The gluteus medius or glute med for short is a muscle on the lateral portion of the hip that is crucial for a variety of activities of daily living. When we try to perform higher-level activities like weight lifting and sports activities, this muscle becomes even more important! Why? The glute med is so important because it is vital to our ability to stabilize ourselves during single leg balance. While we might not realize it, we live on 1 leg a lot. Walking, for instance, is the act of repeatedly balancing on a single leg over and over again. Strengthening the glute med can also help to resolve hip pain, low back pain, and even pain at your knee or foot! This article will take a closer look at what the glute med does as well as some of the best exercises for training this muscle.
The shoulder is a complicated body part. It is an extremely mobile joint that is able to move within many different planes of movement; however, as a result of its ability to move excessively, its stability may sometimes become compromised. In addition, there are other parts of our body that are required to move efficiently in sync with the shoulder in order for healthy shoulder mobility to occur. Because the shoulder is quite complex, proximal body parts are often overlooked when creating various shoulder exercise programs. The glenohumeral joint (shoulder ball-and-socket joint) sits on the scapula (shoulder blade), which moves in accord with the thoracic spine (Mid-Back). A shoulder exercise program is not comprehensive unless all components of the shoulder are addressed. This article will help you understand the various motions that must occur at the shoulder, the spine, and upper extremity as an entire unit, as well as show you excellent exercises that will guide you in how to bulletproof your shoulders!
