Article: Your gym will likely have machines devoted to building hip strength. Hip abductor machines provide resistance as you work muscles pivotal to healthy hips. Sit so that your feet are on the foot rests and knee pads are outside of your legs. Use your strength to push the pads from a closed to an open position, away from your body. Bring the weight slowly back to a stop. Do this in sets of ten at a manageable weight. Be sure to emphasize good form. Weights too high or too many reps can lead to injury. Gyms may have machines that slightly vary. If you have any questions about how to use a hip abductor machine, ask a gym employee for help. Jogging is great for overall health but can cause wear and tear to your joints, especially knees, hips, and ankles. Use cardio machines at the gym to get the same benefits of cardio, without all the problems.  Use an elliptical machine. This is a low impact exercise that will increase the range of motion in your hips. Simply follow the instructions and start striding at a comfortable resistance level. This will promote the same range of motion as jogging without the impact of hitting the ground. Stationary bikes are among the best exercise options for hip problems. They're great for increasing your range of motion, keeping joints mobile, and building up strength as you progress to longer, more difficult workouts. Tread climbers work much like walking. You will have to stretch your hips to maintain a natural walking stride. Similarly, a stair climber will stretch and strengthen your hips muscles. The incline of the stair climber will force you to stretch and stabilize your muscles. Both of these should be done with caution and after consultation with your doctor or physical therapist. Cardio and machines are great but there are few strength training equivalents to free weights. Weight training can be a little more difficult than other strengthening exercises, but if done properly and safely yields great results.  Use bench step up exercises to build strength. Find a dumbbell weight that you are comfortable with. Hold a dumbbell in each hand down to your side. Stand in front of a bench lengthwise. Step up with your right foot, holding your left leg to the side. Hold for three seconds then repeat with the other foot. Bent knee deadlifts get the benefits of the Olympic dead lift without the same strain. Again, find a light dumbbell and hold one in each hand. Stand with your feet shoulder length apart, holding each dumbbell with your palms facing in. Keeping your head up, shoulders back and knees slightly bent, bend forward slightly, lowering the dumbbells along your legs. Keep your body weight above your heels and slowly return to a starting position. Use dumbbell lunges to stretch your hips. Keep a dumbbell in each hand and stand upright. Step forward with your right foot, keeping your left leg stationary behind. Lower your upper body down while maintaining your balance. Using the heel of your forward foot, return to your starting position.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Use a hip abductor machine. Skip hard cardio in favor of controlled movements on machines. Weight train your way to stronger hips.