How to Lose Hip Fat for Teen Girls

Teen girls often gain fat in the lower parts of the body, including the hips and glutes. Unfortunately, performing hip-strengthening exercises is only part of the battle of losing hip fat.

You must also perform aerobic activity and reduce your caloric intake to rid your body of excess fat, including your hips. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, recommends that adolescents perform a minimum of 60 minutes of exercise every day for basic health benefits 2.

Hip-Strengthening Exercises

Strengthen the muscles below your hip fat by performing hip-strengthening exercises in conjunction with a full-body strengthening workout at least three days a week, advises the CDC.

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Begin your workout with hip abductions, in which you lie on your side and prop up your upper body with your elbow and forearm. Push your hips and legs off the ground until your body forms a line from your head to your toes. Raise your top leg further into the air as you raise your body off the floor. Perform three sets of 12 to 15 repetitions on each side.

Try the mountain climber exercise to further strengthen the muscles of your lower body, including your hips. Kneel on the floor on your hands and feet, and bring one knee up toward your chest. Switch positions of your feet in one fast, jumping move to bring the opposite knee to your chest and move the other foot backward. Continue this motion for three sets of 15 to 20 repetitions with both feet.

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Finish your hip-strengthening workout with weighted squats. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height or hip height. Bend forward at your hips and bend your knees until your thighs are parallel with the floor, pushing your buttocks out behind you. Hold this position for one count before returning to the original position. Complete three sets of 12 to 15 repetitions.

Aerobic Activity

Add aerobic exercise to your workout routine to burn calories and fat from all around your body. Strive to perform more intense forms of exercise to maximize your fat burn and weight loss.

Try jogging at a speed of 5 mph to burn almost 480 calories an hour if you weigh 125 pounds. Start out with small increments of jogging if you are not physically capable of completing an hour of jogging. Begin by walking at a fast pace for three to four minutes, then jogging for one to two minutes. Alternate back and forth until you physically progress.

Participate in sports to keep shedding calories and fat. Play tennis, racquetball, basketball or swim to burn hundreds of calories per hour. Or just do what teens do: walking or biking with friends, taking the dog for a walk, playing a casual game of backyard soccer. All activity that burns calories adds up to getting closer to your goal.

Food and Caloric Intake

Consume a variety of healthy foods throughout your day to receive the recommended amounts of vitamins and minerals. Consume whole grain foods, lean proteins, fresh vegetables and fruits, low-fat dairy products and minimal saturated fats.

Eat several small meals throughout your day instead of three large meals to keep you satisfied and full of energy. Eat every two to three hours and avoid sugary, processed foods that tend to be full of fat and sodium.

Snack on foods high in fiber, such as vegetables and fruits, to keep you full longer. Incorporate fresh produce into your meal plans to ensure you eat enough of these low-calorie foods.

Tips

Drink plenty of water throughout the day to keep you full and hydrated, especially during and after intense workouts.

Warnings

Check with your health-care provider before beginning an exercise program for the first time or to check whether you do indeed need to lose weight.