Are your glutes weak? In fact, many of us have one glute weaker than the other!
Check out the video with Darla below to do a quick self-test and leave a comment below to share if you noticed one glute is weaker than the other.
Activating your gluteal muscles (or glutes) is more than about having a well-sculpted bottom.
Did you know that well activated glutes can affect your posture, improve your athletic performance and reduce your chance of injury?
Why are our glutes weak? There are many reasons but for many:
- Sitting all day at work and then coming home and sitting on the couch for a few hours. The glute muscles learn to ‘switch off’ more than they should.
- Poor posture and form are other reasons why glutes become weak. In this case, we tend to rely on other muscles during our everyday movement.
- For many people when their glutes remain ‘inactive’ or ‘switched off’ the muscles are weak and are not relied on as much as they should be during exercise.
Glute activation refers to ‘activating’ or ‘firing up’ the muscles in order to strengthen them.
What are the benefits of activating the glutes? It can:
- have a major impact on the overall strength of your body
- provide better support to your core
- help to support a range of exercises and compound movements
- help avoid muscle imbalances which can lead to decreased muscle mobility.
- support your spine and stabilize your pelvis
- play an important role in reducing your chance of injury specifically to your knees, lower back and hamstrings
And many experts agree, glutes are the most powerful, efficient muscles for running, walking, and hiking and not using them can cause a multitude of problems.
If you’re interested in learning more Darla is teaching a 2-hour Yoga & Pilates for Glute Strengthening and Activation workshop on Sunday, June 27, 6:30-8:30pm. Through a wide variety of yoga and pilates movements, you will learn to fire up your glutes and translate this practice into your everyday activities.
Leave a comment below to share your glute test results!