Buttocks exercises in sports routines are becoming a practice which, commonly, is focused on a purely aesthetic goal, without distinction of gender. We add that as a general rule we don’t forget to exercise our buttocks when we see that summer is just around the corner.

And one thing is certain: it is necessary, even vital, to dedicate part of the exercises in our routines to this part of the body, but not for the reason we mentioned above. Exercising the glutes is good for your health, do you want to know why? Continue reading this article.

The benefits of exercising buttocks

For many women, working on the buttocks means getting rid of love handles. For many men, it’s to increase them so they can fit jeans better. So that you understand what exercising your butt actually means for your health, we’re going to tell you what happens if you don’t exercise them.

Posture problem: This muscle connects the back to the femur, which works side by side with the glutes when you raise your legs or decide to bend your upper body. When we stop exercising the glutes, they become weaker and weaker and this directly affects our posture. We will see how difficult it will be to stand up straight when we walk, when we run, and even when we sit in any position. This fact will trigger many diseases and conditions in our back and, as you well know, continuous back pain interferes with all our daily activities, becoming a real physical and emotional torture.

Sports performance: Did you know that the buttocks are present in all our activities? Also in the field of sport. Therefore, maintaining a toned and strong glutes will give us strength and power in our workouts. They are a very powerful part of the body, which will increase or decrease our performance in many sports and exercises. The buttocks are involved in many aspects such as speed, agility, explosiveness and power. So when you jump, run, lift weights or even swim, your glutes will be responsible for your productivity. Are you running? When you go up a hill, you’ll miss that you didn’t decide to exercise your glutes. And if that wasn’t enough, during your run you will reduce the impact of your feet on the ground and the risk of back and other muscle injuries.

Glute Memory: Although you may think this statement is crazy, the glutes have a memory. If they don’t get the stimulation they need, they become inhibited and decide not to contribute to your activities. There are more muscles in our body that take on this role, but the glutes are the most prone to decline. Spending too much time sitting, whether driving or watching TV, is one of the strongest reasons your butt stops working. Since the nature of the human body is to be in motion, some parts of the body cannot conceive of not being used. For this reason, it is important to keep them active through exercises that strengthen them and keep them active. To realize this, simply observe the gluteal activation of a child, who plays and moves all the time, compared to an older person who tends to be sedentary. It is not even necessary to go to a very old age. It is increasingly common to find that this area is deactivated at an early age due to a sedentary lifestyle caused by sitting for long periods of time studying, using the computer or watching television.

What exercises can I do for my butt?

Working your buttocks properly will bring you numerous benefits for your health, your performance and, why not, your aesthetics. Add to your exercise program, perform one or two glute sessions (depending on the days you devote to training), and you will get the most out of your daily activities. That is why we propose a series of exercises that would be ideal for this purpose and add some recommendations to perform them correctly and without injury. Take note and get ready to have a strong butt.

– Squatting: remember that you must always keep your back straight, otherwise it will not be effective and you risk injury. On the other hand, when bending, make sure that your knees do not exceed the height of the tips of your toes. You can do this exercise with a little weight to increase the work.

– Alternation of strides: Always keep your back straight when you go down, always gently. The knee should not exceed the height of the foot and you can add weight to the sides of the hands to increase the work.

– Glute bridge: When you come up to do the bridge, keep your body aligned: pelvis, trunk and shoulders. On the way down, do it smoothly and you can add weight on your thighs to increase the work.

– Deadlift: When you lower or stand up, always keep your back straight, chest outwards, without hunching your shoulders. Don’t move your knees in front of your toes.

– Side lunge: If you want to improve stability, place your arms forward to improve stability during the movement.

– Box lifts: you can climb on a box, bench or chair; everything you have available. It is best to start with a low surface and, when you have mastered the movement and technique 100%, increase the height. Always keep your back straight, remember.

– Frog push-up: As you lift your hips off the surface, do so in an open manner. Go up and down without taking your feet off the ground or your back.

– Quadruple kick: Keep your spine straight to keep your body line aligned, from shoulders to hips. Keep your shoulders as far away from your ears as possible. The more contracted the abdomen, the better.

– Abductor Kick: If the body position makes you uncomfortable, place your extended or bent arm to support your head. Body position should be neutral.

– Abduction side kick: to increase the work, hold your legs in the air for a few seconds; you will concentrate all the work and your butt will thank you for it tomorrow. Use a resistance band to increase the benefits of exercise.

Finally, don’t forget to stretch your psoas daily and, we repeat, use a few days to work your glutes. Spending time working on your butt is a commitment to your health.