Activating Your "Glute"y Booty
Activating your glutes and warming up your muscles prior to your workouts is essential! Why!? Many people sit for much of their day, without the proper amount of movement. It’s an inevitable reality for many of us with full-time jobs. Because of this, certain muscles can become weaker and tighter over time, which can effect lower the efficiency of your movements and affect certain muscles.
Others who live more active lifestyles that allow for more consistent movement throughout their days are not immune to these same struggles, however. Many people who fall into this category tend to do movements and exercises that are repetitive. Repetitive motions can take a toll on your joints when they aren’t trained properly.
Your glutes are the biggest muscle in your body, and a critical part of everyday movements like standing up, walking, climbing hills, and stairs. Before working out, it is important to warm up your small supporting muscles, as well as the large prime movers that you’ll be working.
Your glutes are made up of three muscles, the medius (helps with balance, pelvic stability, hip abduction, and internal rotations), the minimus (supports your core during walking and single-leg exercises. It also helps with hip abduction and internally rotating your thighs), and the maximus (the largest of the three muscles, this muscle helps with hip extension, hip abduction, and external rotations). Each of these muscles serves different functions for moving your hips and stabilizing your core. Glute activation is the process of warming up the muscles in your booty, through exercise, to properly strengthen them and boost your ability to perform other movements better.
It is important to keep in mind that your glutes play a huge role in your overall stability, strength, and movement, so it’s important that we take care of them and warm them up properly. Glute activation can help prevent injuries, help stabilize your core and lower limbs, and improve your lower body strength. Warming up your muscles prepares your body for exercise by improving the quality of your movements. (In this case: activating your glutes!)
Try these three glute activation exercises before your next workout to really strengthen this key area and better prepare your body for movement!
Side Steps & Leg Lifts: Using a resistance band above your knees, get into a slight squat stance with your feet together. Step to the right so that your stance is slightly wider than your shoulders, and then bring your left foot to meet your right. Then lift your left leg to the side while staying in a squat stance. Repeat the same movements on the left side. Try three sets of 12-15 reps per side
Fire Hydrant Circles: Just like what it sounds like, when in an all-fours position with your hands shoulder-width apart, lift one leg to the side, up and away from your body at a 45-degree angle, keep your knee positioned at 90 degrees until it is aligned with your hips. (As if you are peeing on a fire hydrant like a dog.) Then lower your leg back to the starting position and repeat on the other side. Try three sets of 12-15 reps per side.
Floor Bridges: Lie flat on your back with your legs bent at a 45-degree angle and your feet shoulder-width apart. (You can hold a dumbbell on your hip muscles for some added resistance if you want.) Lift your hips upward by squeezing your glutes and driving your body weight through your heels. Hold the elevated position for 1-3 seconds and then release back down to the ground. Try three sets of 12-15 reps
Tight Knee Floor Bridge: Follow the same steps as above, but knock your knees together throughout the process. This will target a different area of your glutes!
REady to activate your glutes and take your workouts to the next level? Try these exercsies and feel the difference! If you’re looking for more expert tips, personalized workout guidance, and healthy recipes, sign up for my monthly newsletter at The Fit Girlw with Curls. Get exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox - let’s move stronger together!