Exercises To Strengthen and Stabilize your Gluteal Musculature
By: Dr. Peggy Malone
We have talked a lot in previous posts about the importance of the function of the Gluteal musculature. Today we will do a wee review and then get straight into some great exercises to strengthen and stabilize your butt!
Here is a list of some of the injuries that I see regularly in my practice that have a common denominator of dysfunctional glutes:
-Plantar Fasciitis
-Achilles tendinitis
-Patellofemoral Syndrome
-Knee Pain
-Iliotibialband Syndrome
-Runners Knee
-Piriformis Syndrome
-Hip Pain
-Low Back Pain
-Chronic Hamstring Pull/Strain
In the treatment and prevention of injuries along the anatomy train from the floor to the core, (which will include every injury listed above) it is extremely important to improve the function of the gluteal musculature to get past the injury and to prevent it from coming back.
We have talked about it before, but it is extremely important so itās worth the review:
There is a difference between strength and function.
You can have a big strong powerful Glute muscle but if it doesnāt activate and do its job when itās supposed toā¦.then it is not functioning correctly.
I like to tell my patients: āYour butt muscles are on holidays.ā
This is a problem I see in almost every single patient regardless of their complaint and regardless of whether they are a sedentary person or an elite athlete!
You CAN get your gluteals to activate and function properly again!
I usually describe this process as āre-introducing your brain to your buttā.
By making this āre-introduction, you will alleviate the pain associated with your injury and you will also gain speed, strength and stability in your run or your sport as the gluteal muscles wake up to the job that they are meant to do.
Reactivating your Gluteal Musculature
The first exercises that patients usually focus on when they are making attempts to reactivate and strengthen their gluteal musculature are squats or lunges.
This is a mistake.
If you are struggling with plantar fasciitis, Shin Splints, or any of the other leg injuries that I mentioned above, a huge biomechanical contributor to those injuries is a lack of function and stability at the glutes.
Doing a squat or a lunge with an unstable pelvis and glutes that are contracting their work out to other muscles will only aggravate the problem further.
Instead, gluteal strength needs to be achieved in positions that wonāt compromise the leg and lead to further stress along the foot and leg.
Only once you have achieved strength and stability gains with the more supported exercises is it appropriate to move on to squats and lunges.
Exercises To Strengthen and Stabilize your Gluteal Musculature
The first exercise I give to my patients is to make an isometric contraction (an increase in muscular tension without a change in muscle length) of their glutes in various positions as they go about their day.
Hold the squeeze for 5-10 seconds for a set of 10 while sitting at a red light or standing in a line. If you can make this voluntary connection in a static position, then the contraction will be more likely to be there during functional movements like running.
You can start this isometric squeeze exercise right away, even if you are in an injury crisis. You may then want to ease into the other exercises for your glutes as the pain of your injury begins to subside.
The Clam Shell
This exercise will help you to isolate the gluteus medius muscle from a very supported position side-lying on the floor or bed.
Start by lying on your side with knees bent to 90 degrees and your feet parallel to your torso. Make sure that your hips stay stacked on top of one another throughout the exercise.
Place your fingers on your gluteus medius muscle so that you can be sure that it activates during the movement.
Slowly lift your knee while keeping the hips stacked. Repeat 20 times each side.
Once you get good at this one, you can put a band around your knees to create more resistance.
The Fire Hydrant
Start on all fours in table top position.
Targeting the gluteus medius muscle, slowly lift one leg up and to the side. You will look kinda like a dog peeing on a fire hydrant š
Start with 3 sets of 10 and build to 20 reps each side.
The Bridge
This exercise engages the gluteus maximus muscle that must work to support the back. The position on the floor allows strengthening of the glutes without putting stress on the knees or the lower legs.
Lie on your back with knees bent. Draw in the lower abdominals and curl the butt off the floor, lifting the hips until the knees, hips and chest are in line. Hold this position, purposefully squeezing the glutes to support the bridge position.
Keep the pelvis level and the lower abdominals drawn in. If you feel a strong contraction in the hamstrings or the lower back is straining, then you are not using your glutes strongly enough.
Focus on squeezing your butt cheeks together to ensure they do the work.
Start with 10 x 10 seconds, building up to 2 x 60 seconds.
Side steps with a Band
Start standing with an exercise band around your ankles. It should be snug when your feet are shoulder distance apart.
With knees slightly bent, take a sideways step focusing on the gluteus medius muscle on the side that you are stepping to.
Step 5-10 times one way and then 5-10 times back the other way. Repeat 3-5 times. (you can build up as you get stronger)
The Hip Hiker
This exercise involves recruiting the gluteals to maintain a level pelvic tilt.
Stand on one leg on box or a step. Stand up with good posture, head looking forward into a mirror.” Tilt the pelvis so the free side drops down. Your stance-leg knee should not have moved nor should your head or back. Focus on your gluteals on the stance leg (place your fingers on the gluteus medius muscle to ensure that it engages during the exercise).
Pull the pelvis up from the tilted position until the free side is level or even slightly higher. Slowly continue this hiking motion up and down.
Complete 3 sets of 10 building up to 20 reps each side.
So, What does your Butt have to do with it?
The kinetic chain (anatomy train) that goes from the ground at your feet, up through your ankle, knee and hip and into your core is vital in terms of stability for every person, especially during running gait.
Remember that your Gluteus Maximus is your biggest strongest propulsion muscle.
The Gluteus Medius is one of your most important muscles for maintaining stability while on one leg. If these muscles function as they should, you will move your body further and faster with more ease and most importantly with less injuries including repetitive strain injuries like Shin Splints or Iliotibial Band Syndrome.
My patients that have had the most stubborn, resistant cases of Shin Splints and other athletic injuries of the legs who had tried every treatment that they could find only got the relief they needed when they added their core/gluteal strength into the equation and focused on getting improving the strength function and stability of the glutes.
So begin right this minute by re-introducing your brain to your butt and start squeezing those glutes!!
Live Well,
Peggy
Dr. Peggy Malone is a Chiropractor and an Athlete who helps other athletes to overcome injury and get back to their sport. Her weekly Television Series ‘Living Well” inspires people from all walks of life to take control of their health to be as happy and as healthy as they can be.
A former varsity Basketball and Rugby player, she has since entered the world of endurance athletics where she has completed 2 Ironman Triathlons, 3 Marathons, several Half Marathons and many other Triathlons, Road Races and Off-Road Adventure races of varying distances.
Her own athletic endeavors and injuries have given her valuable insight into working with athletes in her practice for both the care of injuries as well as for the improvement of athletic performance.
Dr. Peggy,
This caught my eye on Facebook and I came over to the site to read the full article. My son and I have both had issues with this. My son is a full time waiter at a 5 star restaurant here in Phoenix. While that is very glamorous to work with a top chef, he is really having issues with being on his feet for so many hours.
His Triathlon coach had told him last year that he had issues with his iliotibial band and it wasn't until I read your article that it clicked for me that he was probably having discomfort from strength issues mentioned above.
I am going to send him this article and I think it will help him for sure! I am also going to take your advice. Great article! Thank you!!!
I’m glad the article gave you an ‘aha’ moment. You should also check out my article on ‘Shin Splints and Your Butt’.
You could just as easily substitute in ‘Iliotibial Band Syndrome’ for ‘Shin Splints’ because the cause is the same!
http://drpeggymalone.com/shin-splints-your-butt
Great post! Its being very useful to get body in shape with the correct guidance,thanks for sharing the informative post.
I’m glad you enjoyed the post!
Hi Peggy,
I have gluteus tendinopathy and the tendons have been shot for the last three years. (Background – I was doing leg extensions in the gym and the whole right hip felt like the hip muscles had been pulled and strained. Turned out there was a laberal tear in there and had surgery in Feb. 2012. However, a year later no physical therapy has helped the tendons.They thought fixing the tear would solve the pain but it has not. I had three PRP shots in Dec-Feb 2013. ) I have tried five different physical therapist who have me try some of these exercises mentioned above. However, every time it results in extreme pain and I end up having to take flexeril to relax everything. I sit a lot all day and not sure what to do. Maybe I should do the exercises above and work through the pain but feel it's aggravating the tendons! Recently went to a physcial therapist who just had me do some stretching across the body to the left and to the right and that ruined a $1,000 worth of PRP shots and felt like I was back to square one. Extremely discouraged. WIsh I could find someone who has dealt with this before. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Even just sitting in a chair writing this aggravates it.
Jennifer
I’m so sorry to hear what you’ve been through Jennifer.
Your case sounds fairly complicated and I can’t really give you good advice without actually examining you and chatting longer.
I would recommend working with an ART (Active Release Technique) Practitioner to see if you can get some relief.
Check out the website at http://www.activerelease.com and you can put in your location and find a practitioner near you.
Good luck with it!
Peggy
this is me! No one understands that the exercises immediately flare up the area and it is agony and takes yes, medication to relieve it. I did 20 clams and a few bridges in the living room and was hobbling to the bed. I had a labral tear and hip impingement, had the hip surgery with an outstanding surgeon in NYC but this gluteus medius and minimus pain is killing me. I cant work out anymore. I cant do the side stepping with a theraband because it is so painful and feels like my muscle are not connected to me, it doesn’t function. I used to work-out 6 days a week and had strong muscles so I don’t understand this “weak muscle” theory. I did a variety of work-outs and worked the glutes, all the different muscles, until they burned like heck. At first they thought I had bursitis and cortisone calmed it down a bit but then I had another a month later then another and by the 5th it was completely ineffective. During my hip surgery they removed my bursa but the glute pain was unaffected. Stretching is the WORSE. They hate to be stretched but my mind was convinced they were tight and needed stretching or a tennis ball and I started yoga but it really is the devil for me. I would lay on the bed in agony and used a metal bar to press into the areas to try to get some relief. Did you get any answers? I literally cant do any exercise, my back is killing me and my groin is in a permanent state of clenched, strain and when I try to release it, everything spasms. It insists on being permanently tight, pulled feeling. What is going on??? Why do our gluteus medius and minimus have this issue? I want to add that the muscle right above my rear or it can be descried as the lowest part of my back, joins in. Is this part of the gluteus medius? I need help š
Hi Mitra,
I’m so sorry to hear that you are in pain.
You said you didn’t understand the ‘weak muscle’ theory because you previously worked out 6 days a week and had strong muscles.
I have worked with professional athletes who work out for a living and have gluteal muscles that aren’t stable.
When human beings are not doing what we are designed to do (run, jump, hunt, gather) and instead we sit or stand in sustained postures for
hours, it makes us very susceptible to weakness and injury. In fact, the weak, unstable gluteal musculature that I see in most of my patients,
are often a contributing factor in labral tears and hip impingement.
As for your current symptoms…from how you are describing things, I would recommend working with a good body worker, preferably an ART practitioner
to help loosen up the soft tissues around your hip and low back which will hopefully give you some symptomatic relief.
Keep in mind, that surgery is not a ‘fix’, even with the best surgeon in the world. Once you have injured a joint and it’s been cut into with a scalpel, you are working with something different than mother nature intended….which is why you should get help for the best way to manage your current situation.
Go to http://www.activerelease.com and click on ‘Find a Provider’. You’ll be able to find a practitioner that is close to you that will hopefully be able to help!
Good luck and I’m sending you good healing vibes!
Peggy
Dr Peggy,
I have a quick question. How many times a week should I perform "Exercises To Strengthen and Stabilize your Gluteal Musculature"
I'm hoping that these exercises give me what I need to strengthen my hip.
Thanks!
Glory
Hey Glory,
I tell the patients in my office to do these exercises every day for 6 weeks to 6 months. It will depend on your body’s current level of instability and adaptation as to how long it will take to see some good results!
Also, if I should not work on every day, what should I do on the day when I am not working out? Should I completely rest or do minor exercises?
Thanks again!
Glory
The Gluteal exercises that I’ve outlined in this post are for stability and endurance of stabilization musculature and so they can be done everyday. It is ok for you to do your regular workouts as you normally would if your injury allows for them!
By Far the best article I have read on IT Band injury, I am currently squeezin my butt! been off training for 5 wees tried everything, had to pull out of my marathon, it has been the worst time of my life, was running 60 miles a week now I cant go 3 miles without been in agony, I am rolling stretching and exercising (yoga daily) having 7 days off at a time, no change to the pain when i run tho its just horrible i don’t know what else to do. Will defo try the squeezing butt when i put my foot down! š i’m only 33 I know all the races will be there next year but after all the hard work I have put in it seems so unfair š got a lot of races in next few months I have paid a lot for. I have spent a fortune on physio too! I will defo look into the ART too. Thanks xx
Hey Corinne,
Sorry to hear that you are hurting. I know how much it sucks to be taken out of training because of injury. Definitely check out http://www.activerelease.com to see if you can find a local ART provider and also check out my posts on posture which should help if you’ve been dealing with a resistant chronic ITB: http://drpeggymalone.com/foot-ankle-shin-knee-hip-pain-check-posture
Thanks for taking me back to the basics./Petra
You’re welcome Petra!
Let me know if you have any questions as you go through the exercises!
Great article! How long do you think we can see results (muscles being stronger) after doing the exercises?
Hi Andrew,
I tell my patients (depending on their symptoms and the length of time that they have had them) to keep working the exercises for 6 weeks to 6 months. It’s a process where you are continually fighting back against postural habits and muscular imbalances that you may have had for years.
Hope this helps!
Peggy
What if you can’t do the isometric contraction in the first place? I can’t feel my left glute. It seems like no matter how much exercising, stretching and relaxing I do, all I can manage is to tighten my piriformis. Help š
Hey Audrey, I do have a few patients that experience this same phenomenon. I usually get them to lay flat on their tummies and put their fingers right into the gluteus medius muscle and then, from the hip, lift the leg up from the floor (or bed…where ever you are laying) Doing this action in this position should activate that glute. Once you have practiced a few times. Keep the leg on the ground but keep your fingers on the muscle and then try the isometric squeeze. As you get better at it in this position, you should then be able to transfer the skill to standing and seated. Hope this helps! Let me know how it goes!
Awesome article,
I am going to practice all these moves also make my wife do it, we are both suffering from plantar fasciitis. This article makes alot of sense I will report back in to let you know how you it went.
I have had an injury while running last year. My mistake was that I didnāt warm up or train before to sprint that fast and I heard a snap sound in my buttocks as if I tore a muscle. Since then I have had a chronic pain around my right glut and mainly piriformis muscle has been cramping. I cannot sit or walk or bike for too long. I am tired of having this pain as nothing I do works out. I will try out your plan and see if that reduces my pain.
Do you suggest doing the pigeon stretch to stretch out the glut?
My best advice would be to get assessed and treated by a body worker like a chiropractor, physiotherapist or massage therapist.
Depending on what is diagnosed, you will likely get the best advice for stretches and strengthening and rehabilitating the injury from them.
I hope you feel better soon!
Peggy
I am glad I came across your website as I am suffering severely with hip pain upon rising in the morning to a point where I now take advil at night so I am not afraid to get out of bed in the morning. Once I get over the pain then I am fine for the rest of the day, can and cycle no problem, but once I lay down, or now even sit on the couch at night, oh boy, it brings tears to my eyes, it’s so bad. I know it’s my own fault for running and cycling for years and years with out stretching and being in a desk job four days a week sure doesn’t help. My chiro has been doing ART on my hips and the left seems to have responded well, but the right side is the struggle.
Having said all this, the question on my mind is ” How do I isolate the glutes to strengthen without tightening the inner leg muscles? That area seems to be a major source of my problem (that’s just my analysis:)
Hi Heidi,
I would talk to your chiropractor about this. They will know your specific challenges better than me because they’ve seen how you move and how you contract certain muscles.
Good luck!
Hello,
When doing glute squeezes, I feel my inner knees and back knees, sometimes even my shins. After the glute squeezes, those areas really ache. Any suggestions, am I doing this wrong?? I try to isolate the glutes only when squeezing, not the thighs or abs or anything else.
Thank you for your time
It’s hard to give advice without seeing what it is you are doing. You may want to work with a good personal trainer or a physical therapist to make sure that you are doing the exercises correctly.
I’m so grateful to read all the comments and find that it is not uncommon to take months to recover especially when most cases will suggest 6-8 weeks recover time making me feel very pessimistic about my own injury. Who knows how long my glutes have been working improperly but I’ve been dealing with low back pain from an overuse injury in addition to a VERY painful and unstable sacrum and pelvis. Finally, after 10 months, two doctors, 5 chiros, a physical therapist and an orthopedic doctor I was told by chiro #5 that my glutes weren’t firing properly if at all! I’ve been doing all of these exercises and then some 2x a day faithfully for the last 5 or so weeks. I still have back muscle/pelvis/sacrum bouts of pain from repetitive motion (i.e. vacuuming & similar motion) that are painfully tight but my sacrum & pelvis have stayed in place. I pray that with continued diligence my right side will continue to stabilize and strengthen so I can get back to being the active person I was.
My mri showing butt muscles with small tears in tendons. I have been doing most or the exercises you recommended. My pt has also given me most of these. all have helped a little. I am going on my 5th month of pain. My question is, I bought the basis for Barre 3 tapes, which is yoga, ballet and pilates combined. Will this good for the degeneration and tearing of but muscle tendons. I am a active peron at 68yrs young walking 4-5 times a week about 3 miles and playing doubles tennis 2 times a week. I have given up everythings because of pain. Please help! Debbie
Hi Debbie,
It’s hard for me to give specific advice without examining you.
If you are working with a pt, that’s great!
My best advice for anything degenerative is to move it or lose it! (Within the boundaries of advice given to you by your health care provider of course)
Keep at it! It’s never to late to get stronger or more mobile.
I realize this thread is very old, but if you’re still listening I want to tell you how much I appreciate the info! I’m currently recovering from hip replacement surgery, and the gluteus medius is the muscle that was the most affected. I’m online looking for additional ways to strengthen it beyond what was given to me by my Physical Therapist, and this helps. It’s a slow process to getting my gait back, but the key is to put in the work! Thanks again for a great source of information.
Hi Peggy. Great article, glad I came across it. I’m a knock knee’d runner and have struggled with hip/foot pain on and off but particularly when running up hills.
Thought I’d try the exercises because what you’ve described sounded like what I needed.
After 5 clams my right hip and down my leg was burning but I had no problems on the left. With the fire hydrant my right hip just kept clunking and grinding but no problems with my left. Should I keep going with the hydrant manoeuvre?
Thanks
Sam
Hi Sam,
It’s hard to say what is happening for you without doing an examination.
If you are still having trouble, I would recommend consulting with a body worker like a chiropractor or a physical therapist.
Thank you so much for this article. I injured myself a time ago & finally received the Ok from my Dr that I can start exercising, strengthening my gluteals. He gave me a list but I found your article on Google & I prefer your suggestions since it will allow me to continue to strengthen even if I have to lay down.
Thanks so much ?
Kelly
I have been suffering from periformis syndrome for 3 and 1/2 years!!!!!
Had pt, chiropractic care, injections of all kinds. Almost had a double back fusion this year because they say I have ddd. But they could not see where any nerves could be pinching on my mri.
All everybody says is stretch. I learned some strengthening exercises in pt, but nobody really focused on the glutes.
I’ve tried so many things and searched online all this time until last night I found your site.
I tried these exercises and for the first time in years I feel much relief!!!! Looking forward to getting my life back!!!!
I Thank God and I
Thank You so so very much!!!!
Well explained. I had pain in the lateral side of my r leg. My GP could not diagnose the cause. Now I have developed drop foot. Of course the pain stopped with cold compress.
I think your explanation is more logical scientific. Thank you.
Hi I I know this is an old post but I was wondering. When my feet are pointing straight I cannot squeeze my glutes, only when my feet are pointed out (like duck feet). How can I fix this? Iāve been to multiple PTs, doing clamshells, glute bridges, and leg raises but I never feel the exercise in my butt, always in my lower legs
Hi Madeline, I’d have to examine you to know for sure but some people have a slightly different shape to their lower legs or their hips which maybe contributing to what you are describing. It’s not 100% required that your feet have to be straight ahead. If you are functioning well and feeling well, it’s probably ok that your feet are slightly turned out.
Thanks for the article. I am a power lifter and I just canāt seem to activate my glute medius and max on the right side. I have strong glutes but I guess they are neuromuscularly not functional. Should I stop the high level squats, single leg deadlifts etc and focus on the re-education ? I feel the swuatting, lunging etc are making my glutes strong but not helping with the neuromuscular connection. Please let me know what are your thoughts
Hi Alec,
The latest that I’ve read and learned on this says to keep going with what you are doing but perhaps a bunch more single leg work and limit the work on the strong side to what the weak side can do. I would also add in some gluteal accessory work to make sure it’s actually your glutes firing and your quads aren’t taking over (as they may be when you do squats and lunges. I hope this helps!
Well explained.. Useful info..
Glad you found it useful!