The move: Hip Lift

Works on: The back, stomach, hamstrings and glutes.

Tom Mendoza/Los Angeles Daily News (ENLARGE)
Trainer Dino Nowak uses a chair for the hip lift to show how to use household items to get in shape.
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Give feedback: On this week?s tip; share your exercise tips Related: • Diet & fitness news and tips • Weight loss success stories • More health news Previous tips: The iso-ab plank  Front Raise  Weighted alternating backward lunge with initial knee-up position  Crisscross with 1- or 2-pound weights  Double leg stretch  Active Side Squat with Weights  Bent Forward Row  Wrist Curl  Plie With Upright Rows  Side Waist Toner  Triceps push-up (bench dip) off chair with added weight  Single leg stretch  Inclined Push-Up Off Step  Angled Simultaneous Biceps Curls  Super Man (Back Hyperextension)  Roll-Up With Weights  Hip flexor stretch  Floor Butt Lift  Standing Quadriceps Stretch  Deadlift with shoulder press and rotation  Milk/Detergent Jug Diagonal Lunge With Reach  Isometric Chest Press  The 100  Water Bottle Squat, Curl, Press, Extend and Lateral Descent  Butt Blasters with rotation  Deadlift with shoulder press  Milk/Detergent Jug Single Leg Crossover  Heel Digs  Shoulder Blade Kiss  Hip Lift  Push-up to Reach Back  Hamstring curls  Stagger Stance Two-Arm Band Chest Press  Knee Lift  Neck Stretch  One-Legged Lateral Raise  T-pose

Setup: Lie on your back near a couch or chair and place your heels — up to midcalf level — on it. Heels are harder; calf is easier.

Step 1: Lift your hips off the floor until your body forms a straight line, squeeze your rear and hold 5-10 seconds.

Step 2: Lower and repeat.

Fit tip: For a more challenging exercise, take your arms off the floor to reduce stability; this movement works your core more.

Repetitions: Perform 10-12 repetitions for 1-3 sets.

Dino Nowak is certified through the American College of Sports Medicine, the American Council on Exercise and the Cooper Institute. The author of "The Final Makeover" (Siloam; $15.99), he is a frequent contributor to several fitness magazines and has appeared extensively on TV, including "Entertainment Tonight" and the Lifetime network.

— Los Angeles Daily News