You couldn't do a jumping jack without your gluteus medius muscle. One of the three muscles of your posterior, or buttocks, the gluteus medius is an abductor muscle. Along with your gluteus minimus, your gluteus medius enables you to move your leg outward to the side. The gluteus medius muscle also helps keep your hips even when you place all of your weight on one foot. To strengthen your gluteus medius, perform exercises that abduct your leg.

Dirty Dog

Kneel on the ground. Place your hands directly under your shoulders, and locate your knees directly under your hips.

Neutralize your back by pulling your abdominal muscles in toward your spine. Keep your back straight throughout this exercise.

Pick your left knee up off the ground. Maintain the alignment of your spine, and keep your shoulders and hips in place.

Lift your leg out to the side. Aim to get your thigh as high as your torso, forming a 90-degree angle.

Return to the starting position, and repeat the movement. Do not allow your knee to touch the ground between repetitions.

Side-Lying Hip Abductors

Lie on your right side. Stack your left leg on top of your right leg. Keep your legs straight, with your hips facing forward.

Bend your right arm, and place it beneath your head for support. Place your left arm on your left thigh or rest it on the ground in front of your stomach.

Lift your left leg as far as you can without rolling back. Keep your pelvis and both knees pointing forward.

Lower your leg to the starting position, but do not allow it to touch the bottom leg between repetitions.

Tips

When exercising, do three sets of 12 repetitions on each side. Perform resistance exercises on alternate days, allowing your muscles to rest and repair between exercise sessions. To increase difficulty, add ankle weights to the exercises.

Warnings

Do not allow your back to sag toward the ground or arch forward during these exercises.