Don’t Let Your Glutes Fall Asleep On the Job!

The “Glutes” consist of three muscles and make up the majority of your buttocks. They are an incredibly group when they work. Unfortunately as we age, they sometimes fall asleep on the job.

There is a term “Gluteal Amnesia,” which is pretty much what it sounds like: your glutes “forget” to turn on, forcing other muscles to compensate. As humans, we are Master Compensators. We will perform a movement even if it’s not the most efficient way to move. That’s how we get into bad habits that eventually lead to pain. “Forgetting” to use the glutes leads to tight hamstrings and hip flexors, and can lead to lower back pain.

Keeping the glutes strong has been my mission as a yoga instructor, ever since I was 39 and discovered that I had weak glutes. I was having back pain, seemingly out of nowhere, and found out it was because my glutes were weak.

Once I realized the problem, I made it my mission to strengthen my glutes and get them to activate whenever possible. Walking, going upstairs or up a hill while hiking, swimming, standing up from a chair or the toilet are all opportunities to use your glutes. When I don’t, my body speaks to me in the language of sensation. In other words, my body hurts.

For the last 15+ years, I have also made it my mission to help my students (and anyone who would listen) to get to know and activate their glutes. Bringing awareness to my glutes has not only kept me from having back pain for the last decade or so, but has also changed my approach to yoga.

Yoga is a vehicle for staying strong, mobile, and out of pain. I am 54 and love being active. I plan to stay active for as long as possible. Giving my butt some love and attention has improved my chances so far. When you know how to use your body properly, it does what you want it to do without pain (or less pain).

What are the Glutes exactly?

The three Gluteus muscles are Gluteus maximus, Gluteus medius, and Gluteus minimus. They create the rounded shape that you sit upon. These muscles have multiple actions:

• Hip extension: they move the thigh backward. This is useful for movements like walking, running, and swimming, as well as going up stairs, picking up something heavy, and standing up from sitting. This action propels us forward.
• Abduction and adduction: moving the thigh away from and toward the midline (respectively). This is helpful with any lateral, or side-to-side, movements, like rollerblading, getting in and out of a car, or tennis. We don’t do much side to side movement in our daily life so this muscular action can be weaker, leading to knee pain.
• Medial and lateral rotation: turning the leg in and out. We do more lateral rotation (outward) than medial rotation (inward) typically. In yoga there are many poses with lateral rotation, like many of the hip opening poses (Pigeon, Cow Face, Bound Angle), and only a few with medial rotation (Hero pose and variations).

Strengthening the glutes is important!

When your glutes are weak, or like in my case, when you “forget to use them,” the body compensates, relying on other muscles to do the work. Over time, this can end in injury or dysfunction. Muscles like the hamstrings and lower back weren’t meant to be the leader in performing the glute’s actions. When we get the glutes to do what they were meant to do, the secondary muscles can step back from over functioning.

The reason people’s butts get flatter as they age is because they stop using them. You gotta use em or lose em! If you feel strain in your hips, hamstrings, calves, or lower back when you walk, that’s a sign you’re not using your glutes. If you back hurts from tennis or golf, you’re not using your glutes to push off. If your knees hurt while getting out of a chair, chances are, you’re not using your glutes.

Stretching is also important!

If you have strength without mobility, you will lose your range of motion and eventually become like the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz. Stretching keeps your muscles supple so that they don’t restrict movement in your joints. Balancing strength work with stretching is the best way to go.

With all of the work the glutes do for you (or should do for you), they also need to be stretched. Tight glutes can also lead to lower back pain because if you can’t move through the required range of motion, these movements will cause pulling on other parts of the body (like the lower back), which can lead to pain.

You never want to do static stretches when your muscles are cold. Sitting in a hot tub or sauna is not enough to warm them, you need to use them. After you strengthen the muscles, stretch them out to retain or improve their range of motion. You will feel more ease in your movements and can be less sore after strengthening.

Yoga for stretching and strengthening

Here is a yoga sequence to first strengthen, then stretch. You may have to intentionally activate them at first when strengthening, especially if you are not used to using them. Try to engage them first, then perform the movement.

Keep in mind that you are not looking for “buns of steel,” but rather a gentle activation of the muscles. Find the balance between strength and ease.

Glute Strengthening

Utkatasana side steps

Start in Utkatasana at the back of your mat facing toward the left side. Start with your feet together, activating the glutes, pelvic floor, lower abs and inner thighs. Keeping the legs parallel, slowly step your right foot to the right about 10” toward the front of your mat. Then step your left foot to your right foot.

Continue until you get to the front of your mat, then go back the other way. To increase the challenge, add a lateral leg lift before you step to the side. To up the challenge even more, put a stretchy band around your thighs or ankles. Go side to side 3-4 times in each direction.

Warrior 1

Stand with your feet a leg length apart. Aim your right foot toward the front of your mat, and rotate your left foot 45 degrees toward the front of your mat. Turn your hips to face forward as much as possible without strain. Your hips will be on a slight diagonal.

Press the outer edge of your left foot into the mat. This should engage your left quads and glutes. With your weight standing into your left foot, press your right knee forward, bringing the ankle over your right knee.

Keep your pelvis and torso as vertical as possible, with your shoulders over hips. Lift through the pelvic floor and lower abdominals. Raise your arms over your head with the shoulder blades moving downward and apart. Stay for 5 breaths then repeat on the left.

Locust pose

Lie face down on your mat with your forehead on the floor and your arms alongside your body, palms down. Have your legs parallel to each other, feet pointed. Engage your pelvic floor and lower abdominals while lengthening your tailbone toward the floor. Activate your glutes and spinal muscles to lift your whole body off the floor.

Gaze slightly downward so that the top of your head reaches forward instead of your chin. Lengthen your fingertips and toes backward. Try to bring your thighs off the floor to help you activate your glutes. If you’re not sure they are working, reach back and place your hands on your butt.

Hold 5 breaths, then rest.

Bridge pose

Lie down on your back with your knees bent, knees over your ankles. Your feet should be between hip and shoulder distance apart, and parallel. It should feel comfortable, not too wide, not too narrow.

Engage your pelvic floor and lower abdominals. Press your feet into the floor to lift your hips as high as they will go without struggle or strain. Press your heels into the floor to engage the glutes, which should initiate the lift. If you don’t know if they are working, reach down and touch them. Make sure your weight is evenly on both feet, like you are standing in Mountain pose.

Arms can be alongside the body, palms facing upward, or you can bring the arms into Yoga Mudra, where the palms press together and the fingers are interlaced, like one fist made by two hands. Stay 5 breaths, then rest.

Glute stretching, aka “hip openers”

Pigeon pose

Start in Table pose. Bring your right knee forward on the floor so that the knee is directly in front of your right hip. Slide your right foot forward toward your left wrist so that you laterally rotate your right thigh. Both hips point straight ahead.

Lengthen your torso forward and place your head on the floor, a block, or your hands. Let your head rest on something. Feel free to place a block or rolled towel under your right hip for some support if you feel strain in your hip or knee. Try to relax your shoulders, neck, and jaw.

Stay 5-10 breaths, allowing gravity to pull you into the pose. Don’t do the left side yet.

Cow Face pose

From Pigeon, tuck your left knee behind your right knee with your feet out to either side. Sit between your feet on the floor, on a block, or on a mountain of blocks. Keep your spine vertical, or tip your pelvis forward with a flat back. You should feel the stretch in the right hip, but may also feel it in the left.

Stay 5-10 breaths, relaxing into the stretch.

Ankle to Knee

From Cow Face, slide your knees apart so that your right shin is either directly in front or on top of the left shin. Keep your knees shoulder distance apart, with your shins parallel to the front of your mat. Feel free to place blocks or rolled towels under your knees for support.

Keep your spine vertical, or tip the pelvis forward with a flat back. Stay 5-10 breaths, relaxing the hips and thighs as much as you can.

Half Seated Spinal Twist

Straighten your left leg in front of you and bring your right knee into your chest, placing your right foot on the floor to the left of your left leg. Wrap your left arm around your right knee as you twist to the right. Keep the spine vertical and rotate from your obliques. Your left arm will create a hip stretch for the right hip.

Stay 5-10 breaths then do all 4 poses on the other side.

Watch this video where I guide you through this entire sequence.

Join me on the mat!

I teach yoga for active adults over 50 who want to stay active! My online classes are available live over Zoom as well as on demand. I teach 30 and 60 minute Vinyasa yoga classes, 45 minute Beginner yoga classes, 30 minute Mindful Core and Stretch classes, as well as Meditation classes. Click the button below to get the 10 Day Free Trial!

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