This is Dana Ranahan at Body Works Sports Physiotherapy. Today we’re going to show you a strengthening exercise for the Gluteus Medius muscle, called hip abduction, or leg lifts inside line. These are also known as Gluteus Medius Leg Lifts. We are going to demonstrate how to do a progression on another exercise we’ve done.
Gluteus Medius Leg Lifts
- Lie on your side with your legs bent.
- Straighten your top leg while the bottom leg stays up to keep your back neutral.
- Straighten the top leg so the heel is just behind the hip in space
- In this position, maintain the hip and shoulders in neutral
- Lift your leg up towards the ceiling as you breathe out, maintaing that neutral position and keeping the heel just behind the body
- So breathing out, engaging your core, lifting your leg, then breathing in and coming back down.
You want to work with good technique so that the heel stays slightly behind the hip to engage the glute muscle more than to engage the muscles at the front of the hip.
Work to fatigue with good technique, aiming for ten to fifteen repetitions at a time, then working for three sets with a short rest in between.