We see a lot of clients in our private and group classes working out for many years but repeatedly saying they can’t feel there gluteus.
Let’s start first find out where is your gluteus muscles and what it does?
It’s your buttocks muscles divided into 3 muscles: upper part right called gluteus Medius under your thumb when you hold your hip, gluteus Max the big part of your buttocks and lower gluteus forming the lower part we call the smile face area. You gluteus muscles action is to extend-externally and internally rotate and abduct.
Your gluteus is responsible to keep you in upright position and a lot of functional activities like squat, walk, lunge and climb stairs. Nerve supply your gluteus muscle is the of the superior glutues nerve, it helps stabilize your pelvis during physical activities.
Sitting for prolonged period of time compress the nerve and allow your legs muscles to fall asleep. That’s occurs with sustained pressure on the nerve supply either with repetitive movement, poor sitting position or sitting for prolonged period of time.
It’s also important that sitting for a long time is not only the main reasons, but it’s the sedentary lifestyle that make things worse.
Remember the say “ motion is lotion” that the key to recover your sleeping gluteus.
Few exercises to repeat at home daily focus to do it slowly with precision and mentally image the placement of your muscles and the action you are trying to achieve..
1-Start with gluteus stretching in figure 4
2-Shoulder bridge progress bilateral then progress to with gliding plate & single leg
3-Single squat
4-Claim shell.
5- side lying abduction.
Progression repeat the same with loop band above knee for 2,3,4,5
Remember the key is to keep moving and firing those muscles consistently to avoid the risk for other issues in the future related to less hip functionality.