Your gluteus medius is a muscle in your buttocks. It plays an important role in helping you maintain balance, but it also enables you to do things like run and jump. Strengthening this muscle can help prevent low back pain and improve your posture, plus it can make you look good in jeans! So how do you strengthen your glutes?
Perfect The Plank
The plank is an excellent exercise to start with because it requires no equipment and can be done anywhere. To perform a plank:
- Lie on your stomach with arms extended straight out in front of you and toes tucked under so that they're touching the ground. Your body should form a straight line from head to toe; make sure not to let any part sag or bend (including the neck).
- Hold this position for 30 seconds before resting for 30 seconds and repeating three times in total.
- If you need more challenge, try doing side planks by raising one arm and leg off of the floor at a time so that only one side of your body rests on top of it during each rep; this forces both sides of your core muscles (both rectus abdominis) into action as well as strengthening certain stabilizer muscles within those areas--such as transversus abdominis--which help support spinal alignment throughout movement patterns like walking/running etcetera!
- Shape up with Side Planks
The side plank is a great exercise for strengthening your gluteus medius muscles. The gluteus medius is the muscle that helps you lift your leg out to the side, so it's important to keep this muscle strong if you want to have good posture and avoid back pain.
To do a side plank:
- Lie on one side with your legs straight and feet together. Place your forearm on top of the other with elbows bent 90 degrees so that both forearms are stacked directly over each other. Make sure there's no space between them. This will be your base for balancing on one arm throughout this exercise!
Hip Hikes
Hip hikes are a great exercise to strengthen your glutes, hamstrings, and calves. You can do hip hikes anywhere with no equipment required! Hip hikes are a great way to warm up before a workout and help you loosen up before working out more strenuously.
Hip hiking moves also strengthen the muscles around your hips and pelvis, which helps prevent injuries such as IT band syndrome (a condition in which pain runs along the side of your leg) or hamstring strains. Hip hikes can be done anywhere - at home, in the park, or even at work if there's enough room - so it's easy on-the-go fitness that works wonders for both the body and mind!
Glute Bridge Holds with a Band Around Your Feet
This exercise is similar to the banded glute bridge but requires more stabilization from your core. You'll need to wrap your resistance band around the bottom of each foot, then do the same movement as before.
To set up:
- Loop one end of the band around one foot and pull it through until you have a loop around both feet.
- Place this loop across your instep so that there are two loops going over each foot (see picture). This will keep tension on both sides throughout the movement! If you want extra resistance, try using two different colored bands--the lighter one at first and then gradually increasing until they're both challenging enough for you!
Deadlifts and Sumo Squats
Deadlifts and sumo squats are great for building the glutes because they target the entire muscle group. To perform a deadlift, stand with your feet hip-width apart and hold a barbell across your upper back with an overhand grip (palms facing away from you). Bend at the waist while keeping your back straight, reaching down to grasp the weights. Lift them up off of their rack by extending through your legs and hips until they're parallel with the floor--don't lock out! Lower back down slowly until you're in starting position again. Deadlifts primarily work the hamstrings and lower back muscles while also activating the quadriceps, gluteus maximus, adductor magnus/medius/minimus (inner thigh), erector spinae (lower back), external oblique abdominals (sides) as well as the serratus anterior for scapula stabilization during this exercise."
Standing Hip Thrusts
Standing hip thrusts are a great way to strengthen your glutes, especially if you have trouble activating them. For this exercise, set up two benches or chairs and place one foot in each seat. Start by leaning forward until both knees are bent at 90 degrees, and your feet are flat on the ground beneath the bench/chair (this is also where you'll want to ensure that your hips don't rise off either piece of furniture). Slowly straighten out both legs while keeping them parallel to each other; this will help activate those glutes! Once you feel ready, lift one foot off its respective piece of furniture while maintaining good form throughout this movement--you will then lower yourself back down again with control until all four limbs are once again resting firmly upon their respective surfaces. Repeat 10 times before switching sides so that both sides get equal work!
Strengthening your glutes will help prevent low back pain, improve your posture and make you look good in jeans!
The glutes are the largest muscles in your body, so it's no surprise that they play an important role in stabilizing your hips, spine, and pelvis.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the gluteus medius is an important muscle that helps you walk and run. Strengthening your glutes will help prevent low back pain, improve your posture and make you look good in jeans!
