Often referred to as your body’s “powerhouses,” your glutes (a.k.a. the muscles that make up your booty) help you do pretty much everything from strolling around to squats.
But thanks to desk jobs and endurance sports, tight glutes are common. “An imbalance of activity—either too much or too little—usually causes tight glutes,” explains Equinox trainer Sylvia Nasser, CPT. If you need a quick anatomy refresher: Three major muscles make up your glutes: the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus. “Each plays a slightly different role at the hip joint, but largely they stabilize your pelvis to keep you upright and contribute to your ability to stand, walk, run and jump,” explains Jesse Sattler, DPT, CSCS, clinical director of Precision Sports Performance.
Whether you sit all day or log endless miles on the bike or tread, your glutes often pay the price. “Tight glutes not only make the butt feel sore, but can also cause pain in the lower back, hamstrings, and pelvis, create instability, compromise performance, limit range of motion, force other muscle groups to overcompensate, and increase risk of injury,” Nasser says.
If you want to work hard and play hard in the gym or out on the road, you must (must, must) take the time to show your glutes some love. Here, trainers and physical therapists who know the booty best, share their go-to glute stretches for keeping your bum muscles long and strong.
Stretching should be part of your warm-up and cool down routines, but you can also benefit from busting out these glute stretches before bed or when you wake up in the morning too.
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