A Physical Therapist Gave Me This Ab and Butt Workout — After 5 Months, I Can See a Difference

When I started feeling burning pain in my left hip last December, it was just the latest in a series of discouraging lower-body injuries. It all started with my feet, then my ankle started to twinge, then my hip started flaring up. By the time I started seeing a physical therapist for the hip problem, it had been nine months since I’d been able to do any of my normal workouts, and I was ready to explode with frustration.

What I first thought was a hip strain actually ended up being a rotated pelvis, my physical therapist told me. Months of poor sitting habits at my home desk paired with weakened ab and glute muscles from months without exercise had thrown off my posture and alignment, allowing my pelvis to slip out of place and cause pain and tightness in my hips, glutes, and lower back. The tilted pelvis was what initially freaked me out, but after several physical therapy sessions and some realignment exercises, that part resolved pretty quickly.

No, the really tough part turned out to be strengthening my abs and glutes. I had lost so much strength that I was basically starting from scratch, so my physical therapist created a 20-minute foundational workout meant to help me slowly build up and engage my muscles again. I started off doing this workout twice a day. As I got stronger, I was able to drop down to once a day and progress to more difficult exercises. After a few months, I could see the difference as my abs started to look more defined and feel the difference as my core and glutes were engaging and working during walks and short workouts.