Enhance your balance quickly with four effective chair exercises designed to boost hip strength for those over 65, as recommended by a certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS).

Having robust hips is crucial for every stride you take; they enable you to stand with assurance and shield your knees and lower back from undue stress. As we age, especially past 65, hip strength often diminishes subtly. This decline is typically due to reduced daily activity and extended periods of sitting.

Engaging in chair-based exercises offers a practical solution to rebuild hip strength while maintaining stability. Using a chair allows you to exercise your hips through controlled movements, enhancing balance and focusing tension where it’s most beneficial. It provides an opportunity to concentrate on muscle engagement and posture without the challenge of getting down onto or up from the floor.

The following four exercises are designed to engage the hips from various perspectives. They target the muscles responsible for leg lifting, pelvic stabilization, and supporting everyday actions like walking and climbing stairs. Each exercise is straightforward to initiate, easily adjustable to different fitness levels, and effective enough to make a significant impact. Let’s explore these exercises.

The four exercises below target the hips from multiple angles. You’ll hit the muscles responsible for lifting your legs, stabilizing your pelvis, and powering everyday movements like walking and climbing stairs. Each one is simple to set up, easy to scale, and effective enough to make a real difference. Let’s get into them.

Seated March

The seated march rebuilds hip flexor strength while reinforcing posture and core control. Strong hip flexors help you lift your legs smoothly during walking and reduce shuffling. This exercise also encourages coordination between your hips and trunk, which matters for balance. Because you stay seated, you can focus on muscle engagement instead of worrying about stability. It’s an excellent starting point for restoring confident movement.

Muscles Trained: Hip flexors, quadriceps, lower abdominals, glutes.

How to Do It:

1. Sit tall near the edge of the chair with your feet flat on the floor.
2. Gently brace your core and keep your chest lifted.
3. Lift your right knee toward your chest while keeping your torso still.
4. Lower your foot back to the floor with control.
5. Repeat on the left side and continue alternating.

Recommended Sets and Reps: Knock out 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps per side. Rest for 30 to 45 seconds between each set.

Best Variations: Slow-tempo marches, pause at the top, alternating double-taps.

Form Tip: Imagine a string pulling the top of your head upward as you lift each knee.

Seated Hip Abduction With Band

This movement strengthens the outer hips, which play a major role in balance and pelvic stability. Weak hip abductors often show up as knee collapse or unsteady walking. Training them while seated lets you isolate the muscles without compensating. Over time, stronger outer hips help you feel steadier during daily activities.

Muscles Trained: Glute medius, glute minimus, hip stabilizers, outer thighs.

How to Do It:

1. Sit upright with your feet hip-width apart and flat on the floor.
2. Place your hands on the sides of the chair for support.
3. Press both knees outward as far as you can without leaning back.
4. Pause briefly while squeezing your hips.
5. Return your knees to the starting position with control.

Recommended Sets and Reps: Perform 2 to 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps. Rest for 30 to 45 seconds between each set.

Best Variations: Single leg abduction, resistance band abduction, extended hold reps.

Form Tip: Keep your feet planted and let the movement come from your hips, not your ankles.

Seated Hip Adduction

Hip adduction strengthens the inner thighs, which play a huge role in pelvic control and gait efficiency. These muscles help keep your legs tracking properly when you walk, stand up, or change direction. When they’re weak, balance often feels shaky, and coordination in movements breaks down. Training adduction from a chair lets you rebuild that strength with precision and control. It also reinforces hip stability without stressing the knees or lower back.

Muscles Trained: Adductors, inner thighs, pelvic stabilizers, deep core.

How to Do It:

1. Sit tall near the edge of the chair with your feet flat on the floor.
2. Place a rolled towel, pillow, or small ball between your knees.
3. Brace your core lightly and keep your chest upright.
4. Squeeze your knees together as hard as you can with control.
5. Hold briefly, then relax back to the starting position.

Recommended Sets and Reps: Knock out 2 to 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps. Rest for 30 to 45 seconds between each set.

Best Variations: Isometric holds, slow-squeeze reps, alternating squeeze-and-release.

Form Tip: Think about drawing your thighs together without leaning or tensing your shoulders.

Sit to Stand With Controlled Descent

This movement trains the hips in a way that directly carries over to real life. Standing up from a chair requires strength, coordination, and confidence. Lowering yourself back down under control builds even more hip and leg strength. Practicing this regularly improves independence and reduces fall risk.

Muscles Trained: Glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, hip stabilizers.

How to Do It:

1. Sit near the edge of the chair with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Lean forward slightly and press through your heels.
3. Stand up tall by squeezing your glutes.
4. Slowly lower yourself back to the chair with control.
5. Reset your posture before the next rep.

Recommended Sets and Reps: Perform 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps. Rest for 45 to 60 seconds between each set.

Best Variations: Assisted sit-to-stand, pause at the bottom, staggered stance.

Form Tip: Keep your knees tracking over your toes as you stand and sit.

Top Daily Tips for Restoring Hip Strength After 65

Rebuilding hip strength works best when these exercises fit into your daily routine. Small habits add up quickly and help reinforce the progress you make during workouts.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

• Train hips often: Short sessions done several times per week lead to better results than occasional long workouts.
• Prioritize posture: Sit tall during exercises to improve muscle activation and protect your spine.
• Move with intent: Slow, controlled reps build strength more effectively than rushing through movements.
• Pair strength with walking: Regular walking helps strengthen your hips and keep your joints mobile.
• Stay consistent: Even five to ten minutes a day can restore strength and confidence over time.

Stick with these chair exercises, and your hips will feel stronger, more stable, and ready to support everything you do each day.

References

1. Lanza MB, de Souza CDC, Gray VL. The Influence of Aging on Hip Abductor Muscle Torque, Power, Velocity and the Association With Lower Limb Physical Function. J Geriatr Phys Ther. 2025 Apr-Jun 01;48(2):E129-E137. doi: 10.1519/JPT.0000000000000431. Epub 2025 Apr 7. PMID: 39774903.
2. Lanza, Marcel B et al. “Systematic Review of the Importance of Hip Muscle Strength, Activation, and Structure in Balance and Mobility Tasks.” Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation vol. 103,8 (2022): 1651-1662. doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2021.12.008