Christina Nicci

10/24/2026

That nagging pain on the outside of your hip? Stretching alone may not be what your hips need.

Your TFL (tensor fasciae latae) helps stabilize your hip, but it’s not supposed to do all the work. Your glutes, especially the glute medius, play an important role in keeping your pelvis stable during walking, running, stairs, and single-leg movements.

When strength, endurance, or control is lacking, certain movements may place more stress on the outside of your hip.

Here are 4 exercises to help build better hip stability and glute strength:

1. 90/90 Wall Hip Lift: 2 rounds of 3–5 controlled breaths to engage the hamstrings and glutes while working on pelvic positioning.
2. Lateral Step-Downs: Start with 5 slow, controlled reps per leg and gradually build to 10–12. Focus on controlling your pelvis and knee as you lower.
3. Split-Stance Glute Holds: 2–3 sets of 8–10 reps per side, holding for 3 seconds. Focus on keeping the glute engaged as you control the movement.
4. Banded Lateral Walks: 2–3 rounds of 8–10 steps each direction. Keep the band at your ankles, toes forward, and movements slow and controlled.

The goal isn’t just to feel your glutes working. It’s to build the strength and control your hips need during everyday movement.

Outer hip pain can have several causes, so these exercises aren’t a one-size-fits-all fix. Work within a comfortable range, and have persistent or worsening pain evaluated.

SAVE this routine for your next lower-body workout, and SHARE it with someone who could benefit from stronger, more stable hips.

10/23/2026

Does your lower back hurt during leg workouts, especially when you’re doing single-leg exercises?

Bulgarian split squats, single-leg RDLs, and staggered-stance movements require more than leg strength. They also challenge your ability to control your hips and pelvis while supporting your weight on one side.

If you’re struggling to maintain that control, you may notice unwanted movement through your pelvis or lower back.

Before adding more challenging unilateral exercises, work on building the strength and control they require.

These three exercises can help:

1. Hip hikes: Strengthen your ability to control pelvic height while standing on one leg.
2. Wall-supported single-leg hinges: Practice controlling your hip and pelvis during a hip hinge with additional support.
3. Banded clamshell variations: Strengthen the hip muscles that contribute to pelvic stability, with options for different strength levels.

You can also temporarily modify your leg workouts by using more stable, two-legged exercises before progressing back to less-supported movements.

Remember, difficulty controlling your pelvis doesn’t automatically explain lower back pain, but it’s one area worth paying attention to.

Save this for your next leg workout.

Do you notice one side is harder to control than the other?

10/22/2026

Can you pass all 3 of these single-leg stability tests?

Being able to balance on one leg is a great start, but can you also control your pelvis and perform a single-leg squat without losing your balance?

Try these 3 tests on BOTH legs:

1. Single-leg balance: Stand on one leg for 60–90 seconds.
2. Pelvic control: Lower and raise your pelvis while standing on one leg. Can you keep the movement controlled?
3. Single-leg squat: Perform a shallow squat, pause for 2 seconds, and return to standing.

Now compare sides.

Did one leg feel stronger? Was it harder to keep your pelvis level? Did your knee move inward or your body shift during the squat?

Your glutes, quadriceps, hips, feet, and ankles all contribute to balance, stability, and lower-body movement control.

Noticeable differences between sides can help you identify areas that may benefit from additional strength and coordination work.

One exercise I recommend is a step-up with a pause at the top. It challenges your glutes, quads, balance, and single-leg control together.

Save this and try all 3 tests. Which leg was more challenging?

10/21/2026

Do your heels lift when you squat? Or have you noticed that your feet tend to turn outward when you walk?

Limited ankle dorsiflexion could be contributing.

Ankle dorsiflexion is what allows your shin to move forward over your foot while your heel stays planted. And when that movement is restricted, your body may compensate in ways that affect your squats, walking, stair climbing, and knee mechanics.

Start with the knee-to-wall ankle mobility test shown in this video and compare both sides.

Then work on two things:

1. Banded ankle mobilizations to help improve available range of motion.
2. Controlled step-ups to build strength and control as your ankle moves through that range.

Improving mobility isn’t just about gaining more range. It’s also about developing the strength to use it.

Save this for your next lower-body workout.

For full mobility and strength routines, explore Body Axis through the link in my bio.

10/20/2026

“I tried this exercise and it didn’t do anything.”

I hear comments like this on occasion, and here’s something I really want people to understand.

Improving your mobility, building strength, and developing better movement control take more than one workout.

Yes, you might feel a difference after just one session! But experiencing a temporary improvement isn’t the same as developing the strength and control to maintain it.

Your body adapts to what you consistently ask it to do.

Whether you’re working on hip mobility, improving your range of motion, or building strength in positions you struggle to control, progress takes practice.

You need three things:

1. A plan.
2. Consistency.
3. Enough time for your body to adapt.

Don’t judge your progress by one exercise or one session.

Save this as a reminder, especially on the days when progress feels slow.

10/18/2026

Do your wrists hurt when you do push-ups, planks, or put weight through your hands?

When you lean on your hands, your wrists move into extension (bending backward) while supporting part of your body weight.

For some people, limited wrist mobility can contribute to discomfort. For others, the challenge is tolerating pressure in that position.

That’s why improving mobility alone isn’t always enough.

Here are three exercises to work on:

1. Wrist CARs: Help you actively move and control your wrists through different directions.

2. Weighted Wrist Extensions: Strengthen the muscles that help control and support your wrists during movement.

3. Progressive Weight-Bearing Rocks: Gradually introduce pressure through your hands to build tolerance for movements like push-ups and planks.

Start with a manageable amount of pressure and gradually progress as your wrists become more comfortable.

Remember, having the range of motion is one thing. Being able to support weight through that range is another.

Persistent wrist pain should be assessed to identify what’s causing it.

10/17/2026

If glute bridges keep turning into a lower-back exercise, the Cook Hip Lift is a great way to clean up your hip extension.

A common compensation during bridging is getting extra movement by arching through the lumbar spine instead of creating the motion primarily from the hip.

The Cook Hip Lift makes that harder.

By pulling one knee toward your chest, you help keep the pelvis more controlled and reduce the tendency to overextend through the lower back.

That means the working side has to create more of the movement through the hip.

Focus on:
• Keeping the knee pulled in
• Driving through the working foot
• Lifting only as high as you can without arching your back
• Squeezing the glute at the top

Standard Cook Hip Lift
3 sets of 10 reps per side
Hold each rep for 2–3 seconds

Wall-Supported Version
3 sets of 10 reps per side
Hold for 5–10 seconds

The wall gives you more stability and can make it easier to control the pelvis and actually feel the working glute.

This isn’t about getting your hips as high as possible.

It’s about creating better hip extension without borrowing the movement from your lower back.

10/15/2026

10/14/2026

The hip CAR is an excellent exercise to help the hips move more freely.

There are many different ways to perform them.

Which way is your favorite?👇🏼