Prominent glutes aren’t just for cosmetic purposes. A strong core and glutes help to support and protect the spine from injury.
Strong glutes are critical to avoiding spine muscle overuse. This is true whether you’re picking something heavy up off the ground, carrying groceries, or leaning down to load a dishwasher.
If you’re suffering from back pain, strengthening the glutes can make all the difference. Glutes can become weak from sitting at a desk too long, from other inactivity, or simply as a product of age. To have better support when pushing, pulling, or lifting, it’s essential to target several of the glute muscles:
- Gluteus maximus.
- Gluteus medius.
- Obturator.
- Piriformis.
For functional activities, it’s important to target many glute muscles because of the complex way the hips move. They rotate, extend, flex up, and control side-to-side stepping.
Your hips and glutes have to protect you when you stand on one leg and go up and down stairs. This is also true for when you walk up and down hills and get up off the ground. And that’s just to name a few motions.
Exercises that help target these muscles include:
- Bridges.
- Clamshells.
- Dead lifts.
- Leg extensions.
- Resisted side steps.
- Side leg lifts.
- Side lunges.
- Sumo squats.
Many glute exercises can help people of all fitness levels build strength. Please consult your doctor or physical therapist for assistance in safely strengthening those glute muscles to protect your lower back.