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Exercises For Hips


Submitted by Kevin Pederson on July 24, 2010
The best way to deal with wide hips is to exercise regularly. The size of the hips could prove to be a concern for many people, especially women. The hips are prone to developing layers of fat and hence one must exercise regularly. However, the exercises you perform should aim to help you lose excess weight throughout the body. These exercises include cardiovascular exercises such as walking, running or swimming. Aerobic exercises also help in losing weight. Along with a complete body workout, it is advisable to also perform some exercises that particularly focus on the hips. Even those with smaller hips will benefit from these exercises as they also help to strengthen the muscles in the area and improve their flexibility.
Beneficial exercises for hips include squats. Malasana (Garland Pose) is a beneficial exercise for the hips as it opens the hip and groin region. Stand with your feet apart. Bend the knees and lower the body in a squat. The feet must be kept as parallel as possible. Place the upper arms against the inner thighs and bring your palms together. The forearms must be parallel to the floor and the knees must be open slightly. The spine should be straight and the shoulders must be relaxed. Maintain the pose for five breaths and straighten the legs.
You can also perform lunges to improve the hip muscles. Stand up straight with your hands at the sides and the feet facing in front. Balance your weight to the middle of the feet. Place your palms on the hips, while bending the arms at the elbow. Move your left leg forward about 1 to 2 feet and bend the knee of the other leg in front. The knee should not extend beyond your toes. Then lift the right heel until both knees are at a right angle to the ground. Remain in this position for a couple of seconds and then resume original position. After a second, repeat the exercise. Other yoga exercises for hips include Baddha Konasana (Cobbler's Pose). This is a seated pose which helps to open up the hips and groin. From the basic seated pose, bend your knees and bring the soles of the feet together. Allow the knees to fall to each side. Keep the spine upright and press the edges of the feet together firmly. An advanced variation of this pose involves performing a forward bend, while keeping your spine long. 
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