3 Gluteus Medius Exercises for Powerful and Balanced Hips

Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes read

Oh, the hips, the core of our body’s balance and movement! These reliable joints allow us to walk, run, dance, and do so much more. But have you heard about a small, often forgotten muscle that plays a huge part in hip strength and stability? Meet the gluteus medius, the unsung star of hip stability!

Located between the gluteus maximus and minimus, this strong muscle has been quietly helping us with daily motions and athletic activities. However, it rarely receives the recognition it deserves. Today, we’re focusing on this hip champion and giving you three essential exercises to help you unleash the full potential of your hips!

The Hip and Happening Gluteus Medius: The Secret to Stability and Movement 

The gluteus medius helps with various hip actions, particularly moving and rotating the thigh. It also stabilizes the pelvis, which is essential for activities like standing on one leg, walking, and running. In short, this unsung star keeps us upright and moving smoothly.

So, what happens if the gluteus medius takes a break? Weakness in this muscle can cause many issues, including knee pain, knock-knees, and balance problems. Yikes! It’s like a chain reaction, with one weak muscle possibly leading to other issues in your lower body.

It’s clear that we need to pay more attention to our gluteus medius! Let’s look at three exercises that’ll strengthen this hip hero and get us back on track to powerful and balanced hips.

Unlocking Your Hips’ Full Potential: Three Gluteus Medius Exercises for Hip Power 

Now that we’ve praised the mighty gluteus medius let’s explore the exercises that will strengthen your hips! 

1. Clamshells

• Start by laying on your side with both knees bent.
• Keep your feet in contact with each other, and then rotate your top leg up. Ensure you keep your spine aligned, and your hips don’t rock back! The rule of thumb is to do a smaller range of motion if you think your back is moving.
• Rotate your top leg back down to the starting position.
• Do this exercise 10 times in each set.
• Complete 3 sets of the exercise.

2. Side-Lying Hip Lift

• Lay on your side with your bottom knee bent and your top leg straight. Look down your body to see if your top leg is in line with your trunk. It’s common for the top leg to swing forward a little, so you may have to bring your top leg back an inch or two so that your body is in a straight line from the tip of your head to the tip of the foot on your straight leg.
• Slowly lift your top leg towards the ceiling about 6-12 inches, keeping your leg in line with your body, don’t let it float forward. Then lower your leg back down.
• Keep your hips and shoulders square to the wall in front of you while your leg moves.
• Try to complete 3 sets of 10 on each side if you don’t feel increased pain.

3. 3-Way Kicks in Standing  

• Begin standing in front of a sturdy surface, like your countertop, in case of need for balance support. You can tie a resistance band around the ankles (light, medium, or heavy resistance) or use an ankle weight (~2-3 lbs).
• Keep both legs straight during this exercise. You will be in a single-leg stance on your supporting leg while keeping a straight leg on the kicking side.
• Slowly kick the leg forward, then back to your starting position.
• Repeat the kick to the side, then back to your starting position.
• Finally, kick back, then return to your starting position.
• Repeat the sequence for 10 repetitions in each direction, then switch to the other leg (balance exercises can be helpful to improve stability in the standing leg, so it’s not a bad idea to practice the exercise on both sides to give the affected leg a chance to balance in a single leg stance).
• Practice 3 sets on each leg.

Conclusion: A Hip Celebration of Strength and Balance 

In the end, working on strengthening and balancing your hips with focused gluteus medius exercises is an excellent investment in your overall health and well-being. As you continue to unlock your hips’ full potential, you’ll probably notice improvements in your posture, less pain in your lower back and knees, and better stability during daily activities.

The benefits of powerful and balanced hips go far beyond the exercises themselves – so let’s get moving! Moreover, by putting time and effort into boosting your hip strength, you’ll open up new possibilities for physical activities. You might be able to tackle new challenges, like mastering advanced yoga poses, learning new dance moves, or just enjoying a more active lifestyle with increased ease and confidence.