I train clients of all ages, and this is the one beginner-friendly exercise I use to build hip strength and boost mobility

There's a hip mobility exercise that humbles me daily, and I use it with clients almost every week to build strong hips, open tight groins and activate lazy glutes: hip openers. I know, imaginative name, right?

It does what it says on the tin, though, helping to open your hips while strengthening them, which is great for improving lower-body movement and mechanics. If you want to feel freer when you move, this is the exercise to try.

If you have tight hamstrings or limited mobility, try elevating your hips by sitting on the edge of a yoga block (or similar). If you find it difficult to sit tall and engage your core properly, consider performing this exercise with your back against a wall or bench for support.

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Here's how to do hip openers, and why I love this simple beginner-friendly exercise for ultimate hip and glute mobility. That said, if you're working with an injury, illness, health condition, or pain, speak with a medical professional first before beginning any new exercise regimen.

What are seated hip openers?

I am obsessed with this exercise because it's so deceiving. I often demonstrate it and get looks from clients like "This is so easy," just for those same clients to be humbled minutes later. I still find it challenging even years into doing this move, which is good news because it means you can progress it.

This exercise strengthens the lower body, opens the hips, engages your glutes and improves range of motion. Consider starting with your hands by your sides, and when you feel ready, lift them away from the ground.

As you can see from my Instagram reel, I place my hands behind my head to open my chest and engage the upper body; this is great for developing thoracic mobility. And as I mentioned before, you can use a wall or yoga block, too.

I train people from their 20s to 70s, and I can tell you now that my dad is the best at this exercise at 72, so it's never too late to get started. We began with softly bent knees, his back against a wall, bodyweight-only and hands by his sides. Now, he does this exercise with three loop resistance bands above his knees, hands behind his head, unsupported and using tempo training (we slow it down a lot).

You can play around with your range of motion (how far you can open and close your leg), slow the move down as you open and close to increase time under tension and use as many bands as your heart desires.

The bands will help you work the outer gluteal muscles harder as you push against them to open your leg to the side; the outer glutes assist with abduction of the hip joints. But if you don't already have much mobility, I would focus on using your bodyweight and opening your leg as far as you possibly can.

How to do the banded hip opener

• Sit on an exercise mat with both legs extended in front of you. Sit on a block and/or bend your knees if you have tight hamstrings
• Place your hands behind your head and pull your elbows back, drawing your shoulders down (modify as I mentioned above if you prefer)
• Lengthen through your spine and brace your stomach, creating an L-shape with your body
• Lift your left leg a few inches off the ground and squeeze your quads, then slowly open the leg as far to the left as possible. You should feel your groin stretch
• Pause, then slowly return to the center, and gently place your left leg down
• Repeat with your right leg
• Continue for 6-8 reps per side and 2-3 sets.

Try to keep your chest facing forward so that all the work goes into your lower body. Avoid holding your breath; inhale as you lift your leg, exhale as you open it, then inhale as you bring the leg back in and exhale to release.

What are banded hip openers good for?

With or without the band, this move combines strength, control and mobility work. It's perfect as a standalone move or as part of a wider mobility routine, and it's also a solid option for preparing your body for a lower-body strength workout or run.

The key is in your form: avoid hunching over or pulling your elbows forward, and continue to engage your core. I like to imagine someone has a pole against my back, and I'm trying to ensure my spine touches the pole from top to bottom. Another way to think about it is to imagine a piece of string coming out of the crown of your head and pulling you upward.

Progressive loading is a term we use a lot in the gym setting to describe an increase in overall lifting volume, but it doesn't just mean lifting heavier weights. You can scale this exercise to suit your ability. Equally, scale back to use your bodyweight or reduce the reps or sets, if you prefer.

I notice my clients can open their legs further over time, and this is what I prioritize over adding load.

Your core, hips, glutes and inner thighs can get tight and weak if you sit often, so a regular and consistent routine that tackles these muscle groups will help you stay strong and mobile at any age, with less chance of developing muscular instability.

I recommend prioritizing both strength training and active mobility at any age, and I've provided a few places for recommendations below.

I spent much of my 20s hitting the gym with gusto without a thought for preparing my body or cooling it down afterward. A hard lesson was learned in my early 30s when injuries began cropping up seemingly from nowhere.

Now, I drill home the importance of building strength, control and range of motion, as these will indicate how well you move, which is more important for functional fitness than how sculpted you might look.

Learning moves like this will be a game-changer for your daily routine or workouts, so give this move a try and let us know how you get on.

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