Suche
It's not uncommon for people to want a better butt, but a great side effect of strengthening this area of the body is a healthier lower back. Your muscles hold your skeletal structure in place, which can have a profound impact on how you feel and whether or not you have pain. Strengthening and balancing your muscles helps reduce both pain and fatigue, meaning you're likely to feel and look better.
According to the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), nearly two-thirds of Americans experience back pain at some point in their lives. But as the APTA rightly points out, most people focus on the symptoms rather than the cause of their back pain. Often it is actually either a lack of support or too much tension that creates imbalance and triggers pain.
The gluteal muscles consist of the gluteus maximus, medius and minimus. These muscles allow hip extension, abduction (side-to-side movement), and in some cases, circumduction. They also support and stabilize the lower back and pelvis as you move through numerous activities in sports and life. Here are three great exercises to build strength in the glutes that can help relieve back pain.
Buttocks strengthening exercises
Start with a 5-minute warm-up - a gentle walk may be sufficient.
Hip bridge with abduction
Lie faceup on a mat with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Place a mini band around your legs, just above the knees. Lift your hips off the floor to form a straight line from your neck to your knees. It is best to keep your thighs in line with your hip joints. Resist the pull of the band inward to strengthen your gluteus medius, which are the muscles on the outside of the hip. Bring your hips back to the floor and repeat.
Perform three sets of 10-12 reps to begin building strength and progress.
Squat with hip extension
Stand with your feet about hip-width apart. Place a resistance band under both feet and grasp the ends of the band in each hand. Lower yourself into a squat with your knees rolling over your toes. Tighten your glutes and rise from the squat position. Extend one leg behind you into a hip extension without arching your lower back. This movement strengthens the gluteus maximus, the largest of the gluteal muscles. Bring your foot back to start and repeat the squat with hip extension on the other leg.
Perform three sets of 10-12 reps on each leg to begin building strength and progress.
Conch shell
Lie sideways on the floor or mat. Place a mini band around your legs, just above your knees with your knees bent. From a side-lying position, either propped up on your elbows or lying all the way down, slowly open and close your knees. To increase the intensity of this movement, lift your hips off the floor into a side plank and perform the clamshell movement from there.
Perform three sets of 10-12 reps on each side to begin building strength and progress.
Before beginning this or any other exercise program, be sure to get approval from your doctor.
Learn more about back pain relief in our best-selling webinar: Lower Back Health Starts with the Core.