The Best Hip Exercises For Pregnancy To Prepare For Labor And Postpartum

Use these pregnancy hip exercises to reduce pregnancy-related hip pain as well as prepare your body for labor. Hip exercises when pregnant should be low-impact and help the mom to be feel good, not place extra pressure on her.

Glute exercises are beneficial as a new mom and hip exercises when pregnant help the expecting mom reap those benefits early.

Hip Exercises While Pregnant & Staying Active

Staying active while pregnant has SO MANY BENEFITS. And while being active during pregnancy looks different for all pregnant women (especially in the first trimester when life is brutal), there are a few key elements almost all mamas should try to tie in. 

Before we delve into the good stuff, as a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist I want to remind pregnant women of two things: 

The first is that every pregnancy is different and every situation is different. Consult with your doc or before randomly doing an exercise (especially if you weren't overly active when you got pregnant!)

The second is that I like to advise pregnant women to be "active" and not "fit". Meaning: your goals have shifted.

You should not be worried about aesthetics, performance, or personal records. Instead, move because it feels good. Walk more, take up prenatal yoga etc. It shouldn't be about intensity but about preparing for labor, postpartum, and general enjoyment.

The Importance Of Glute Work & Hip Exercises While Pregnant

Having super strong glutes can:

• Help prevent back pain 
• Ease hip pain
• Improve the function of your pelvic floor (learn more about your pelvic floor and why you'll want to have it checked out postpartum here)
• Stabilize the hips and pelvic floor to reduce pregnancy discomfort
• Help counter round ligament pain

As our babes grow our posture shifts placing more stress on the back and lower torso. Our hips also begin to widen in order to prepare for birth. All of this is expected and normal.

However, if your hips are chronically loose, you're going to have trouble stabilizing which is going to cause hip pain, discomfort, and problems with movement.

Keeping the muscles around and supporting the hips and pelvis strong is one way to prevent these issues. As is a strong core in general, check out these core workouts for pregnancy for help.

Glute Training & Engagement

One major benefit of working the glutes muscles is that you feel them working within 1-2 repetitions. The glutes muscles not only change shape when contracting but they burn after a few reps.

If you're not FEELING the glutes work, your position is probably off. If this is the case, tweak the move until you feel it where you should.

As with any at-home, full-body workout, engaging the muscles properly is far better than going through the motions just do to do them.

Hip Exercises For Pregnancy

1. The glute bridge
2. Clamshells
3. Side lying abductions
4. Straight leg abductions
5. Hip Thrust
6. Reverse Plank
7. Banded Squat
8. Deficit Lunge
9. Froggy pumps
10. Quadruped hip extensions
11. Curtsy Lunge

The Glute Bridge

Glute bridges while pregnant are best done in the first trimester when laying in a supine position on the floor is still comfortable and are one of my favorite hip exercises for pregnancy.

It targets the main glute muscle so long as you move through your hips and not your low back (a struggle for pregnant women so be aware of it!).

Rep Range: glute bridges can be used in higher volume so a range of 15-20 for two sets is great. Add in a pause at the top to really feel your glutes contracting.

Notes: Adding a Green mini band.  right below the knees will help target the outer hips as well as the main glute muscle.

As you can see, I was able to perform glute bridges well into my third trimester as lying supine was alright for me. This isn't the norm as laying on your back can cause restricted blood flow to the babe after first trimester.

To perform:

• Lying on your back, bend your knees and bring your heels close to your bum. Feet shoulder-width apart roughly.
• Push through your heels and lift your hips by squeezing the glutes.
• Pause at the top with a maximum glute squeeze before releasing the tension and bringing the hips back to the starting position.

Quadruped Kickback

A hip exercise that requires a stable core! You'll be on all fours on this one and while the main goal of the exercise is to move through the hips, the challenge while pregnant is to engage the front abs a bit and not allow excessive movement through the low back.

Make sure to keep the foot close to the ground and think of pushing back with your heel while squeezing the bum muscles to extend the hips.

To perform:

• Come into a tabletop position on all fours.
• Keeping the knee of the working leg flexed the core strong and engaged, move through the hip as your raise the foot towards the floor.
• Do not let the low back drop and make sure to keep the knee bent. Return the knee towards the floor by releasing the tension in the glute.

Rep Range: 10-12 repetitions per leg so long as the low back can stay stable

Hip Thrust

This is a one-up on the glute bridge and targets the same area. Hip thrusts while pregnant are best performed in the second trimester when laying flat on your back can cause problems.

This exercise isn't great for those in the third trimester though as the belly begins to get in the way (though you can take your feet wide to help!)

To perform it:

• Begin by placing your mid to upper back (right about the bra strap line) on a bench (or table, or couch).
• Feet flat on the floor and hips dipped towards the floor. The feet will be slightly outside of your hips. At this bottom position, your knees should be slightly behind the bridge of your feet/your heels.
• Begin to push through the heels, squeeze the glutes and lift the hips towards the ceiling.
• Pause briefly and lower them toward the ground.

Learn more about how to do a bench glute bridge (hip thrust).

Rep Range: 15-20 reps for two sets. Pause at the top to get the most of the exercise.

Notes: Adding a Green mini band.  right below the knees will help target the outer hips as well as the main glute muscle.

Clamshells

This hip exercise while pregnant targets the outer hips which provide more stabilization to the pelvis. You've got to really ensure you squeeze the glutes to open the knees instead of rotating the entire pelvis.

This pregnancy hip exercise is great throughout all trimesters so long as there is no discomfort from training unilaterally (one side/limb at a time)

To perform:

• Lay on your right side with your legs stacked and knees slightly bent. Make sure your shoulders, hips, and heels are in one line.
• Place your top hand on your top hip. Keeping your heels together, squeeze your glute while opening up at the knees.
• Release the squeeze and return the knees to meet each other. You should feel the muscles under your hand contract.

Rep Range: 15 repetitions for two sets.

Notes: Add a green mini band above or below the knees will provide additional resistance and strengthen the hips further.

Side-Lying Abductions

This exercise is exactly like the clamshells but with a longer lever. Again, the goal is to use the bum muscle and the hips to lift the leg- not to swing the leg up high or roll the hips open. This exercise is great throughout the entire pregnancy so long as there is no discomfort from training unilaterally (one side/limb at a time).

This can also be done standing which can sometimes be a bit better for mamas in the third trimester as getting up and down off the floor can be an issue.

To perform:

• Laying on your right side, bend your bottom leg so it’s out of the way. Keep the left leg straight while having your thighs together.
• Lift the left leg using the tip glute. Pause at the top and return to the start potion.

Rep Range: 15 repetitions for two sets.

Kneeling Squat

This articular hip exercise will be cut out towards the end of pregnancy though as your belly grows. But in the first and second trimesters, it's great for the hips and the quads.

No dumbbell needed!

To perform it:

1. Come into a kneeling position holding one dumbbell at chest height.
2. Squeeze your glutes as you start to lean backward keeping a flat back.
3. Go as low as comfortable and then use your quadriceps to help reverse the movement and pull the body back up.

Rep range: 12- 15 repetitions

Banded Squat

Another great squat exercise this one can be done throughout all trimesters (though you'll have to widen your stance in the third).

The band helps provide external resistance to the squat and forces you to use your glutes to push against it thus strengthening the outside of the hips.

To perform:

• Set up with your feet wider than your hips and place the band below your knees.
• Push the hips backward and lean forward slightly as you begin to bend the knees and lower toward the floor.
• As you do, drive the knees out against the band keeping the feet flat on the floor.
• Pause briefly then squeeze the glutes and push back up to the top of the squat.

Rep Range: 10-12 repetitions for two sets.

Straight Leg Abductions

A supported position and an exercise you can use in all trimesters!

To perform:

• Come into table top position and make sure the core is engaged and low back is neutral. Take the left foot out to the side and keep the left leg straight with the toes pointed.
• Use the left glue to lift the left foot up and down.

Repeat for 10-15 per leg.

Froggy Pumps

Another exercise that will be most beneficial in the first and maybe second trimesters before laying on your back gets too be too much.

That said, you can always elevate your back slightly by throwing a couch cushion underneath.

To perform it:

• Laying down, being the soles of your feet close together and towards your bum.
• Squeeze the glutes and with your knees driven out (knees wider than hip-width apart) raise the hips.
• Pause and return the hip to the floor.

Perform 15-40 repetitions.

Curtsy Lunge

A great exercise through all pregnancy trimesters so long as your balance is okay. If not, I'd suggest using TRX straps for support (peek this second trimester TRX workout.

To perform the lunges:

• Stand upright in a comfortable position. Step the left foot back and across the line of the left leg.
• Lean forward a bit and lower the knee toward the floor while hinging slightly at the hips. Keep the foot of the right leg fully on the floor.
• Push through the right foot and return the left foot back to the starting position.

Perform for 8-12 repetitions per leg.

Reverse Plank

Don't let the image fool you, this can be done with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor too to make it less intense (great for third trimester!).

Basically, it's a reverse table top and coming into that posterior pelvic tilt it what fires your glutes.

To perform:

• Begin with your hips on the ground, legs straight out in front of you and your hands with fingers pointed out a few inches behind your hips.
• Squeeze the glutes and raise the hips high into the air coming into a posterior pelvic tilt. Open up the chest and hold.

Perform for 20-40 seconds.

Strengthen & Tone Your Glutes… At Home!

If you’re looking to get strong, reduce back pain, and carry kids easier check out my Stronger Glutes For Busy Moms E-book. This 25-page E-book provides you with everything you need to strengthen your glutes at home.
You’ll learn about the fundamentals of glute training, and have access to my progressive glute training program.
This e-book will take you through:

• No equipment glute workouts to do over a four

week period

• Glute workouts that require resistance bands to take your toning to the next level
• My favorite glute finishers (booty burners) to use after you’ve completed the programs
• 5-weeks worth of full-body, progressive workout programs to continue using after you’ve finished the initial programs

The difference between these glute workouts and sporadic, glute exercises you stumble upon is that these training programs are progressive. Meaning, they build on one another!
You’ll learn:

• Which exercises best target glutes (with added video demos!)
• How often, and when you should train glutes
• How to take your glute training further

Take the guesswork out of your glute training and follow a plan. Learn the best practices to implement when it comes to strengthening glutes and reap the benefits of less back pain and the ability to carry kids easier.
Because being strong isn’t optional when you’re a mom. Grab the Stronger Glutes E-book today.

Mini Hip Workout For Pregnancy

Below is an example of how you can use the hip exercises for pregnancy. While you can easily perform them one by one for 2-3 sets, you'll get more bang for your buck by taking a few of them and making them into a mini circuit.

For the workout below, perform each exercise back to back for the prescribed number of reps. Don't rest until the last exercise. Then, rest and repeat for a total of 2-3 times.

This mini glute circuit can be done 2-3 times per week and is a great way to get hip exercises in while pregnant!

A1. Banded Squat x10
A2. Kickback x12/leg

A3. Clams x15/leg

A4. Hip Thrust x15

A5. Abductions x15/leg

Don't forget to pin these hip exercises while pregnant!

Frequently Asked Questions About Pregnancy Hip Exercises

Other Fitness Resources You'll Love

• Safe ab exercises for pregnancy
• Glute training 101: everything you need to know
• How to work out in the first trimester
• How to work out in the second trimester
• Third trimester workout tips
• The best bodyweight glute exercises
• Glute activation exercises
• Glute isolation exercises
• Sweaty glute finishers
• The benefits of strong glutes
• How to reduce back pain by training glutes
• The ultimate guide to home workouts
• Follow along at home workouts
• Fitness tips for moms

Quick fact: if you're super nervous about breastfeeding or pumping, check out this online breastfeeding class. It's video-based and goes over everything you need to know to put your mind at ease.

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