Glute activation - simple exercises for strong and healthy body

Having strong glutes can reduce your risk for back and knee injuries

One of the most important skeletal muscle groups in the body, are the gluteal muscles. This group consist of three different sized muscles. They are the main hip extensors and also responsible of moving your body upward and forward, they rotate your thigh in and out, they help you maintain balance as you walk and help you to climb up stairs. Unfortunately, this muscle group is also one of the most neglected ones. If you spend long periods of time seated, the front of the hips, your hip flexors, become short and tight, while the back of the hips, the gluteal muscles, become long and weak. This muscle group actually HAS to stop working when we are seated. If these muscles stay inactive for long periods of time, your posture can get out of line and lead to pain in your back.

Activating your glutes

Knowing how to activate your glutes is highly important for them to function properly. If you don’t know how to use these muscles, your body will try to activate less powerful muscles to do the same job. This can lead to an injury since these muscles were never intended to perform tasks like these. Having strong glutes will make your body generate more power in almost every movement, including running, jumping and squatting. Strong glutes will also help to stabilize your pelvis and mid-section especially in balancing exercises e.g. standing on one leg. It will also help you to prevent excessive movement in your back and knees, therefore reducing your risk of injury to these parts of your body.

When should you do it

Simply put, glute activation is waking up your glutes. It makes the connection from your brain to your muscle and gets the muscle ready to do some work. Some glute activation could be done prior to your workout, to get that extra bit out of your lower body exercises, or they could be done as a separate session to teach your brain how to make that connection to the muscles. Here are some simple exercises for you to try out at home.

Bridge Start by laying down on your back Place your heels as close to your sit bones as comfortably possible Push your heels on the floor and lift your hips up towards the ceiling, squeezing through your glutes at the same time Your back shouldn’t arch excessively, keep a neutral curve in your spine Hold for 2 breaths and lower yourself on the mat Repeat 10-20 times
Lying down leg lift Lie down on your stomach on the mat Lift one leg up, your heel towards the ceiling Perform 30 little leg raises, pushing your heel up each time Don’t arch your back, but keep a neutral curve in your spine Repeat other side
Clamshell Lay down on your side and rest your head on the lower arm Bring your knee together forming a 90 degree angle Make sure your hip bones stay stacked on top of each other Keep your feet together and raise the top knee as high as you can without shifting your pelvis Don’t move your lower leg Perform 30 repetitions and repeat other side
Side leg raise Start by lying down on your side and rest your head on the lower arm Bend your bottom leg and keep the top leg straight Make sure your hip bones stay stacked on top of each other Lift your top leg towards the ceiling, leading the movement with your heel Only lift as high as you can without shifting your pelvis out of the position, don’t move the lower leg Perform 30 repetitions and repeat other side
Kickbacks on wall Stand facing a wall, and hold on lightly for support Raise one leg up, leading with your heel Only lift as high as you can without arching your back or shifting your pelvis Focus on squeezing through the glutes as you lift Perform 30 repetitions and repeat other side
Fire hydrant Start on all fours, your wrists directly below your shoulders Lift one leg up, keeping your knee in a 90 degree angle throughout the movement Keep your pelvis still at all times and squeeze through the glutes as you lift Perform 30 repetitions and repeat other side