Village Gym’s Beginner Guide On Essential Waist & Hip Exercises For Women

When it comes to creating the perfect workout routine for your body, no matter who you are, hip and waist muscles are pivotal to overall bodily health and well being. The hip joint and overall waist area are essential for improving your range of motion and overall agility.

It almost goes without saying, then, that building strong and healthy hip and waist muscles is one of the core fundamentals of any good fitness plan. You’d be surprised how much improving your joint strength can benefit your overarching workout routine.

Fun Fact: research has shown that improved hip flexion strength correlates directly to improving speed. Participants that improved hip flexion strength by around 12.2% saw a decrease of shuttle run times by up to 9%.

So, let’s dive in:

An Overview Of Popular Hip & Waist Exercises For Women

1. Squats

2. Lunges

3. Bicycle Sit Ups (also known as Bicycle Crunches)

4. Hip Abduction

5. Hip Adduction

Keep reading to discover more about these exercises!

1. Squats

Squats are, and always will be, the easiest and simplest way to work your hip and waist muscle groups. The joy of squats is that they can be incorporated into any routine, no matter if you are working out at home or in the gym. They tend to work particularly well as a small waist workout for women as the beginner squat uses your own bodyweight.

Top Tip: working out at Village Gym’s facilities will give you access to weights designed for use when squatting when you want to progress. By squatting with more weight you’ll be able to improve your overall joint strength.

How to do squats:

Step by Step Instructions:

• Begin by standing with your feet roughly shoulder width apart. Standing wider than shoulder width apart will make squats harder to do. Your feet can be turned in or turned out, but ideally they should be parallel with your shoulders.

• Hinge at your hip joint, keeping your back straight, and squat down as if sitting into a chair; always bend your knees while squatting. Make sure your bodyweight is evenly dispersed between both feet.

• While squatting, raise your arms up and directly out in front of your body/chest to help you keep your balance.

• Continue the squat until your thighs are running as parallel to the floor as you can manage.

• Hold the squat in this position briefly.

• Stand back up straight by performing the exact opposite movement you’ve performed in the previous steps. Push down through your heels and push your hips forward, straightening the bend in your legs until you are standing in your original position.

• Repeat as many times as desired.

A good rule of thumb is to start by doing 10 repetitions and then taking a short 10 second break. Doing this 3 times in a row would be one set.

Depending on your routine and fitness level, you may only want one set per session.

You May Also Like: Weight Training Tips For Women

2. Lunges

Lunges are another classic exercise for working the hips and are a great exercise for slim waist workouts. That being said, they aren’t exclusively a workout for the waist; lunges will work your thigh muscles, knee joints and lower leg muscle groups too. Additionally, they’ll also work your core!

How to do lunges:

Step by step instructions:

• The starting position for lunges is very similar to that of squats.Position your feet shoulder width apart.

• You can start with either your right or left leg, it doesn’t matter. With your chosen leg step forward roughly one and a half shoulder widths to your front until your front knee is directly above your ankle. Your other leg should hinge forwards at the hip until your knee is nearly touching the ground.

• As you make this step forward be sure to keep your back straight, shoulders back and chest pushed slightly outward to maintain correct posture and form.

• As you lunge forward, be sure to bend both knees at the same time to maintain your balance and ensure your bodyweight is evenly distributed between both legs.

• When at the bottom of the lunge, hold it very briefly.

• Push up and backwards through your heels to return to your original starting position.

• Repeat for your other leg.

Top Tip: avoid leaning too far forward or backward when you lunge and that your front knee doesn’t extend beyond your toes. This will prevent excessive strain on your muscle groups.

If you’re interested in more exercises you can do from home why not check out our blog designed to help you accomplish your fitness goals from home!

3. Bicycle Sit Ups (aka Bicycle Crunches)

While the term ‘sit ups’ doesn’t immediately seem like it is a focus exercise for the hip and waist, you’ll be surprised how effective this variant of sit ups can be.

Conventional sit ups are known to focus the core primarily and while bicycle sit ups do work the core, they also put greater tension on the hip joints and muscle groups around the waist in all the right ways.

How to do bicycle sit ups:

Step by step instructions:

• Lie down flat on your back.

• Bend your knees towards your body until your shins/calves are parallel with the ground.

• It is vital for this exercise to ensure you don’t let your hands or arms support your body weight; this will make each bicycle sit up more effective. A great place to keep your hands is behind your head, with your elbows pointing outwards. Keep your arms from touching the ground.

• When you are ready sit up towards your legs and bring your legs towards the core of your body. As you do so, twist your right elbow towards your left knee.

• Decompress the bicycle sit up and repeat, twisting the left elbow towards the right knee.

• Continue this motion until you achieve your repetition goal.

Top Tip: try to keep the motion of the bicycle sit up as smooth as possible and start off slow. Don’t speed up your bicycle sit ups until you are comfortable with the movement to avoid injury when twisting.

If you are interested in more workouts for the core, check out our blog post dedicated to ab workouts for more ideas!

4. Hip Abduction

Hip abduction is a more specific exercise designed to work the hip joint and waist. This kind of exercise uses a machine called a hip abduction and adduction machine, also known as a hip spread machine, hip lateral raise machine, or a hip press.

While there are exercises that can be completed that provide similar benefits to hip abduction, using a specialised machine will increase the rate of progress towards your fitness goals.

At Village Gym we have exemplary state-of-the-art equipment that can help you reach your fitness goals as well as certified trainers to assist you with their use and with tailoring your training appropriately. 

How to do hip abduction:

Step by step instructions:

• Before starting, be sure to adjust the machine so that it is the appropriate size for your body. Adjust the seat to ensure the height is comfortable and that the pads on the machine are aligned with your inner thighs; just above the knee joints.

• Ensure that when you are sitting in the machine that you are sitting with your back straight against the backrest with your legs bent at roughly 90 degrees. There will be a rest for your feet, ensure this is comfortable and adjusted correctly.

• Adjust the weights to the correct resistance level that you want to use. Take care not to use a weight that is too heavy for you, as this can cause muscle injury. An easy way to adjust the machine is by starting at the lightest weight and working your way to a heavier weight. Select the weight you require.

• When ready, use your thigh muscles and hip joint to push against the padded arms of the machine. You will feel resistance. Continue this movement until your legs are extended as far as they can go, or until you feel your hips stretching.

• Hold your maximum stretch briefly before smoothly (and slowly) bringing your legs back to rest at your starting position.

• Repeat this as many times as needed to reach your repetition goal.

Top Tip: always seek assistance in setting the machine up correctly as this will reduce the chances of injury and improve the gains you’ll attain from your workout. At Village Gym we have specialists on hand to show you correct form and techniques for using all our machines; including hip abduction machines.

5. Hip Adduction

The last hip exercise for women that we want to focus on is hip adduction. As the name suggests, this exercise is the polar opposite exercise of hip abduction. Instead of focussing on pushing weights outward with your hips and thighs to work the inner thigh, for this exercise you’ll pull inwards.

Hip adduction will target your outer thigh muscle groups as well as improving hip joint flexibility.

How to do hip adduction:

Step by step instructions for hip adductions:

• Like with hip abduction, before starting, adjust the machine so that it is the appropriate size for your body. This includes adjusting the seat and that the pads on the machine are comfortable. Ensure the pads are aligned with your inner thighs; just above the knee joints.

• Sit on the machine with your back straightened against the backrest with your legs bent at roughly 90 degrees.

• Adjust the weights to your fitness goals. To avoid injuries, avoid using a weight heavier than you can comfortably accomplish for various repetitions.

• When ready, use your thigh muscles and hip joint to pull against the padded arms of the machine. Continue this movement until your legs are fully contracted as far as they can go, or until you feel your hips stretching.

• Hold your maximum stretch briefly before smoothly (and slowly) bringing your legs back to rest at your starting position.

• Repeat this as many times as needed to reach your repetition goal.

Top Tip: always be sure to cool down after a workout effectively by gently stretching after a workout.

Workout Like A Pro

As a beginner, these five hip and waist exercises for women will help with breaking you into improving hip flexibility and waist strength. 

For those looking for a more tailored approach to their fitness goals, Village Gym offers contemporary machines that will aid you on your fitness journey - including personal trainers that are certified to provide detailed and attentive support.

Our membership options are extensive and cater to all; whether you’re brand new to fitness or a veteran to exercising. Take advantage of our impressive facilities that include pools, saunas, and advanced gym technology to take a holistic approach to your health and wellbeing.

Find your closest Village Gym and book a tour today!

FAQs About Hip & Waist Exercises

Do Waist Exercises Work?

Just like any exercise or workout routine, they work with discipline and persistence. Staying dedicated to working out with waist exercises will help you achieve your fitness goals - but not overnight. Diet is also a hugely important factor to consider too!

What Is The Best Exercise For Hip Problems?

The best exercise for your body will depend on the hip problem you are having. There are a range of exercises designed to improve hip flexibility and strength that are low-intensity. Squats and lunges are great examples. If you have pre-existing hip problems you should consult with a physiotherapist and a personal trainer to curate an ideal workout routine for you.

How Can I Reduce Hip Pain?

Regular exercise of the hip joints and waist muscle groups will help keep your hips healthy; and this may reduce pain you are experiencing. However, for regular and recurring aches and pains you should consult a physiotherapist and personal trainer to develop a workout routine tailored to combating pain you experience.