When excess layers of fat accumulate along the hips, you may feel like nothing you do will be able to get rid of them. Not only do you need to do adequate cardio exercise to burn fat, you also need to do targeted strength-building exercises for the hips to tone and tighten the muscles and create a slimmer, more defined silhouette.
Cardio
Cardio exercise four to five times a week. High-intensity interval training, involving periods of high-intensity exercise with shorter, low-intensity recovery periods, is the most effective fat-burning exercise. Though you can’t use cardio to spot reduce fat from your hips, exercises such as running, cycling, rowing, swimming and jumping rope will help you lose weight from all over your body.
Lunge
The dumbbell rear lunge is one of the most effective resistance exercises for working the hip muscles.
- Start in a standing position with your feet about shoulder-width apart.
- Hold a barbell behind you so it rests at the back of your shoulders and grasp your hands tightly around the barbell at each side.
- Take a step back with your left foot, lowering yourself until the knee of your rear leg is nearly touching the floor.
- Bend the knee in front of you to a 90-degree angle.
- Keep your back straight during the exercise.
- Return to a standing position and then repeat with your right leg behind you.
Raise Your Leg High
Try the dumbbell lying hip abduction to directly target the hip abductor muscles.
- Lie on your side, your body nearly straight with one leg on top of the other.
- Extend your top arm down along the side of your body, holding a dumbbell in your hand so it rests against your thigh.
- Engage your core and slowly raise your top leg away from the other as far as possible, holding the weight in place against your leg as you raise it up.
- Return to your starting position and repeat several more times.
- Switch sides.
Incline Leg Raise
When you want to tone your sides, include the incline leg raise in your workout.
- Lie supine on an incline board, your hands grasping the sides near the top of the board for support.
- Your body should form a straight line from head to toe.
- Slowly bend your legs, bringing your knees up together toward your chest.
- Lower your legs back down and repeat.