My favorite muscle- the Gluteus Medius!

The Lower Body & Pelvic Stability Control

The gluteus medius is an upper anterior buttock muscle with some of its posterior fibers situated beneath the gluteus maximus. It originates from the part of the pelvic bone beneath the crests known as the ilium, and inserts onto the side of the thigh bone, or femur.

The main function of the gluteus medius is abduction, or moving the leg away from the body. This is a function rarely performed alone in most sports. The more important role of the gluteus medius is that of pelvic stabilization during single leg stances such as when walking or running. This means that a strong gluteus medius can stabilize the pelvis and prevent it from dropping when the opposite side is not supported by that side’s leg. A weak glute medius can place excessive load on the piriformis (posterior) and psoas (anterior) muscles as they work to assist in pelvic stability control.

The primary action of the ITB is to abduct the thigh (move it away from the body’s midline). The ITB is constantly being stressed with flexion and extension by acting to prevent too much adduction (movement towards the body’s midline) of the upper thigh. One of the muscles that assists with this action is the gluteus medius muscle. It is important the keep the glute muscles strong in order to prevent ITB syndrome from occurring or recurring. ITB syndrome is a symptom of pelvic instability control.

The best hip abductor exercises involve single leg standing and lifting the leg to side with medial rotation of the hip. Each time the other leg/hip moves it challenges the ability of the standing leg to stabilize itself. If side-lying position is preferred, resistance bands can be utilized for added difficulty.

My favorite glute med exercises are:

Side lying hip circles
Standing hip circles
Reverse lunge high knee
Squat lateral leg lifts
Squat high knee twist
Roundhouse Kicks
BOSU work- bilateral, unilateral, dome and inverted

Comments

Kate's Guide to Getting the Correct Sports Bra!

I wear an unusual size and it took me years to unlock the secrets to bra fitting (and finding!) I suffered for years in improperly fitting bras, and during exercise I would wear 2 or 3 just to get the support I needed. E very woman needs support while performing sports; not having proper support means that there is extra stress put on the back during various activities. Even low-impact exercise s done without the support of a sports bra can result in strain on the upper back and shoulders that can result in pain or worse- injuries that may develop over time. Sports bras affect a woman’s posture. Exercising without support can result in slouching to prevent painful bouncing which throws the back and hips out of alignment and impedes form, leading to potential injury. The most common mistakes are when women wear a bra that is too small in the cup and too loose around the body for example a 38e instead of a 36f. Note: When you go down a band size, go up a cup! Step 1: T

I don’t have a Diastasis- Why is my abdomen still distended postpartum?

I get asked this question all the time! Here is my answer: Research has shown that 100% of pregnant women will develop some degree of diastasis recti. A diastasis is a lateral separation in the abdominal wall between the recti or “six pack”, due to a stretching of the midline connective tissue or “linea alba”. Although some diastasis will heal postpartum, in many cases a separation will remain without restorative exercise. Distention from DR will present as a doming in the midline. Women who heal a diastasis spontaneously or through restorative exercise may still find that their abdomens are distended, particularly after a meal and/or at the end of the day. If there is no diastasis, why is this? This abdominal distention does not occur in the midline, but rather across the entire abdominal wall. This is due to a weakened hypotonic TVA- transverse abdominis muscle. The TVA is the deepest anterior abdominal muscle, wrapping around the midsection like a girdle, with a left an

Is it Safe to Run with Pelvic Organ Prolapse?

In support of Incontinence Awareness Month June 2015 Is it Safe to Run with Pelvic Organ Prolapse? I was a recreational runner pre-baby. Post-baby, I suffered stress incontinence when I returned to the sport. I was fine while running, coughing or sneezing, but if both happened simultaneously I peed my pants. Although it improved as I recovered, it never fully resolved until I addressed it with a restorative exercise program. From a pelvic floor assessment I found out I have both a grade one cystocele and rectal prolapse . There are many moms who run with symptoms of incontinence, from a few drops to full bladder leakage. The solution is not to wear a pad, it is to address the obvious weakness and strategically strengthen the muscles to support the sport. Here’s what you need to know. 1. Running involves impact and requires the core strength necessary to support it. Stress incontinence is a symptom of core dysfunction and often related to diastasis recti (althoug

Kate Rita- Personal Trainer and Diastasis Expert

Search This Blog