Never Forget Your Gluteus Minimus...

I was looking through Mum's old anatomy book and was pleasantly surprised to find a gluteus minimus and a gluteus medius to go along with the infamous gluteus maximus.

The thought of having a gluteus minimus just tickles me to no end.

Besides, it resolved an odd conundrum for me-- "the left-foot-into-the-knickers-fall-over".

You know what I am talking about.

You put your right leg in your pants leg while standing...

Then, you balance on your right leg and attempt to get your left leg in its proper hole. The older you get, the more you make stabbing attempts at getting the leg in before you fall over. When you get older still, you put your pants on either sitting down or already leaning against a wall...

Who would have thought that putting on a pair of pants would remind you of the aging process as much as it does?

Well, knowing the function of the gluteus medius and the gluteus minimus allows one to target those muscles and make them stronger.

When you stand on one leg, the two lesser glutes on the side with the leg on the ground contract sharply, and keep the pelvic region from falling to the ground. Most of your balance problems stem from a falling pelvic region, so you could say that the gluteus minumus and medius are responsible for keeping you erect while putting on your pants.

To remedy this, I lie on my side and bend my knees comfortably, and then do slow snap kicks from this position which strengthen all the muscles used to lift and hold a leg in the air while lying on your side.

You'll feel a sharp burn in your lesser glutes after about twenty of these.

But you'll be putting your pants on with the old style you had when you never thought about putting on your pants...


Here is one stretch for the hips, buttocks and lower back.

Instructions:

Sit on the floor with both of your legs extended in front of you.
Bend your right leg over your left leg, keeping your right foot flat on the floor outside the left knee.
Place your left elbow on the outside of your right knee, and extend your right arm behind you with your palm flat on the floor for support.
Slowly twist your upper body to the right while looking over your right shoulder.
Lightly apply pressure with your left elbow on the outside of your right knee as your twist. Be sure to keep your upper body straight.
Once you feel a comfortable stretch in your hips, buttocks and lower back, hold this position for at least 20-30 seconds. Try to relax while holding a stretch.
Switch sides and repeat.