Why should I care about my glute flexibility and strength?

Performing glute flexibility and strengthening exercises can help relieve:

• Low back tension
• Pain in buttocks or pelvis
• Tightness in hamstrings and hips

Performing glute exercises consistently can lead to benefits like:

• Improved lower body strength
• Enhanced lower body flexibility and range of motion
• Reduced risk for injury
• Improved activities of daily living

Seated Figure Four Glute Stretch

Cues:

•  Sit upright in a chair. Place the right ankle on the left thigh just above the knee and hold your shin.
• Keeping a neutral spine, lean the abdomen forward and deepen the stretch until you feel it in the back of your leg/glute and hold it for 20-30 seconds, repeat 2-3 times in total.
• Repeat the previous step on the other leg.

Banded Glute Bridge

Cues:

• Position band just above the knees.
• Lie on your back with feet pulled up towards glutes and arms resting comfortably at your sides.
• Push through your heels while squeezing glutes to raise hips off the ground, continue to raise hips while driving knees slightly outward against the band.
• Raise hips until torso and hips are aligned, holding for a brief pause at the top of the movement.
• While maintaining tension on the band, slowly lower hips back down to the ground and repeat exercise for the desired number of repetitions.