When there’s arm day, leg day and full body workouts to compete with, focusing on bolstering the strength of your hips might not necessarily be at the top of your workout agenda.
But maintaining your hip health can boost your balance, better your mobility and help you easily perform everyday tasks (like running, walking and sitting) with ease.
Thankfully, you don’t need to spend hours in the gym to strengthen this area of your body. All you need is five minutes and one of the best resistance bands, according to personal trainer and certified Pilates instructor Jillian Hardwick.
With just three strength-training moves, a mini looped resistance band and a yoga mat, Hardwick has created a quick and simple Pilates-inspired workout that will improve your balance and hip strength.
Watch Jillian Hardwick's 5-minute resistance band workout
Each of the three standing moves is a unilateral exercise — meaning they’re performed on one side of the body. Hardwick holds onto the back of a chair to help with balance, but you could always use a wall or table nearby.v
1. Standing donkey kicks
Resembling the action of a donkey kicking, this standing move will help to improve hip stability and strength. And better yet, it will take up little, if any, space.
- Stand on your exercise mat, with your legs hip-width apart and your mini looped resistance band around your right ankle and the arch of your left foot. Place your right hand on the back of a chair.
- Engage your core and shift your body weight onto your right leg.
- Raise your left leg back behind you, until your leg is straight, squeezing your glute at the top of the movement.
- Lower your left leg back down, tapping your toe on the floor behind you.
- Complete 8 reps, before swapping to the other leg.
2. Knee extensions
Along with being one of the best exercises for strengthening your knees, banded knee extensions can help you target the muscles that surround your hips, like your quadriceps.
- Stand on your exercise mat, with your legs hip-width apart and your mini looped resistance band around both ankles. Place your right hand on the back of a chair.
- Engage your core and shift your body weight onto your right leg.
- Raise your left leg off the ground in front of you and use your top thigh muscles as you try to straighten your knee before bringing it back to a bent position.
- Complete 8 reps, before swapping to the other leg.
3. Standing half circles
Helping to boost strength in your quads, inner thighs, glutes and hips, standing half circles can help you work multiple muscles in your body at once.
- Stand on your exercise mat, with your legs hip-width apart and your mini looped resistance band around both ankles. Place your right hand on the back of a chair.
- Engage your core and shift your body weight onto your right leg.
- Pull against the resistance band and raise your left leg off the ground in front of you. Use your top thigh muscles and hips to draw a half ‘circle’ with your leg from the front to the back of your body.
- Repeat in the opposite direction.
- Complete 8 reps, before swapping to the other leg.
More from Tom’s Guide
- Here's what happened when our fitness editor tried this Wall pilates workout
- This at-home Pilates workout that targets your entire core
- 8 of the best Pilates exercises for working your abs
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