthen the glutes and hamstrings, this will help with not only knee pain but also back pain.
Starting Position:
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Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
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Arms rest at your sides, palms facing down.
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Your feet should be close enough that you can just touch your heels with your fingertips.
Movement:
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Engage your core and squeeze your glutes.
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Push through your heels to lift your hips toward the ceiling.
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Your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
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Pause at the top for 1–2 seconds while squeezing your glutes.
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Slowly lower your hips back to the floor with control.
Side planks are a powerful core exercise that primarily target the obliques, but also strengthen the shoulders, glutes, and hips. They’re great for improving core stability, balance, and postural control, while being gentle on the spine.
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Start on your side with your elbow directly under your shoulder and legs stacked.
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Engage your core and lift your hips, forming a straight line from head to feet.
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Hold this position, keeping your hips lifted and body stable.
Elephant walks are a dynamic mobility drill often used in warm-ups to improve hamstring flexibility, ankle mobility, and posterior chain coordination. They’re especially helpful for loosening up tight legs and preparing the body for squats, deadlifts, or running.
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Start standing tall with your feet about hip-width apart.
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Hinge forward at the hips, reaching toward your toes or the floor. Keep your legs as straight as comfortable—a slight bend is okay.
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Grab your ankles, shins, or feet with your hands.
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Keeping your grip, bend one knee while keeping the other leg straight, then switch.
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Continue alternating knees in a slow, walking motion, like an elephant swaying side to side