While a taut, toned backside might be on your wish list, strong gluteal muscles are important for functional and aesthetic reasons.
The glutes are a group of muscles in the buttocks—gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus—that control external and internal rotation of the hip joint, extension and abduction of the leg, and help maintain pelvic and hip stability during activities.
Strong glutes can alleviate pain, improve posture, balance, and sporting prowess, and reduce the risk of injury and back pain. With such an important role, they shouldn’t be neglected.
A sedentary lifestyle can lead to glute weakness, underscoring the importance of exercises to combat it.
So, read on to discover five common signs of weak glutes symptoms and how your glutes could benefit from some strengthening!
1. YOUR GLUTES ALWAYS FEEL TIGHT DUE TO GLUTE WEAKNESS
Unless you’re recovering from a squat-laden gym session, your glutes probably shouldn’t be feeling tight or sore.
Tight glutes can sometimes be associated with muscle spasms. More often than not, chronic muscle tightness is a sign of weakness. Improving hip mobility can help reduce the feeling of tightness in the glutes.
2. POOR POSTURE
Posture isn’t only about a strong and stable core. Taking responsibility for your own body is crucial to maintaining good posture. Weak glutes can also cause an inability to maintain an upright posture through the trunk and pelvis.
3. HIP OR KNEE PAIN
If you suffer from hip or knee pain, you might be searching in the wrong place for the cause, as it is often glute-related.
Weak glutes can cause strain on the hip itself, as well as the lower down joints of the knees and even the ankles. Strong glutes can lead to better alignment and less pain in the hips and knees. The goal is to help you achieve a pain-free life through strengthening exercises.
4. LOWER BACK PAIN
If you’ve ever experienced lower back pain during bridging exercises at the gym or pilates, it’s highly likely you weren’t properly engaging your glute muscles.
A sedentary lifestyle can contribute to weak glutes and lower back pain. Weak glutes or glutes that aren’t ‘switched on’ can result in over-compensation from the lower back muscles. This can in turn cause pain and, potentially, injury.
5. INABILITY TO MAINTAIN A LEVEL PELVIS WHEN STANDING ON ONE LEG DUE TO LACK OF HIP STABILITY
Part of the glute, specifically the gluteus medius, plays an important role in maintaining pelvic stability during single leg activities, such as walking, climbing stairs, hopping, or running.
Exercises like single leg squats are beneficial for strengthening the gluteus medius, which helps in stabilizing the pelvis and preventing muscle pain and hip instability.
Lack of pelvic stability can cause strain above or below in the kinematic chain, for instance in the lumbar spine, knee, or lower leg.
If you are experiencing weak glutes symptoms, please book an appointment online to make an appointment to have your gluteal function assessed, and a strengthening program prescribed.
With a Doctor of Physiotherapy degree from the University of Melbourne and a Bachelor of Science and Human Movement from Penn State, Michelle Labonia is a skilled physiotherapist with a passion for holistic patient care. Particularly interested in back and neck pain and hip and knee injury, she combines her extensive knowledge of the body and expertise in manual therapy, Clinical Pilates and dry needling to relieve pain, rehabilitate and prevent future injuries.