The clamshell is one of those exercises that seems too easy at first glance. After all, you’re just lying on your side and casually moving your knee up and down. And yet, when you do a clam exercise with good form, it actually increases the benefits (and the burn).
the clam or clamshellis a side exercise that focuses on the hips, buttocksY thigh musclesHe says Judith HouwardPilates instructor and owner of Amavi Movement. “He was given this name because of the similarities to the opening and closing of a clam,” he tells Bustle. (Sounds nice…until you do a lot of them.)
Clams are great for improve hip strength, mobility, and stabilityHouward says. That’s because the opening and closing motion targets external rotation of the upper hip as it moves the leg bone into the hip socket, he explains. Add clams to your routine often enough, and you can really start to strengthen that area and make you feel more mobile.
Since this exercise focuses on strengthening one side of the body at a time, you actually end up correcting any muscle imbalances you may have in your hips, adds Houwaard, which can decrease bodily discomfort Y reduce risk of injury to be out of alignment.
As an added bonus? This move is also a great way to strengthen your gluteus medius, which in turn reduce stress Y lower back strainHouward says. “Gentle activation of the core muscles also helps with this,” she says. Ready to try this simple yet effective exercise? Here’s how to do it correctly and how to modify it.
How to do the clam exercise
Here Jaylee ThomasPilates instructor and owner of RE:MIND Meditation and movementexplains how to do a clamshell exercise using good form.
– Lie on a mat on your side with your hips in line with your shoulders.
– Bend your knees and place your legs at a 70 to 45 degree angle to your body.
– Put your head on your arm or support it with a small pillow or towel.
– Make sure your head is not forward or backward of your cervical spine.
– Put your hand on the floor in front of your chest for more stability, or place your hand on your hip for more of a challenge.
– Make sure your hips are stacked and don’t let your torso drop to the ground.
– Engage your deep abdominal muscles, also known as the transverse abdominals, to maintain alignment during the movement.
– Inhale to prepare. As you exhale, keep your toes together as you rotate your hip joint and open your knees. Think of leading the movement with your top knee, like opening a clam shell.
-Rotate your top knee open, but only as far as you can without losing hip alignment.
– Inhale again and repeat.
– Do 10 to 12 repetitions, then repeat on the other side.
How to Modify the Clam
To make this move a bit more challenging, Thomas recommends adding a resistance band your quads to create more tension as you raise and lower your knees. For an even bigger burn, add another resistance band around your ankles.
They have one exercise ball practical? “Another great way to shake it up is to add a small exercise ball between your knees or a pillow and squeeze it at the bottom of the movement,” Thomas tells Bustle. “This brings with it the activation of our inner thigh muscles.”
Common mistakes to avoid
As with any exercise, it’s important to pay attention to your form at all times to get the most out of the movement. Thomas cautions against letting his torso lean forward as he raises and lowers his top leg.
“To avoid this, focus on keeping the same distance between your ribs and your hip bones,” she says. “You can do this by placing your thumb on your lower rib and your middle finger on your hip bones to gauge any changes.”
You also don’t want your hips to roll forward. Keep your hips, knees, and feet stacked. And last but not least, remember to go slow. “Watch your speed,” says Thomas. “You don’t want to see any body sway. You want to use muscle control, not momentum.”
Referenced studies:
McBeth, JM. (2012.) Hip muscle activity during 3 side-lying hip strengthening exercises in distance runners. J Athl train. doi: 10.4085/1062-6050-47.1.15.
Sidorkewicz, N. (2014.) Examining the effects of altering hip orientation on the interaction of the gluteus medius and tensor fasciae latae during common non-weight bearing hip rehabilitation exercises. Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon). doi: 10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2014.09.002.
Willcox, E. (2013). The influence of hip angle variation and pelvic position on muscle recruitment patterns of the hip abductor muscles during the clam exercise. https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2013.4004
Sources:
Judith HouwardPilates instructor, owner of Amavi Movement
Jaylee ThomasPilates instructor, owner of RE:MIND Meditation and movement
