Side-Lying Hip Abduction

Get your body into a straight line on your side, shoulder to ankle, then lift the top leg toward the ceiling without letting your hips roll backward — that rotation is what makes the movement feel easier, and it lets your hip flexor take over from your glute. Keep the toes pointing forward, roughly in line with your hip, rather than up toward the ceiling. Lower with control instead of dropping the leg. Because there's no cable or band to fight, the whole challenge lives in keeping your hips stacked rather than letting them tip as the leg rises.