5 Great Lower-body Exercises

Hip and leg strength is essential for many daily activities like bending down to pick up an object or young child from the ground, walking up stairs or simply getting up from a seated position. Strengthening your lower body is also essential in reducing your risk of back injury.
Integrate 1-2 of the exercises below to start strengthening these important muscles.

• Perform 2-3 sets of 10-15 repetitions.
• Rest approximately 45 seconds between each set.
• Add additional resistance once you feel comfortable with each exercise or need more of a challenge.

Glute Bridge

Performed on either a floor or bench, glute bridges use the hip extensor muscles in a position that is safe for both the back and knees. To increase the level of difficulty, place a weight across the bony part of the hips. For best results, focus on pushing your heels into the floor and lifting your hips up to the ceiling while keeping your low back stable.

 

Hip Hinge

This is a safe exercise that focuses on the glutes, hamstrings and adductors, making it great overall lower body exercise. During this movement, your lumbar spine (low back) should remain stable and stiff and the movement should come directly from your hips. When learning this exercise, place your hand on your low back as a reminder to NOT let it bend. Start by maintaining a stable spine and your knees slightly bent. Lean forward by pushing your rear end toward the wall behind you until you feel tightness in the back of your legs (do not let your back bend). Return to the starting position by pushing your feet into the floor and your hips forward.

 

Step-ups

Walking or running up stairs or simply doing step-ups on a box is a great way to use all of the muscles responsible for extending and creating dynamic stability of the hips during upright movements. Use a box that is the same height or slightly lower than your knees. Place your right foot up on the step and push your foot into the box to step up. When you reach the top, lift your left knee into the air, lower the left leg and repeat all the reps on one side before switching legs.

 

Rear Lunges

Squatting or lunging can be painful to the knee joint, particularly when the knee bends more than the hip or ankle during the movement. Stepping backwards removes the risk of too much forward motion from the knee by transferring most of the movement into the hip. Start with both feet hip-width apart. Step back with your right foot and slowly lower your right knee toward the ground while leaning forward slightly (maintain a stable spine during this forward lean). Return to standing by pressing your left foot into the ground and pulling yourself back to standing with your left leg.

 

Lateral Lunges

The benefit of doing lateral or side lunges is that you not only use your hip extensors, you also involve the quadriceps muscles, which help to create shape for your outer thigh. Start with both feet parallel. Step directly to your right while keeping your left foot pressed into the ground. As your right foot hits the ground, push your right hip back toward the wall behind you while reaching for your right foot with your left hand. Return to standing by pushing your right foot into the ground and pulling with the inner thigh muscles of your left leg.