Located in your backside, your glutes are a large group of muscles that play a role in most movements. Trained properly, this muscle group is a powerhouse for everyday activities and athletic performance. But modern lifestyles mean they are prone to chronic underuse.
Unfortunately, the less we use our glutes the harder they are to switch on. This means that other muscles can jump in and take over when we’re doing moves like squats and lunges.
“Weak glutes are surprisingly common due to prolonged sitting and sedentary lifestyles,” says Steven Cheung, physical therapist and owner of Synaptic Rehab. “This imbalance often leads to overactive quads, contributing to issues like knee pain, poor posture, and reduced athletic performance.”
Committing to regular glute exercises will help combat this, but it's important to learn to activate these muscles too. Try these three exercises from Cheung to turn them on before you start your next lower-body workout.
How to do the full set of exercises
- Glute bridges x10
- Clamshells x8-10 each side
- Banded lateral walks
Form guides
1. Glute Bridges
Reps: 10
- Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat.
- Lift your hips towards the ceiling while squeezing your glutes.
- Hold for a second at the top before lowering
As your glutes get stronger, you can add a resistance band just above your knees to make this move more challenging.
2. Clamshells
Reps: 8-10 each side
- Lie on your side with knees bent at 90 degrees.
- Keep your feet together and lift your top knee without rotating your pelvis.
To make this move harder, loop a resistance band around your thighs.
3. Banded Lateral Walks
- Place a resistance band around your thighs or ankles.
- Step sideways with control, maintaining tension in the band to engage your glutes.
Why you should activate your glutes before a workout
Learning how to activate your glutes before you exercise means that they’ll work properly during your workout, so other muscles will be less likely to jump in and take over a movement.
"Strengthening the glutes can restore proper movement mechanics, improve stability, and prevent injuries," says Cheung.
Stronger glutes could even reduce lower back and knee pain and improve your posture, because of the muscles' role in proper bodily alignment.
Shop resistance bands
Resistance bands are useful pieces of equipment. Cheap, versatile and easy to store, they're a good substitute for the gym or more expensive dumbbells. Once you have some in your home arsenal, use them to perform the above mobility moves and routines like this full-body resistance band workout.
