Want to Age Well? Add This Hip Exercise to Your Weekly Mobility Routine

Whether you're navigating stairs, chasing after grandkids, or just trying to avoid those pesky aches and pains, this simple yet powerful mobility move has you covered. Best of all, you don’t need fancy equipment or a gym membership. You can do it anywhere, anytime, making it the ultimate tool for staying agile, steady, and ready for whatever life throws your way.

How to do a hip airplane with proper form

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and core engaged.
2. Transfer your weight to one leg, keeping the knee slightly bent. Lift the opposite leg, keeping it straight and your core tight.
3. Push your hips back as you lower your torso slightly toward the ground, maintaining a neutral, long spine.
4. In this hinged position, rotate your lifted leg outward. Let your core, hips, and torso move as one, staying fully engaged. Hold briefly.
5. Bring your hips back to center, then rotate them toward your supporting leg, once again moving your core, hips, and torso as one unit.
6. Return your hips back to center. This counts as 1 rep.

5 ways hip airplanes support healthy aging

The hip airplane is a one-stop shop for longevity. This simple, bodyweight exercise packs a serious punch for keeping you strong, balanced, and mobile as you age—perfect for anyone looking to future-proof their body. Let’s dive into why this move deserves a spot in your weekly routine.

1. Improved hip mobility and flexibility

Your hips are the powerhouse of your movement—walking, running, bending, lifting, you name it, says Avery Price, CPT, certified personal trainer at Life Time Pickerington. But over time, inactivity and weak muscles can lead to stiff, achy hips. That’s why keeping them healthy is so important.

Enter hip airplanes: This dynamic exercise targets hip rotation, a key aspect of mobility that’s often overlooked, says Lindsay Ogden, CPT, certified personal trainer at Life Time Eden Prairie. By emphasizing internal and external rotation, hip airplanes help loosen up the hip joint while improving flexibility in your glutes, hip flexors, and adductors, she says.

Keeping your hips flexible isn’t just about better movement—it’s about less pain. By helping to support better mobility, hip airplanes reduce the risk of joint stiffness and discomfort, keeping you active and feeling good, Ogden says.

2. Better balance

Balance might not seem like a big deal in your 30s, but trust us, it’s worth paying attention to. Good balance is crucial for staying independent as you age. Without it, even everyday tasks like climbing stairs or getting out of the tub can become a challenge. Here’s the kicker: One in four seniors fall every year, with falls being the leading cause of injuries—and even death—among those 65 and older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

That’s where hip airplanes come in. Balancing on one leg during this exercise activates stabilizing muscles like the gluteus medius, which helps keep your pelvis aligned and prevents injuries, Ogden says. Build your balance now, and you’ll set yourself up for a steadier, safer future.

3. Stronger glutes

Your glutes are the largest muscle of your body, and they have the biggest impact. From walking to lifting, strong glutes keep you agile, mobile, and independent as you age.

Hip airplanes are a double win for your glutes—they force your gluteus medius and maximus muscles to work hard to stabilize your hips while also doing the dynamic movement of rotation, Ogden says. The result? Better hip stability and stronger, more capable glutes. Plus, activated glutes improve lower-body stability, which is key for navigating uneven terrain, like stairs or rocky trails, without losing your balance, she says.

4. A stronger core

Hip airplanes don’t just work your hips—they fire up your core, too. This move targets deep core muscles, helping you build a sturdy midsection that’s crucial for stability and balance, Ogden says. And let’s be real, a strong core isn’t just about flaunting a six-pack. It’s about powering through life’s daily tasks, like tying your shoes or climbing stairs, with ease.

5. Improved posture

As a bonus, a stronger core means better posture, Ogden says. This is a game-changer as we age, when poor posture—think slouched shoulders and a stooped spine—can creep in. Why? Aging naturally leads to muscle loss, reduced bone density, and stiff cartilage in our spine, all of which can cause a forward tilt (aka kyphosis), according to the Medical University of South Carolina.

The good news? Exercises like hip airplanes help fight back. By strengthening your core, you’ll support bone and muscle function, keeping your spine aligned and your posture youthful, per the Medical University of South Carolina.

The bottom line: Staying active is the secret to standing tall for years to come.

4 common mistakes to avoid when doing hip airplanes

Hip airplanes can be a powerful tool in your anti-aging arsenal, but only if you do them correctly. If you botch your form, not only will you lose out on the longevity benefits, but you might also end up getting hurt. Here are the top mistakes to avoid to help you nail your perfect hip airplane technique every time.

1. Arching or rounding your back

Arching or slouching adds unnecessary strain to your spine—definitely not ideal.

Fix it: Keep your spine neutral by aligning your head, neck, and tailbone in a straight line, Ogden says. Avoid tilting your head up; instead, keep your gaze slightly ahead of your supporting foot to maintain balance and form, she adds.

2. Letting your leg hang loose

A limp back leg won’t activate the right muscles, like your hips and glutes.

Fix it: Actively extend your back leg, imagining it as a long, strong line reaching behind you, Ogden says. Flex your toes slightly toward your shin to engage the leg even more, she adds.

3. Over-bending or locking your supporting leg

Bending too much makes hip rotations harder, while locking your knee can put stress on the joint.

Fix it: Keep a slight bend in your standing leg—just enough for balance and glute engagement. Think of it as an “athletic bounce” that keeps you ready for action, Ogden says.

4. Collapsing your torso

This usually means that you’ve lost the connection to your core, Price says. Losing core engagement causes your movement to shift to your lower back or shoulders—missing the whole point of the exercise, she says.

Fix it: Stay connected to your core by lifting your ribs away from your hips and keeping tension in your base leg, Price says. For extra stability, use a support like a bar or sturdy surface to perfect your form, she adds.

Hip airplane modifications and progressions

You can easily tweak hip airplanes to match your fitness level, whether you’re just starting out or looking for a challenge. Here’s how, according to Ogden and Price.

Hip airplane modifications

• Use support: Hold onto a chair, squat rack, or wall for balance and to keep your hips square.
• Limit your range of motion: Start small—rotate your hips and torso only 10-20 degrees. Gradually increase the range as you build stability.
• Rest your back leg: Place your back leg on a raised surface like a yoga block or step to reduce strain.
• Use a quadruped position: Perform the movement on all fours. This makes it easier to engage your core and focus on controlled leg rotation.

Hip airplane progressions

• Ditch the support: Perform the exercise without holding onto anything to increase the balance challenge.
• Add resistance: Incorporate weights or resistance bands for added difficulty. Hold a kettlebell, hug a medicine ball, or attach a resistance band to a stable object for a combo of strength and stability work.
• Slow it down: Move through the exercise with a slow tempo. Take 3 seconds per rotation, pausing for another 3-5 seconds at the furthest point of rotation.
• Expand your range of motion: Push your rotation to its full, controlled range to challenge your hip mobility and balance.

How to add hip airplanes to your routine

Incorporate hip airplanes into your lower-body warm-up to prep your joints and muscles for movement, Price says. Alternatively, they’re a great addition to your cool-down on leg day, Ogden adds.

If your focus is mobility and balance:

• Do 2-3 sets of 6-10 reps per side.
• Prioritize slow, controlled movements and a full range of motion.

If your focus is strength and stability:

• Do 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps per side.
• Add weight or slow down the tempo for an added challenge.

As you get comfortable, feel free to adjust reps and explore the above progressions to keep improving.