A certified trainer says this one move will boost your hip mobility and lower-body strength
I love it when I can tick off more than one box with one exercise. So when I discovered this kettlebell step-up move from certified trainer Hallie Kazda—which boosts mobility, strength and coordination—I knew I was onto a winner.
The movement expert, known as Kettlebell Mama online, explains in her video: "Getting our bodies to move in all planes of motion is important for joint health, stability and muscle gains, too! The way this move engages your hips in its 360° capacity is a game changer for your leg day workout."
As the move challenges your coordination, it will boost your mind-muscle connection, strengthening the connection between your brain and muscles. Scroll down to see how to do it.
Adding weight to this move will make it more effective. There are plenty of Black Friday weights deals to choose from, but we like this one from Walmart.
How to do Hallie Kazda’s workout:
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You’ll need an elevated surface to perform the move. Kazda also uses a kettlebell to make the move more difficult and boost strength gains.
- Stand on one leg on an elevated surface, like a step platform. Hold a weight in the opposite hand.
- Lower the other leg behind you until your toes tap the floor.
- Push through your standing leg to return to the starting position, then lower the elevated leg to the other side.
This exercise targets the quads and hamstrings (front and back thigh muscles) glutes (found in your buttocks) and adductors (located on your inner thigh). All of these play an important role in your knee and hip health.
Why it’s important to train in all planes of motion
The body can move in three planes: sagittal (forwards and backward), transverse (rotating and twisting) and coronal or frontal (side to side).
We mostly move in the sagittal plane, often neglecting to strengthen the muscles in the other movement patterns (transverse and frontal). This can limit our range of motion (ROM), which can lead to instability, injury and chronic pain.
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Strength training in all three planes of motion will help you avoid this. It also creates greater body awareness and can improve balance, coordination and agility, leading to more balanced muscle development.
Want more routines that can boost your joint health? Try these hip-strengthening exercises, which can undo the damage of sitting.
Maddy Biddulph is a freelance journalist specializing in fitness, health and wellbeing content. With 26 years in consumer media, she has worked as a writer and editor for some of the bestselling newspapers, magazines and websites in the US and UK.
She is also a qualified L3 personal trainer and weight loss advisor, and helps women over 40 navigate menopause by improving their physical and mental strength. At Maddy Biddulph Personal Training, she runs one-to-one and small group training for menopausal women who want to get fit to ease symptoms and feel like themselves again.
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