Why You Need to Work on Your Glutes

These muscles are way more than just for show- they are the powerhouse for human movement. We have a team of three gluteal muscles (and some smaller accessory muscles) which provide strength and stability to the lower body and pelvic area. We use them when we walk, run, dance, jump, during lifting motions and more! If you are experiencing back, hip, knee, ankle or foot pain and dysfunction, lack of glute engagement could be the culprit.

If you’ve come in to see us for a back, hip, or lower limb issue, you’ve experienced this test! We use the prone hip extension to evaluate lumbopelvic function. The activation of muscles during a prone hip extension simulates the muscle recruitment pattern of hip extension during gait.

So, if we ask you to lift you right leg in this position, the sequential firing pattern we expect is as follows: right gluteus maximus, right hamstring, left lumbar erector spinae, right lumbar erector spinae.

Unfortunately, most test results are far from ideal! We often find the erectors or hamstrings fire first, with the glutes late to the party.

Less than ideal glute firing decreases the stability of the pelvis and the body’s mechanical efficiency. This could lead to compensatory patterns, and potentially pain and injury.