No matter what your fitness goals are, you can really never go wrong when you give your lower body the proper care and feeding. The people at The Daily Burn have compiled some great butt, leg and hip exercises to get you moving towards a healthier you. It should be noted that it never hurts to talk to your doctor or a medical professional to help whenever you start a new fitness routine.

1. Check out the pile squat. Put your feet a little wider than your shoulders. Keep your back straight and hold your head high. Your feet should be placed at about a 45 degree angle. Lower your body into as deep a squat as you can. You need to make sure your knees stay about your toes. Your weight should be kept on the heels of your feet. As you lower, tighten your glutes and your thighs. At the mid point, your thighs should be parallel to the ground. Push back up to your starting position. You should do three sets of 15 reps but go at your own pace. If you have a physical therapist, they can help you with your form and your back needs to stay straight throughout your movement.
2. Go lateral with the squat. This is one of the best hip exercises around. It is also great for your thighs and butt. Start in a straight positing standing up. Your toes should be pointed directly in front of your with your knees positioned over them. Move into your standard squat. Now take two steps to the left, followed by a short pause and then take two steps to the right. Do three sets of 15 reps. If you have a resistance band, using it around your ankles can improve the exercise by increasing the resistance.
3. Switch into plank form for a great leg lift. If you are not familiar with this pose, you should get some help. You can use this basic form for a number of butt, leg and hip exercises and it is a staple in most yoga. Start in your basic plank position. You need to make sure you hands are firmly placed on the floor with your ars straight. They should be directly under your shoulders. Your butt should be down and your legs elongated. This position is very similar to a regular push up. Lift one leg off of the floor (about two inches is good). Kick out to the side with your leg still straight. Go back to your original position and do the same thing on the other side. Again, do 15 reps on each side and three sets apiece.
4. Try the fire hydrant. In this, you use another pose from yoga. Start in the tabletop pose. Again, you are on the floor. Your hands should be under your shoulders and your arms need to be straight. This time your legs are bent and your knees should be underneath your hips. Raise one leg as high as it will go, pause for a few seconds and then go back to the starting position. Repeat with your other leg. Do three sets of 15 reps for each leg.
5. Go with a lying leg left. While you do this from a lying down position, that does not mean you will be resting. This position can be great for leg, butt and hip exercises of all flavors. Lay flat on your tummy. Put your hands under your forehead and keep your legs straight. Lift one leg as far as you can. Stop for a few seconds, go back to the starting position and do the same thing with your other leg.

Fitness experts note that people often neglect parts of their body when they are planning a good workout schedule. When you omit to include your bottom half with leg, butt and hop exercises, you can reduce your mobility and that can have a serious impact on your quality of life. People often pay a lot of attention to their knees but not as much to their hips. Keep everything strong to avoid physical pain.

Remember that one key to getting the most from any workout is really consistency.

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Do you have hip or knee pain? Wary of being constantly medicated? Looking for a different method of treating that pain? It happens to the best of us. Age wears down our body and our joints don’t work as well as they used to. Or maybe the pain is due to an injury or repetitive motions in your everyday life. Consider physical therapy to help treat your pain. It can be an effective treatment that does not rely exclusively on medication. Here are the top reasons that knee pain exists.

1. ACL ruptures are very common. The ACL is a ligament in the knees and damage top it can cause pain and discomfort. It is the most commonly injured knee ligament. Injuries can range from strains and pulls to full ruptures. There are between 100,000 to 200,000 ACL ruptures in the U.S. each year. If you injury your ACL, you are in good company. Talk to your physician about the possibility of physical therapy to treat your chronic pain.

2. Knee pain is very common. The knees take a lot of abuse on a daily basis. We stand, walk, bend, and twist. Maybe we run or dance or lift weights. We depend on our knees and take our ability to move for granted. But eventually these activities can wear down our joints and cause knee or hip pain. Since knee pain is the second most common form of chronic pain, it is important to have a trusted way to treat it. Maybe physical therapy is the best way to treat your chronic knee pain.

3. Osteoarthritis affects millions of Americans. In fact, over 30 million adults across the country experience osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis causes wear and tear in the hips, knees, and hands, making it painful to move. One of the best ways to help treat this common condition is with regular physical therapy. The regular, coordinated movements with professional support can help keep the joints functioning. Consult your physician to see what is the best option for you.

Physical therapy is just one option to treat knee pain. The professional physical therapists can help you through movements designed to reduce pain and inflammation. The professionals can tell you exactly how much weight to put on the injury and what movements will help. Talk to your physician to see if physical therapy is an option to treat your chronic pain.

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