Losing weight around the hips is the goal of many people. This is especially a problem area for women as they naturally accumulate excess fat there, whereas for men its normally belly fat. Finding success in this area requires a combination of sensible nutrition, overall calorie burning exercise and specific exercises that target the inner thigh and hip areas. In this article, we present the best hip exercises to help you tone your hips, lower body and lose fat. We will also provide fitness tips on nutrition and overall calorie burning.
How to eat to lose excess hip fat
You have to lose overall body fat, you cannot spot train to reduce body fat, losing fat from around your hips will require that you reduce your total calorie consumption. This will help you to end up with a caloric deficit each day. You will, as a result, lose fat from your overall body, including your thighs and hips. Cut back by 500 calories each day while also reducing your intake of processed carbohydrates. At the same time, eat more lean protein and healthy fats. Monitor you portion size to ensure you don’t overeat.
Make sure you eat healthy, avoid processed foods, to ensure your body gets all the essential nutrients it needs.
Overall Exercise for Hip Fat Weight Loss
Performing exercises to burn calories from all over your body will help you to get rid of hip fat. You should do such exercises as running on the treadmill, using a rowing machine and cycling in order to achieve a consistent calorie burn. Try to do these exercises 3 times per week for 30-40 minutes.
The Best Exercises for Hips Weight Loss
Side Lunges
This variation of the standard lunge will put mote emphasis on the hips and sides of the waist. Begin by standing with your feet quite wide apart and your hands clasped together in front of your chest. Stand up nice and tall with your lower back slightly arched. Now take a big step to the left, simultaneously dropping down with your right leg until it is parallel to the floor.
Hold this position for a moment and then push through the left foot to return to the start position. Perform 10 reps on each leg.
Wall Sit
Stand with your back to a wall and your feet about 12 inches in front of it. Now drop down as if you were sitting in a chair. Place your palms against the wall and keep your back against it at all times. In the hold position your thighs are parallel with the floor. Stay in this position for 60 seconds.
Donkey Kick
Get down on the floor and assume a table position with your body. The points of contact with the floor should be your palms, knees and toes. Assume a natural slight arch position in your lower back. Now kick your left leg back and up behind you. Then reverse this position and repeat with the other leg. Continue until you have done 12 repetitions on each leg.
Box Jumps
Stand in front of a box or other platform that is around 12 inches from the floor. Your feet shoulder width apart with your arms at your sides. Prepare to jump up onto the box by dropping your hips and loading for propulsion. Use your arms to drive both feet together up onto the box or platform. Both feet should land at the same time. Reverse the motion to jump back down to the floor. Perform your box jumps with a fluid smooth motion for a total of 20 repetitions.
Side leg raise
Position yourself on the floor, lying on your left side. Your legs should be stacked one upon the other with your left hand supporting your head. Now, without bending your knee, bring your right leg at as high as you can. The only movement should be through the hip joint. As you perform this movement your toes should be pointed forward. Hold the top position for a one count before slowly returning your leg to the start position. Be sure to keep your upper body braced and your core tight throughout the movement. Perform 12 repetitions on each leg.
Jump Squats
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart in a standard squat position. Have your hands clasped together in front of your body (chest). Keeping your torso upright and keeping a small arch in your lower back, start descending into a squat with a hip hinge movement. When you reach the bottom position of the squat, jump out 2 to 3 inches from the ground. When you come back down immediately move into your next squat repetition. You should land on the balls of your feet before transferring your weight to your heels in preparation for the next jump. Perform 12 repetitions of this exercise.
Putting it all together
You can combine the above exercises into an effective exercise routine to help you lose hip fat as well as being effective toning exercises. At the same time these strengthening exercises will make you stronger through the hips, glutes and thighs. This will improve your posture and help alleviate lower back problems.
We recommend performing this hip workout to lose hip fat as a circuit program. That means that, instead of doing a traditional set and rep scheme where you perform a few sets of an exercise and then move onto the next exercise, you do the exercises one after the other in circuit fashion with no rest between them. You then build up to performing multiple rounds of the circuit. This is the most effective way to burn fat.
Here is the workout for fat reduction through the thighs and hips.
Side Lunges – 10 reps on each leg
Wall Sit – 60 seconds
Donkey Kicks – 12 reps each leg
Side Leg Raise – 12 reps each leg
Jump Squats – 12 reps
Perform this workout to lose hip fat three days per week. For the first week, go through one round of this circuit. Then add in a second round during week two. Do this for two weeks and then add a third round. Perform this workout for 6 weeks to see noticeable hip fat loss.
