Do you have lazy glute syndrome?
Your glutes (or the muscles in your bottom) are the biggest muscle group in our bodies. But, months of lockdown living has meant spiralling inactivity and more time sitting on our backsides. Experts warn that a side-effect of this is that our glutes are being woefully deconditioned. “Not all muscles waste away quickly,” says Jack Chew, a musculoskeletal physiotherapist and spokesman for the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP). “But the gluteal muscles in our buttocks lose significant strength and mass when they aren’t used as much, and it can happen within weeks.”
If you think a loss of butt bulk may be a good thing, think again. As the body’s powerhouse, our glutes are relied on to improve movement and balance, posture and performance. They act as a support for the entire posterior chain which runs from the feet all the way up the back body to the head.
How running can switch them off;
When we run we activate our hamstrings which can then cause them to shorten. If you have tightness in these muscles and find it hard to stretch them, this in turn can lead to deactivation of the glutes.
What injuries can happen?
When we bend forward without using our glutes the load goes straight to the lower back. Part of the term ‘bend the knees’ when lifting comes from this protection. I have witnessed this in client’s after pregnancy as the change in load has caused the glutes to switch off. Every time they leant down to pick their baby up they would feel a weakness in the lower spine.
Glute activations
In order to make sure we are not becoming hamstring dominant we must isolate the glutes. By taking the hamstrings out of the equation with a bent knee we can then focus on activating the glutes.
Simple glute exercises
The below image demonstrates simple exercise for glutes, including correct alignment. Doing these before a run can be useful in order to engage the correct muscles and take pressure off the lower back.
Alongside hamstring stretches this can be the key to both running efficiently and without pain.
Yoga for your glutes
If you would like more help and guidance about alignment and stretches to both protect and improve your sports performance, I am running online yoga classes via Zoom.
Pricing: £25 for a 1-2-1 or share your session with a friend for £35 (£17.50 each)! Sessions are 50 minutes.
Read more about yoga with me here and get in touch to book!
Recent Comments