A Move You Should Do MONDAY – Frontal Plane Hip Lift

The frontal plane hip lift is a simple exercise that activates a small but significant muscle, the gluteus medius. Here’s how to do it:

Stand with your feet hip width apart and toes pointed straight ahead.
Without bending your knees, shift your weight to one side and lift your foot off the ground
Repeat by shifting your weight to the other side
Perform 6-10 repetitions on each side
Is it harder to do on one side than the other?

Why does this matter?

Though the gluteus medius is designed to abduct the hip, more importantly when you are walking or standing on one leg, it’s job is to prevent your pelvis from dropping to one side. The frontal plane hip lift activates the gluteus medius on your standing leg, teaching it to prevent the pelvis from dropping.

Weakness of the gluteus medius has been associated with tightness of the quadratus lumborum, a key muscle in your back. If the quadratus lumborum becomes short and tight, it may cause a leg length discrepancy (make the leg feel shorter) or even cause one shoulder to be higher.

A pelvis dropping on one side may lie at the core of lower back, hip, knee and foot pain.

Give the frontal plane hip lift a try.

Because nobody has time to be in pain.

Until next time…