Clamshells
Strengthens the hip and glute muscles that stabilize the pelvis and spine.
What it helps
Targets the muscles on the side of the hip that keep your pelvis level when you walk. Strong here, your hip tracks smoothly and shares load more evenly — steadier, more comfortable steps.
How to do it
- Lie on your side, knees bent and stacked.
- Keeping feet together and pelvis still, lift the top knee like a clamshell opening.
- Lower slowly.
Tips
- Do not let your pelvis roll back.
- Feel it in the side of the hip.
Commonly done as 2 sets of 12–15 each side, daily.
Where this appears in recovery
Clamshells is part of 33 recovery programs, most often at the strength & function (weeks 6–12), early recovery (weeks 2–6) and build (weeks 4–8) stages, among others. Each program shows how it fits alongside the other movements:
- Spinal Cord Stimulator Implant exercise guide
- Kyphoplasty exercise guide
- Sacroplasty exercise guide
- Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion (LLIF / XLIF / OLIF) exercise guide
- Revision Lumbar Fusion exercise guide
- Lumbar Microdiscectomy exercise guide
- Posterior Spinal Fusion for Scoliosis exercise guide
- Sacroiliac Joint Fusion exercise guide
- Sacroiliac Joint Fusion exercise guide
- Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (ALIF) exercise guide
- Interspinous Spacer Implant exercise guide
- Lumbar Laminectomy exercise guide
- …and 21 more
All exercise guides · Condition guides · Recovery education
These are general exercise guides, not a personal prescription. The repetitions and frequency shown are what's commonly used — your own surgeon or therapist may advise something different, and their guidance comes first.