The single most important muscle group in the body is “The Glutes.” The glutes are needed for every movement. They are a a prime mover, propelling the body forward to stabilization of the back and hip during trunk and shoulder movements. The glutes are essential for good posture, lifting, walking, throwing, sitting, running, standing, squatting, lunging, climbing, and even sleeping. They are almost in constant use.
The glutes are made up of three muscles.
Gluteus Maximus—The largest muscle of the body. Used for power, strength, and upright walking.
Gluteus Medius—The “rotator cuff” of the hip. Provides stability. When it’s weak it will lead to injury of the leg and back.
Gluteus Minimus—Important for walking. Problems with this muscle can lead to a limp, hip pain, knee pain, and loss of balance.
Weak glutes cause injury.
Back pain—Weak glutes cause back pain by allowing the back to round out when squatting and lifting.
Knee pain—Weak glutes cause knee pain when going up and down stairs by overloading the knee while its partially flexed.
Hip pain—Weak glutes cause compensatory muscles around the hip joint to tighten causing added pressure to the hip leading to arthritis and pain.
Weak glutes degrade performance.
Performance for an athlete will decrease as glute strength and stability decrease. Runners won’t run as fast. Throwers can’t throw as hard. Cyclists can’t pedal as well. Swimmer’s slow down. Dancers will be less coordinated. And all will be more prone to injury!
How do glutes become weak?
Sitting—Prolonged sitting causes a tightness of the hip flexors. Reflexively, this “turns off” the glutes and allows them to atrophy and weaken.
Sleeping—Sleeping on your side with your top leg flexed will stretch the glutes and cause them to weaken.
Standing—Chronic standing on one leg can stretch the stance leg and weaken it while weakening the other leg because of disuse.
Glute strengthening exercises are an important part of anyone’s workout program. Try these to strengthen your glutes:
Squats, lunges, one-leg step downs, glute bridges, and jump squats.
Contact us at Core Chiropractic and Wellness if you would like to learn more about your glutes. We help our patients reach their health and wellness goals by focusing on chiropractic, nutrition, and performance. We have a strong history of serving Roanoke and all of Southwest Virginia, including Vinton, Salem, and Botetourt County.
