Glute exercises guarantee stronger daily movement
September 2024
(photo courtesy Maridav via Canva.com)
by Vanessa LaFaso Stolarski, Contributing Columnist
A rural lifestyle often involves lots of hauling, lifting and other physical activity. Strong gluteus maximus muscles — the ones in your backside — can make those daily movements or chores much easier.
Those muscles aren’t just for sitting on — they’re powerhouses that help you lift, carry and move with ease. Here are four simple exercises that will strengthen your glutes. Perform these movements 1-2 days a week, in three sets of 8-10 repetitions.
SQUATS
Squats are like the Swiss Army knife of exercises — they do it all. Great for building strength in your glutes, thighs and core, they also mimic everyday movements like sitting or lowering down to plant something in the ground or lift something up to a shelf. Glute strength improves your ability to lift heavy objects, enhances balance and stability, and reduces the risk of lower back injuries.
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart
- Keep chest up and back straight
- Send your hips backward like you’re looking for a chair to sit on
- Lower your body with your legs until your upper thighs are parallel to the ground
- Push through your whole foot to stand back up
GLUTE BRIDGES
Glute bridges may look simple, but don’t let that fool you. This exercise is perfect for directly targeting the glutes and, when done correctly, will also strengthen the lower back and hips, improve posture and reduce back pain.
- Lie on back with knees bent and feet flat on floor
- Place arms at sides, palms facing down
- Push through feet and lift hips toward ceiling, squeezing glutes at the top
- Avoid arching back by keeping torso at an angle
- Hold for a few seconds, then lower back down slowly
LUNGES
Lunges are fantastic for building strength and stability in your glutes and legs simultaneously. They’re especially useful for improving balance and coordination, which is helpful for navigating uneven or rocky terrain or carrying heavy loads. Lunges can also reduce knee injury risk. Note that if you experience knee joint discomfort performing a lunge, avoid pushing off on the front of your foot, and instead push back into your hip from rep to rep.
- Stand tall with feet together
- Take a wide step forward with one leg
- Lower hips until both knees are bent at 90 degrees
- If you notice your knee traveling too far past your toes, widen your stance a little more
- Push through the front heel to return to start position
- Repeat on other side
STEP-UPS
Step-ups are a great way to mimic the movements we do every day, like climbing stairs or stepping onto a tractor. They’re excellent for building strength in your glutes, thighs and calves. Doing them regularly will also enhance overall lower body strength and improve your ability to climb and step up.
- Find a sturdy bench or step
- Place one foot on the bench, keep knee aligned with ankle
- Push through heel to lift body up onto surface
- Step down with same foot and repeat on the other side
These four simple exercises will strengthen your glutes, making daily tasks a breeze.
Vanessa LaFaso Stolarski is a certified nutrition counselor, weightlifting coach, life coach and stress-management specialist.
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