5 Standing Exercises That Firm Hip Strength Faster Than Floor Stretches After 60

Your hips require extra TLC—especially as you age.

Your 60s is a common time to start making plans for a brand new chapter. That may include retirement, grandchildren, and taking time to stop and smell the roses. But it’s essential to consider planning for self-maintenance along the way. Every part of your body, including your hips, requires a bit of extra TLC. Strong hips can help keep your pelvis stable, your body balanced, and daily movements like walking much easier. As you age, muscle mass decreases and bones weaken. Weak hip muscles can heighten your risk of falling and sustaining a serious fracture.

“The hip muscles are among the largest and strongest in the body. They play a critical role in stabilizing both the legs and the torso,” explains Dr. Dustin DebRoy, Manager, Chiropractic Education and Relations at The Joint Chiropractic. “When these muscles are weak, the body may compensate by leaning forward or moving inefficiently, which can disrupt coordination and balance.

To help get you on the right track, Dr. DebRoy rounded up five standing exercises that can solidify your hip strength faster than floor stretches after 60.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

“If the goal is to build hip strength that carries over into real-life movement, standing, full-body exercises are far more effective than floor-based stretches,” Dr. Debroy tells us. “When you’re lying on the ground, many stabilizing muscles in the feet, legs, pelvis, and spine are less active. That reduced demand makes it harder to build true strength and control. In contrast, standing exercises require your entire body to work together, which better develops functional, ‘real-world’ strength that outperforms floor-based exercises.”

Lunges

“Lunges build hip strength by training each leg independently through controlled hip flexion and extension. This improves the ability of the hips to stabilize and generate force during walking, stairs, and directional changes,” Dr. DebRoy explains.

1. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and hands on your hips.
2. Step one foot forward.
3. Engage your core as you bend your knees, lowering to form 90-degree bends in both legs.
4. Keep your upper body straight.
5. Press through your front heel and the ball of your back foot to rise back up.

Squats

“Squats strengthen the glutes by requiring powerful hip extension to stand up from a deep position. They also improve overall hip stability by engaging the surrounding core and leg muscles together,” Dr. DebRoy tells us.

1. Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart on the floor.
2. Extend your arms in front of you or place your hands on your hips.
3. Bend at the knees and hips as you lower into a squat.
4. Descend until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
5. Press through your heels to rise back up to standing.

Lateral Lunges

“Lateral lunges strengthen the hips in the side-to-side plane, which targets the glute medius and other stabilizers. This improves hip stability and control during side-to-side movements and balance tasks,” Dr. DebRoy says.

1. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Take a big step out to the side with your left foot, press your hips back, and lower into a lateral lunge.
3. Press through your left heel to rise back up.
4. Repeat on the other side.

Step-Ups

“Step-ups develop hip strength by forcing one leg to lift and support the body against gravity. This builds glute strength and improves hip power for stairs, hills, and rising from lower positions,” Dr. DebRoy notes.

1. Begin by standing tall, facing a step.
2. Place your left foot firmly onto the surface, keeping your core engaged and chest tall.
3. Press through your left heel to lift your body until your left leg is straight and you’re standing on the surface.
4. Use control to lower back to the start position.
5. Repeat on the other side.

Single-Leg Hip Hinge

“Single leg hip hinges strengthen the hips by emphasizing controlled hip extension while challenging balance. They also improve glute activation and stability through the entire hip and pelvic region,” Dr. DebRoy tells us.

1. Begin by standing tall with your feet hip-width apart and arms by your sides.
2. Shift your body weight onto one leg, maintaining a slight bend in that knee.
3. Hinge at the hips, pressing them back as your torso moves forward.
4. Extend the lifted leg straight behind you.
5. Keep your hips square to the ground and your back flat.
6. Lower until your torso becomes parallel to the floor.
7. Press through your standing heel to return to the start position.
8. Repeat on the other side.

Alexa Mellardo