Injury Prevention 101: Glute Med Exercises | Sports Injury Physio
Injury Prevention 101: The Gluteus Medius Muscle
The Gluteus Medius muscle is one of the key muscles when it comes to injury prevention and plays an important role in core stability. Weakness in the glute med has been shown to contribute to lower back strains as well as hip, knee and ankle injuries. This article is a summary of the livestream that I did as part of the Injury Prevention series. Other topics that I covered in this series include: Positions Sense, Core Stability, Glute Max, Hamstrings, Quadriceps and Calves.
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Why is this important? Because it puts extra strain on your muscles, ligaments and joints if your pelvis drops or your leg turns in excessively when you move. I’ve highlighted some of the injuries that are associated with poor hip and pelvis stability in the picture below. You can learn how to test your own hip stability in this article.
NB: These exercises may not be right for you at this specific time. You should consult your healthcare provider before starting any of these. Remember, we also provide consultations via video call and can provide you with a custom training programme specific to your needs.
Movement: Tighten your stomach muscles to help stabilise your trunk during the movement. Keep your feet touching but lift your top knee up and back, so that your legs separate and open like a clam. Hold the position for 2 seconds and then SLOWLY take your leg back down.
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