The muscles of the lateral hip, including glute med have a huge role to play in the strength and stability of the pelvic region, including the hip, groin and lower back complex, and inhibition of these muscles can lead to ongoing pain and weakness in both the pelvic and lower limb regions.
Not only this, but impairment of these muscles can also predispose an individual to injury, and lead to sub-optimal performance outcomes.
Therefore, it is important to specifically target the lateral hip muscles in an effort to improve stability, strength and control, aswell as improving performance, by improving hip range of motion, specifically internal rotation.
In the attached “Hip Hitch” exercise, we are activating the muscles of the lateral hip on the right leg.
- Stand on the right leg, locking the knee and hip out straight.
- Stretch your right arm up high in the air, keeping good alignment all through the right side of the body
- Raise the left knee up high towards the chest
- “Hitch” the weight slowly over to the right hip
- Hold this x 4-5 seconds
- You should feel a “muscle burn” on the outside of the right hip
- This can be repeated 10-12 times, over a number of sets.
- This is particularly important exercise for athletes to include in their rehab / warm-up sessions.
