Hip rehabilitation continued

Update

LIFESTYLE NEWS - Exercise is one of the ways to improve your physical wellbeing and it aids in great measure to get rid of ailments, aches and pains.

Follow the exercise programme provided by the biokineticists at Anine van der Westhuizen Biokineticist in George and feel the difference.

Biokineticist Lana Laubscher continues the series on hip stabilisation exercises.

As we are nearing the end of the year, we are happy to announce that our new biokineticist, Megan van Huyssteen, has finally joined the practice.

This week we will move back to the floor to focus on a small but very important muscle, the gluteus medius.

The name might sound like Greek to you, but we biokineticists know it's a crucial muscle involved with biomechanics (the way you move).

This muscle is located at the side of the bum and is very important to keep the correct knee alignment.

Now some will wonder why I'm talking about the knee all of a sudden when the hip is still the subject.

It's fairly simple - your hips can do very little functional movement (e.g. walking, climbing stairs) without the use of your knees.

The body is a "chain", and a specific joint can seldom be treated as if it's isolated from the rest of the body.

We have to keep it functional, because there is no use in strengthening an isolated muscle to its full strength capacity if it has no functional ability to support you during a functional movement.

Lie down on your side and relax your head on a straight or bent arm

To do this exercise you have to:
Lie down on your side and relax your head on a straight or bent arm;

Bend your knees 90º and move your feet backward, so that your knees, hips and shoulders are in a fairly straight line;

Keep the feet on top of each other and only lift the top knee approximately 15cm (the hips should not tilt backwards and your core should remain activated);

Squeeze the side bum muscle as you lift the knee.

Try to lift the top knee and hold the contraction for 1 to 2 seconds before moving back to starting position.

Repeat the movement 20 to 30 times and then switch over to the other side.

Make sure you maintain the neutral position of your spine and ensure your core stays activated throughout the duration of the exercise.

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