[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]There are superficial reasons for wanting a perky bum. But health-related reasons count, and should count even more. If your
glutes are sleepy, not doing their job, the integrity of your functional movement suffers.
The importance of strengthening your glutes
“When any of our butt muscles become weak, other muscles around the joint, and muscles throughout the tissue chain — in the low back, the hip flexors, hamstrings — start to compensate to assist with movement,” explains
Bethany Macke, a certified personal trainer based in St. George, Utah, who has been helping clients identify and correct muscle imbalances for more than two decades. “Our bodies are great compensators. But this can lead to tightness and even pain in overworked muscles, and even negatively affect the joint structure.”
You might not know you're suffering from weak glutes. “Sometimes the symptoms we experience are quick,” Macke says. “But often it happens over time without us realizing the real cause of the problem.”
Weak glutes are so prevalent, particularly in Western society, that their sad state has been given a name: “butt amnesia,” or “glute amnesia” in more-technical terms. Their cause is easy to identify.
"As soon as we start school, we are accustomed to
sitting for long periods of time,” Macke says. “This seated position lengthens the glute muscles, which can lead to a lesser ability to contract and shorten the muscles when needed.”
Your backside has three main muscles, all “glutes,” short for “gluteals”: gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus. The glute muscles are responsible for movement of the hip joint: extension, abduction, internal and external rotation. You execute these actions when you walk, climb steps, stand up or sit down.
“Since the butt muscle is a major part of our daily hip movement, it is imperative we keep these muscles engaged and strong and participating in movement in an effective manner,” Macke says. Plus, our butt looks better when it's strong, right?
3 glute-strengthening exercises
Bridge
Lie on your back, knees bent, and place the soles of your feet on the ground a comfortable distance ahead of your hips. Keep your torso in its neutral shape and lift your hips, squeezing your glutes together throughout the lift and at the top of it. Then lower your hips slowly toward the ground, while slowly releasing the squeeze. Do this several times.
If you want to increase intensity, use only one leg, or, should you have weights or bands, incorporate them for more resistance, Macke suggests. Another alternative is to lift your hips and at the apex of the lift isometrically pull your heels toward your shoulders for several counts then lower slowly.
Why it works
Bridge is a great warm-up, Macke says. The simple action of extending your hips (opening the front of your hips as you lift them) awakens and strengthens your gluteus maximus. Bridge is also an accessible glute exercise for those who can't bear weight on their wrists or have trouble bending their knees deeply while standing.
Chair
Stand with your feet a comfortable distance apart, about the width of your hips (lightly hopping and seeing where your feet land is a good guide). Bend your knees and draw your weight back toward your heels as if sitting in a chair. You should be able to see your toes ahead of your knees. Your torso will tilt forward a little naturally. Place your hands wherever feels comfortable, your hips perhaps. Experiment with where the weight is in your feet, keeping a bit more in your heels. Then isometrically pull your feet apart (pull each foot toward its outer-edge side), for a few counts. Repeat the entire chair exercise several times.
Why it works
Simply sitting back into an imaginary chair wakes up your buttock muscles (and your back and core muscles, by the way), especially your gluteus maximus. Holding the shapes keeps the buttock muscles working, and isometrically drawing the feet away from each other engages them even more.
Tabletop leg reach
Come to your hands and knees. Straighten your right leg behind you, and draw it to hip height, parallel to the ground. Keep your hips level with the ground and gently engage your core (you don't want to drop your belly and create a swayback). Use the back of your left hand on your sacrum, the bony area between your bum and lower back, to sense whether your hips are level and parallel to the ground.
Bend your right knee, keeping your right thigh in place. You’ll immediately feel your glutes engaging. Hold for several counts. Switch to your other leg.
To intensify, make tiny pulses, slightly raising and lowering your entire lifted leg, originating at its corresponding glutes — we're talking just an inch or so of movement up and down. To make the exercise gentler, keep your lifted leg straight. Should you want additional challenge or to do the leg reach while upright, engage in the lift while standing on your other leg (your torso will tilt forward, and you can use your hands on your hips to sense whether your hips are level).
Why it works
This type of leg lift thoroughly engages your glutes in a focused manner: Your glute maximus works to keep your leg lifted, and your glute medius works to keep your hips square. Be sure to keep the lifted leg hip-height; if your leg is barely off the ground, muscle engagement shifts more to your hamstrings. If you perform the leg reach while upright, the muscles of both buttocks (and legs) get exercised throughout because the glute minimus of your standing leg engages to help you and your hips maintain balance.
Mitra Malek is a recovering hard news journalist who has taught yoga since 2006. Glute-strengthening is a request she often gets when leading yoga sessions.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_text_separator title="Featured Products" border_width="2"][vc_row_inner equal_height="yes" content_placement="middle" gap="35"][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="165350" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" css=".vc_custom_1677949726431{padding-right: 7% !important;padding-left: 7% !important;}" link="https://www.vitacost.com/orgain-organic-keto-plant-protein-powder"][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="165349" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" css=".vc_custom_1677949745079{padding-right: 7% !important;padding-left: 7% !important;}" link="https://www.vitacost.com/nutrabio-amino-kick-baja-burst"][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="165351" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" css=".vc_custom_1677949758753{padding-right: 7% !important;padding-left: 7% !important;}" link="https://www.vitacost.com/protekt-energy-grape-10-packets"][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]
