A personal trainer recommends these three standing exercises for strengthening the hips

A woman stands on her left leg, wearing leggings and a vest on an exercise mat at home, holding her right leg out to the side. Behind her we see a couch, plants and shelving.

Squats and lunges are great for building strength in the hips. However, they’re not ideal if you have lower-body joint pain.

I’m a certified personal trainer who specializes in corrective exercise and I see a lot of clients who struggle to do these moves.

When conventional lower-body and hip strengthening exercises are off the table, I substitute in these three joint-friendly movements instead.

They’re all done while standing and are safe for most fitness levels.

If you’ve got a resistance band and a steady surface for balance, give them a try.

How to do the three joint-friendly hip exercises

The exercises in this routine are:

1. Banded kickback: 3 x 10-15 each side
2. Banded standing hip abduction: 3 x 10-15 each side
3. Standing clamshell: 3 x 10-15 each side

You’ll need a looped resistance band for these exercises. You may also want a bare wall or chair nearby for balance.

1. Banded kickback

Sets: 3 Reps: 10-15 each side

• Stand and loop a resistance band around your ankles.
• Bend your knees slightly and engage your core.
• Lift your left leg behind you.
• Return to the starting position.
• Do all your reps on one side, then switch sides.

Trainer tips: Squeeze your glute muscles while you’re kicking the heel back. Hinge at your hips and bend forward slightly to get greater muscle activation in the glutes. Hold onto a wall for balance, if needed.

2. Banded standing hip abduction

Sets: 3 Reps: 10-15 each side

• Stand and loop a resistance band around your ankles.
• Bend your knees slightly and engage your core.
• Lift your left leg out to the side.
• Return to the starting position.
• Do all your reps on one side, then switch sides.

Trainer tips: When lifting your leg to the side, be sure to keep your toes pointed forward. You should feel the muscles on the outside of your hip working, not the muscles on the top of your thigh. Hold onto a wall or a chair for support, if needed.

3. Standing clamshell

Sets: 3 Reps: 10-15 each side

• Stand and loop a resistance band above your knees.
• Bend your knees slightly, engage your core and lift your left foot just off the floor.
• Lift your left leg out to the side, keeping your left knee bent.
• Return to the starting position.
• Do all your reps on one side, then switch sides.

Trainer tips: Keep your range of motion small—you don’t want to take your leg too far to the side. You should feel the muscles on the outside of your hip working. If needed, hold onto a wall or a chair for balance.