If you spend a lot of time sitting during the day, your glutes could be paying the price—and it may be having a bigger impact than you realize.
“The glutes are the largest muscle group in the body and play a central role in supporting the pelvis, stabilizing the hips and generating power during everyday movements such as walking, climbing stairs and lifting,” Pilates instructor Sol Bouille tells Fit&Well.
When your glutes are weak, other muscles such as the lower back, hip flexors and hamstrings often overcompensate, and this can lead to pain and difficulty moving around.
Bouille’s three-move Pilates-inspired routine for weak glutes is designed to build strength and improve lower-body stability.
“Strengthening the glutes will also support efficient movement and protect the joints, making everyday tasks and exercise feel easier and more controlled,” explains Bouille.
How to do the five-minute Pilates-inspired routine
Bouille, who is the founder of The Island Studio, recommends doing this routine two to four times per week. “It will take less than five minutes so it’s easy to fit it into your day,” Bouille adds.
The exercises:
- Side-lying leg lift
- Clamshell
- Glute bridge
1. Side-lying leg lift
Time: 30sec each side
How to do it:
- Lie on your side with your legs straight and together.
- Engage your core and keep your hips stable.
- Lift your top leg, keeping your toes facing forwards.
- Lower with control.
- Continue for time, then switch sides
Benefit: Strengthens your outer glutes and hips, which improves stability, balance and knee alignment.
2. Clamshell
How to do it:
Time: 30sec each side
- Lie on your side with your legs together and your knees bent.
- Engage your core .
- Keeping your hips vertical throughout, lift your top knee while keeping your feet touching.
- Hold for a few seconds, then lower slowly.
- Continue for time, then switch sides
Benefit: Targets the smaller glute muscles that support the hips and pelvis, helping to improve stability and reduce unnecessary strain on the knees.
3. Glute bridge
Reps: 10-15
How to do it:
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet hip-width apart.
- Engage your core.
- Press through your heels and lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
- Squeeze your glutes at the top before lowering with control, one vertebra at a time.
Benefit: Strengthens your glutes, hamstrings and core while improving pelvic stability and supporting your lower back.
