Gluteus medius

The gluteal muscles (glutes) are the group of muscles surrounding your bum and hip area. 
They are made up of three muscles and all contribute to hip joint stability.
So what do we use our glutes for? (video included)

All of the 3 gluteal muscles are responsible for abducting (moving outwards) the hip joint, but also the Gluteus maximus controls extension and lateral rotation (turn out), and Gluteus medius and the Gluteus  minimus produce medial rotation  (turn in).

So what do we use our Glutes for?

Gluteus Maximus: Big powerful movements such as.... stepping up, climbing and running.
Gluteus Medius: Pelvic stability functions such as..... standing on one leg, walking and running.
Gluteus Minimus: Pelvic control such as when we walk and run and hold one limb off the ground.

What happens if we have a weak Glute Medius?

A weak gluteus medius will result in the opposite hip dropping during our walking gait cycle which can then cause lower back pain and hip pain when walking.
(note the picture above)

Simple exercises we can do daily: 

The Oyster :
This is one of our favourite Pilates exercises! The Oyster primarily works the Gluteus Medius. Video below

Watch Video