Movement · Hips & Glutes

Hips & Glutes

A quick side-lying burn for the hips and glutes — the deep stabilizers that keep you level, strong, and steady. Do the side-lying moves on one side, then roll over and repeat.

Begin the practice →

7 moves · about 10 minutes

Before you begin

A gentle lift, throughout. On every move, lightly draw up through your pelvic floor — a soft lift from the base, never a clench, while you keep breathing. New to it? Start with Pelvic Floor Foundations →

Breathe. Hold the stretches for about 5 slow breaths — that’s at least 30 seconds; if you finish quicker, you’re breathing too fast, so slow it down. For a calming anchor, try Five Finger Breathing: with a fingertip, trace up each finger as you breathe in and down as you breathe out — five fingers, five breaths.

Warm-Up

March in Place

~1 min

Move 1 →

The Work

The Clam

10–12 each side

Move 2 →

Side Kick — Forward

8–10 each side

Move 3 →

Side Lift

10 each side

Move 4 →

Side Kick Circles

5 each way, each side

Move 5 →

Double Leg Lift

8–10 each side

Move 6 →

Cool-Down

Figure-Four Glute Stretch

30 sec each side

Move 7 →

Hips & Glutes

A quick side-lying burn for the hips and glutes — the deep stabilizers that keep you level, strong, and steady. Do the side-lying moves on one side, then roll over and repeat.

Warm-Up

1. March in Place · ~1 min — Stay tall and light — this is just to warm up, not to tire you out.

The Work

2. The Clam · 10–12 each side — Keep your hips strictly stacked — don’t let the pelvis roll back. Lift the underside of your waist gently off the mat.

3. Side Kick — Forward · 8–10 each side — Move from the hip, not the back — the torso stays quiet. Lift the underside of the waist to keep the core active.

4. Side Lift · 10 each side — Precision over height — a lower lift with stacked hips beats a high one that rolls you back.

5. Side Kick Circles · 5 each way, each side — Keep the circles small and the hips stacked — control the whole path, don’t swing.

6. Double Leg Lift · 8–10 each side — Squeeze the inner thighs to lift the bottom leg. Keep the waist lifted so you don’t sink into the mat.

Cool-Down

7. Figure-Four Glute Stretch · 30 sec each side — Keep your back tall as you lean — let the stretch land in the hip, not the low back.

The Way · by Gina Santangelo · ginasantangelo.com · Learn each move at ginasantangelo.com/movement