Strengthen Gluteus Medius ( and a little about Gluteus Minimus:
Start : Clam shell: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziw6tJTcBGQ
Lie on your right side with your back to a wall. Stack your left leg on top of your right. bend your knees so your feet are at the wall. Your hips should face forward. Bend your right arm, and place it beneath your head for support. Your left arm can lie on your left thigh or rest on the ground in front of your stomach.
Lift your left knee up to 45 degrees, keeping your feet together. Lower your knee to the starting position. Switch sides and repeat for the other leg. Perform every day, 25 times each leg. Once this is easy do them half speed 25 times.
Progression : Lateral leg lift :
Lie on your right side with your back to the wall. Stack your left leg on top of your right. rotate your left toes towards the ground. Keep your legs straight. Your hips should face forward. Lift your left leg to 45 degrees or less without hiking your hip towards your shoulder or rolling your body back. Keep your pelvis and both knees pointing forward. Lower your leg to the starting position, switch sides and repeat. Perform 10x per leg, each day.
Progress : lateral leg lifts + circles in both direction : Video for glute circles
A little about the glutes
The gluteus medius, one of the three gluteal muscles, is a broad, thick, situated on the outer surface of the pelvis. Its posterior third is covered by the gluteus maximus, its anterior two-thirds by the gluteal aponeurosis, which separates it from the superficial fascia and integument.
A bursa separates the tendon of the muscle from the surface of the trochanter over which it glides.
Origin and insertion
The gluteus medius muscle starts, or "originates," on the outer surface of the ilium between the iliac crest and the posterior gluteal line above, and the anterior gluteal line below; the gluteus medius also originates from the gluteal aponeurosis that covers its outer surface.
The fibers of the muscle converge into a strong flattened tendon that inserts on the lateral surface of the greater trochanter. More specifically, the muscle's tendon inserts into an oblique ridge that runs downward and forward on the lateral surface of the greater trochanter.
Action
With the leg in neutral (straightened), the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus function together to pull the thigh away from midline, or "abduct" the thigh. During gait, these two muscles function principally in supporting the body on one leg, in conjunction with the tensor fascia latae, to prevent the pelvis from dropping to the opposite side.
Additionally, with the hip flexed the gluteus medius and minimus internally rotate the thigh. With the hip extended, the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus externally rotate the thigh.
The posterior border may be more or less closely united to the piriformis, or some of the fibers end on its tendon.
The posterior fibers of gluteus medius contract to produce hip extension, lateral rotation and abduction. During gait, the posterior fibers help to decelerate internal rotation of the femur at the end of
swing phase.
Dysfunction of the gluteus medius or the superior gluteal nerve can potentially be indicated by a positive Trendelenburg's sign.
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Prevent. Perform. Recover.
Equinox Health Clinic
