Your hips consist of your ilium, ischium, pubis and femur bones. Muscles that attach to and cross over your hip bones stabilize your body and serve as a link between your upper half and lower half. Strengthening muscles that connect to your hips may improve your posture, athletic performance and physical appearance.
Oblique Side Lifts
Your external obliques are large, thin, superficial muscles that help you flex and rotate your trunk and bend your chest downward. This exercise strengthens those muscles. Hold a light weight in each hand, stand straight and widen your feet to hips-width. Tighten your abdominal muscles and straighten your spine. Hang your arms by your sides, gaze forward and press the weights gently against your legs. Keeping your hips and shoulders squared forward, bend toward your right, lowering the weight in your right hand toward your right knee. Stop when you feel a tension or stretch in your left side. Keeping your left shoulder back and not dropping it forward will help isolate your obliques during this exercise. Lift your body and the weight to your start position. Repeat until you complete 15 repetitions, then bend toward your left 15 times.
Adductor Exercise
Your adductor muscles are located on the inside of your thighs and they help pull your hips and legs toward your body. For this exercise, lie on your left side, stack your hips, prop your left elbow on the ground and place your head on your left hand. Bend your right leg and place your right foot on the ground, directly in front of your left knee. Lift your left leg 12 inches off the ground and lower until it is about to make contact with the floor. Immediately do another lift and continue until you complete 15 lifts. Turn onto your right side and do the same with your right foot's adductor muscles. Wear ankle weights to increase exercise difficulty.
Inversion Flyers
Your gluteus medius muscles are located in your buttocks regions. Strong glutes improve posture and may help reduce or prevent lower back pain. Inverted flyers strengthen your gluteus medius muscles. Stand straight, feet hips-width apart and knees slightly bent. Tightening your abdominal muscles, lift your right knee directly in front of you, parallel to the floor. In the correct position, your right leg forms a 90-degree angle. Bend your arms and position your elbows next to your sides, forearms parallel to the floor. Leaning onto your left hip, gaze at the floor and move your bent right leg behind you while reaching your right arm forward. Keeping a straight back and tight abdominal muscles ensures that you use your gluteus medius. Lower your chest parallel to the floor and then straighten and extend your right leg and right arm as much as possible. Imagine reaching forward with your fingers and pushing away with your toes and hold for 10 seconds. Draw your leg and arm into the start position and repeat for a total of five repetitions. Switch legs and do the same with your left leg.
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