If butt workouts are a standard part of your fitness routine, but your backside just won’t cooperate, there’s a solid chance it’s because your hips are tight AF.
“I see this all the time, hips are something everyone overlooks,” says Stephen Pasterino, NASM-certified celebrity trainer and founder of P.Volve. “But if your hips aren’t working right, you’re not going to get the results you want.”
How do you know if you’re in the tight hips club? Well if you sit the majority of your day (at work, in car, at home, etc.) then you’re probably a member, says Pasterino. Other tell-tale signs include lower back pain and poor posture.
Luckily, this routine can help.
Time: About 45 minutes
Equipment: None
Good for: Hip opening and strengthening-which are key for a toned butt
Instructions: Complete 8 reps of each move. Do three to four sets of each before moving on to the next, resting for 30 seconds in between each set.
(Alternatively, for a daily stretch, perform six reps of each move, proceeding from one to the next and resting as needed.)
Step Back & Reach
How to: Stand with your feet hip-distance apart. Your feet should be flat, and your legs should be straight. Step your right back behind your body, keeping your hips parallel, and stretch your right hand up overhead at the same time. Step back up to starting position. That’s one rep. Repeat eight times on each side. Do three to four sets before moving on to the next move, resting for 30 seconds in between each set.
Step Back Wide
How to: Start with your left foot back behind your body, with feet flat on the ground and legs straight. With the back foot, take one step farther away from your body-engage the glutes as you do. Then reach overhead with the opposite arm and stretch through the side of your body. Return to starting position. That’s one rep. Repeat eight times on each side. Do three to four sets before moving on to the next move, resting for 30 seconds in between each set.
Open Hip Stretch
How to: Start in a standing position with your feet hip-width apart. Bend your knees slightly, and sit your hips back into a slight squat position. Keep your arms lifted at shoulder height, with your elbows bent and facing the side of the room. Bring one foot up, rotate your hips, and place that foot down on the ground, diagonally behind your body. Pause, then return to starting position. That’s one rep. Do eight reps on each side. Do three to four sets before moving on to the next move, resting for 30 seconds in between each set.
Inward Back Step with Overhead Reach
How to: Get in a standing position, with one foot about a foot’s distance behind the other, hips in line. Your feet should be flat, and your legs should be straight. Cross the back foot behind the front one as you reach your arm on the same side overhead. Return to starting position. That’s one rep. Do eight reps on each side. Do three to four sets before moving on to the next move, resting for 30 seconds in between each set.
Rear Diagonal Lunge
How to: Start feet hip-width apart, with your arms straight out in front of you. Step one foot back on a diagonal, feet flat. Once your foot reaches the floor, lower into a shallow lunge. Keep your knee bent and butt back, twist your pelvis, and rotate your arms back behind your body until they frame the knee. Return to starting position. That’s one rep. Do eight reps on each side. Do three to four sets before moving on to the next move, resting for 30 seconds in between each set.