The sidelying hip abduction exercise strengthens your hip abductor muscles, providing increased strength and stability of your pelvis during walking and other everyday activities. Your hip abductor muscles are also important for maintaining balance.
Before getting into your starting position, put ankle weights around each ankle. A good starting weight is usually somewhere around 2 lbs.
Get into a comfortable position lying on your side with your top leg straight and your bottom leg bent. Make sure your top hip is stacked right on top of your bottom hip or slightly forward. If you have a pillow available, you may use it for neck comfort.
Breathe in first. Breathe out as you lift your top leg up toward the ceiling. Make sure you do not roll your top hip backward as you lift the leg. Do not allow your top hip to hike up toward your rib cage as you lift the leg. Your leg should not move forward in front of you as you lift it up. Breathe in as you slowly lower your leg back down to the starting position.
