Strengthen Your Hips, Thighs, and Buns With Side Skaters

By Dominique Michelle Astorino

This simple, challenging exercise is gonna rock. your. bottom. Side skaters are a plyometric exercise that tone the glute med, hamstrings, thighs, and core, all at once. If you're a runner, this move is a must-do: it warms up the lower-body muscles, ups the heart rate, and supports ankle stabilization.

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Here's how to do this strength- and agility-building exercise:

  • Start in a small squat.
  • Jump sideways to the left, landing on your left leg.
  • Bring your right leg behind to your left ankle, and don't let it touch the floor.
  • Reverse direction by jumping to the right with your right leg. This completes one rep.

If you're brand-new to a workout routine, aim for two sets of 20 reps. For more of a challenge, perform side skaters for one minute, then move through two more minute-long sets, alternating with short periods of rest and recovery. You will feel the burn with this move!