Standing Hip Abduction – Gluteus Medius

Disclaimer: You should discuss your health risks, previous injuries, and current treatments with your provider or physical therapist before starting any exercise program.

Beginner

1. Stand with your legs shoulder width apart and have a table or chair next to you for stability.
2. Perform an abdominal draw in to protect your back from injury. Do this by pulling your umbilicus (belly button) in towards your back.
3. Keep your knee straight, toes pointed and kick your leg out to the side of your body slowly.

1. 1. Make sure you keep your upper body and back straight during the exercise
2. Return to starting position.
3. Repeat 10-15 times, 3 times in a row.
4. Repeat with opposite leg.

Advanced

1. Perform the same exercise as described above with a light cuff weight around your ankle. Start with ½ to 1 pound weight.
2. You are ready to add weight when you can do three sets of 12 repetitions for two sessions without difficulty or you rate the difficulty of the exercise as a 1-2 on a scale of 0-10.

The following videos demonstrate hip abduction without and with weights.