That physical exercise plays a fundamental role in maintaining general health is no longer a statement that escapes anyone in Spain. What we may not be so clear about is the important role that the gluteal muscles play in body stability and weight distribution.
Precisely because of its essential function of supporting the spine, pelvis and hips, as well as its role in the balanced distribution of body load, it is essential that the glutes are strong enough to support it. Let no one be alarmed, we are not going to propose an intense routine at the gym or great physical efforts. The idea is to strengthen your glutes from bed, before getting up every day, in a simple way.
What is the purpose of working strong glutes?
In addition to an aesthetic issue, in which we can achieve rounded, firm and plump shapes, strong glutes will function as Healthy support for the entire body structure.
Working the glutes will allow us, according to all the experts, to gain agility, security and expressiveness in the movement. This part of our anatomy actively intervenes in the extension and abduction of the hip, as well as in the rotation and regression of the pelvis, since the glutes function as stabilizers.
As nowadays jobs are mostly sedentary, if we don’t work our glutes the iliopsoas is shortenedwhich weakens the glutes, increasing the appearance of back pain and making correct posture difficult. Therefore, exercising the glutes will help us stretch the psoas and, consequently, improve our general physical condition.
Next, we propose five simple exercises (suitable for beginners) with which we can gradually strengthen our glutes without getting out of bed.
1. Buttock lift
Lying face down on the bed, legs bent and heels about 30 centimeters from the buttockswe do pelvic raises until the legs and lower torso are aligned. We maintain the posture for 10 seconds and go down again. We repeat several times, increasing them as we gain physical strength.
2. Quadruped with leg raises
We put ourselves on all fours in bed, with your forearms supported and your palms open. Alternatively, we remove one leg first, stretching it and lifting it as much as we can. We lower it (without really supporting it) and raise it again, up to 10 times. We repeat the same movement with the other leg. We will work the upper part of the glutes in this way.
3. Lateral leg movement
In this case, these are exercises fundamentally focused on the hip, in whose extension and abduction the glute actively participates. We lie on our side and raise our straight legs, what can we do at various times to further strengthen the areaand which must be maintained for a few seconds.
4. The Swimmer, one of the most complete exercises
The fourth movement recommended to strengthen the glutes is called The Swimmer, and consists of lying face down on the bed, with your legs together and your arms stretched above your head (with your shoulders as far away from your ears as possible, to avoid contractures).
Once in position, we contract our abdominals to lift our belly off the floor and extend our arms and legs in opposite directions so that they don’t rest, as if we were swimming. We also lengthen the spine so that the head is raised of the carpet.
5. ‘Walking’ to strengthen your glutes
Heel strikes are performed by placing us face down on the bed, with our forehead resting on our hands, our legs together and stiff, while we gradually lift our abdomen. We join the inner thighs and we leave the heels pressed, while lifting one leg as much as we can, without forcing it. Then we change legs, as if we were walking. We do 10 repetitions, rest and do 10 more again.
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