#1 Exercise for Your Hips

This targets essential muscles for balance, stability and pain-free movement

Michelle Crouch,

AARP

Reviewed by

Peter Ronai

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Published December 31, 2025

man lying on his side on a yoga mat performing a lateral leg lift, wearing athletic gear and sneakers against a solid pink background

Lateral leg lifts work hip abductors, which help keep you stable when you walk, stand or climb stairs.

Eli Meir Kaplan

If you have time for only one hip exercise, do leg lifts. If you’ve ever felt a little wobbly as you stood up, or noticed some stiffness in your hips after a long day, you’re not alone. As we age, our hips may be less flexible or responsive than they used to be.

Our hips are supported by a complex group of muscles including glutes and hip flexors, both of which play a unique role in helping us move and stay balanced, says Dr. Karl B. Fields, a sports medicine and family medicine physician at Cone Health in Greensboro, North Carolina.

But there’s one muscle group that often gets overlooked, Fields says: our hip abductors. Located on the outside of the hips, these muscles help stabilize your pelvis and keep you steady when you walk, stand or climb stairs.

#1 Exercise Series

Do these to stay strong as you age

If your hip abductors are weak or aren’t working properly, it can lead to pain in and around your hips, as well as discomfort in your knees, ankles or shins.

“It’s the most common muscle weakness I see in older people,” says Fields.

Hip abductors weaken because we don’t often use them in daily activities, Fields explains. Unless you play a sport that incorporates side-to-side movements, like soccer, tennis or pickleball, you are likely neglecting your hip abductors.

Research shows that strengthening our hip abductors can make a difference in how we feel and move every day.

One 2023 study, published in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, analyzed 59 studies involving 2,144 adults and found that hip abductor strength was critical for balance and mobility function regardless of age.

And a 2022 meta-analysis published in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders focused specifically on patients with knee osteoarthritis and showed that hip abductor exercises significantly reduced their knee pain and improved overall function.

Fields recommends leg lifts because they directly target the hip abductor muscles. Start with standing leg lifts and progress to lateral leg lifts, where you do the exercise while lying on your side, which requires you to work against gravity.

Remember to talk to your doctor before beginning any new exercise routine. If you feel pain with movement, stop and consult a health care provider or physical therapist.

How to do a standing leg lift

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold on to a counter, the back of a chair or another sturdy object for balance.

2. Slowly raise your right leg out to the side as far as you can.

3. Hold your leg for a count of two, then slowly return to the starting position.

4. Do 10 to 15 repetitions, then repeat the exercise on the other side. Keep your hips and pelvis level, and try not to lean your body toward the standing leg.

How to do a lateral leg lift in 4 steps

1. Lie on one side with your legs extended and hips stacked. Use your floor-side arm to support your head. Bend the bottom (underside) leg 90 degrees at the knee for added safety and comfort.

2. Place your top hand on the floor in front of you as a reminder not to lean forward or backward. Your pelvis should be slightly tucked.

3. Keeping your legs and body in a straight line, slowly lift your right leg 12 to 18 inches off the floor, aiming for a 30-degree angle.

4. Slowly lower your leg with controlled movement. Do 10 to 15 repetitions, then switch sides. If you can’t do 10 repetitions, start with five and work your way up.

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Michelle Crouch is a contributing writer who has covered health and personal finance for some of the nation’s top consumer publications. Her work has appeared in Reader’s Digest, Real Simple, Prevention, The Washington Post and The New York Times.

Peter Ronai is a clinical exercise physiologist and clinical professor of exercise science at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut. He is the associate editor-in-chief of the American College of Sports Medicine’s Health & Fitness Journal and teaches and writes about exercise strategies exercise professionals can use to help clients improve their strength, physical fitness, function and health-related quality of life. He is a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine and the Clinical Exercise Physiology Association.