Sit Too Much? Try This Exercise

Your glutes and hamstrings are activated whenever you stand, walk or run. Trouble is, most guys are spending less time on their feet and more time on their rear ends — whether in the car or in front of a screen.

“Sitting for hours a day makes these muscles incredibly weak, and throws off the muscular balance of your body,” says David Jack, C.S.C.S., owner of ActivPrayer in Phoenix, Arizona. “This can cause pain in other locations like your ankles, knees, and lower back.” The fix: the hip lift with march. Like the classic hip lift, this exercise targets your glutes and hamstrings. However, raising a foot off the ground forces the smaller muscles around the opposite hip to work, too. With just one move, you’ll strengthen some of your most powerful muscles, boost joint stability, and protect yourself from injury.