What is it and why do we need it?
Glute activation is having the muscles of the buttocks, the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus, engaged during activity.
For most of us, we sit for long periods of the day. While sitting, our glutes are inactive and there’s a good chance they’re not firing properly when we are moving about.
Poor glute activation can lead to low back pain and pain in any of the joints of the lower extremities, i.e. the hip, knee and ankle. This happens because the body tends to compensate by using the incorrect muscles. Having strong gluts is key to being pain free and for getting the most out of your workout.
To activate the glutes, it is important to first loosen up any tight muscles. This can be done through the use of a foam roller and stretching.
Once you have stretched, you can begin several exercises that will get your gluts firing. These are listed below. Choose a few and perform 10-15 reps of each move.
Start in hands/knees posture (quadruped). Extend one arm out in front of you and the opposite leg behind you. Tighten your abdomen. Repeat with the opposite pair.
Start in quadruped. Extend one hip behind you. Keep your knee bent and kick up toward the ceiling. Do not let your lower back arch.
Start on your back with one leg bent with foot on the floor. Keep the other leg straight out in front of you. Lift your buttocks off the floor using the leg that is bent.
Start in quadruped. Keeping your knee bent, lift it out to the side. Lower slowly.
If you ever have any questions always know that you are welcome to stop by our clinic and speak with one of our highly qualified physical therapist. We are here to help you succeed and become better.
