Welcome back to another Move With Us! This week we’re focusing on our glutes.

Our gluteal muscles are very important in the function and stability of our bodies but are also the laziest muscle group. It is common to have underactive or weakened glutes which can contribute to low back pain, pelvic pain as well as overloading your knees or ankles during exercise. Overall, good glute strength is crucial to healthy movement!

Today is about activation and strengthening and is suitable for all levels. Come move with us and see how strong your glutes are!

Glute Bridges

• Lying on your back with your knees bent at hip width apart

• Tilt your pelvis towards you, drawing your belly button into your spine and begin to peel your back off the floor while engaging through your glutes

• Continue to peel up, stopping before you start to go into extension through your low back

• Continuing to engage the glutes, slowly roll back down to the floor keeping your knees hip distance apart

• Repeat for 2-3 sets of 8, remebering to work within your limits

Wall Slides

• Lying on your side with your back against a wall, have your head supported by a pillow and your legs straight

• Begin to slowly slide the top leg up the wall, as far as 90 degrees, keeping it in contact with the wall through the movement

• Slowly lower it back down to the other leg, you should feel your glutes working through the slide

• Repeat for 2-3 sets of 6-8 reps, remembering to work within your limits

Clams

• Lying on your side, bend your knees to about 45 degrees

• Keeping your ankles together, lift the top knee up towards the ceiling

• Make sure not to roll backwards as you lift your leg, keeping your hips stacked and hip bones facing forwards

• Slowly lower the top leg back down to the lower leg, you should feel the glutes of the top leg engage

• Repeat for 2-3 sets of 6-8 reps, remembering to work within your limits

Side Kick

• Lying on your side again with your bottom knee bent at about 45 degrees

• Straighten the top leg, holding it up at hip height

• Slowly glide your top leg forwards, going no further than 90 degrees

• Making sure to keep it in line with your hip height at all times, slowly glide it back to the start position

• Repeat for 2-3 sets of 6-8 reps, remembering to work within your limits

We hope you found this helpful! Feel free to repeat this series multiple times through out the week and keep Moving With Us. If you have any questions or need any advice on any of these exercises, please don't hesitate to reach out and chat to us.

Remember that you shouldn’t feel pain during any of these exercises. If they are painful for you, consider avoiding that exercise or decreasing the intensity. We are always here to help if needed.

If you’re after some more advice or are in need of some hands on help, we’d love to see you at Collective Motion! Collective Motion offers Osteopathy, Myotherapy, Dietetics and Pilates and is conveniently located to service our Bentleigh community as well as its surrounding suburbs including Bentleigh East, McKinnon, Ormond, Glenhuntly, Murrumbeena, Carnegie, Oakleigh, Gardenvale, Brighton East and Hampton East. Click below to book an appointment and let us help you get moving again.