Hip Abduction

An isolation exercise targeting the hip abductors by raising your leg out to the side while standing, strengthening the muscles on the outer hip and glute.

Instructions

1. Stand upright with your feet hip-width apart and your hands on your hips or holding onto something for balance.
2. Shift your weight onto your left foot, maintaining a slight bend in your left knee.
3. Keeping your torso upright and your right leg relatively straight, raise your right leg out to the side.
4. Raise your leg to approximately 45 degrees or until you feel a good contraction in your hip abductors.
5. Lower your leg back down with control.
6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch sides.

Tips

• Maintain an upright posture throughout the movement
• Move through a controlled tempo rather than swinging momentum
• Keep your standing leg slightly bent for better stability
• Feel the abductor muscles working on the outer hip
• You can add resistance with an ankle weight or resistance band as strength improves