Are you forgetting about your backside? If you spend most of your day sitting, there's a good chance that you are suffering from glute amnesia.
The more you sit, the more you "forget" how to use your glutes! The glutes (mainly gluteus maximus) are muscles that cause hip extension, so sitting (hip flexion) stretches them out (read What's a good stretch for that?). The bad news is that holding a muscle in a stretch for over 1 minute has been shown to reduce the activity of that muscle for up to 24 hrs (check out the studies here, here, and here)! Also, you're compressing the blood and oxygen out of your glutes by sitting on them which can cause the nerves not to fire as well and build up of trigger points.
Forgetting how to use the biggest muscles in your body can lead to all kinds of problems with your core, back, hips and knees, and other, so here are my top yoga poses to jog your glute memory.
Forgetting how to use the biggest muscles in your body can lead to all kinds of problems with your core, back, hips and knees, and other, so here are my top yoga poses to jog your glute memory.
Tabletop Kickbacks
A recent study shows that bending your knees during hip extension activates your glutes more than if your legs are straight, so kick your heel to the sky!
Bridge Pose with Block
Another study shows that adduction during hip extension creates greater glute max activation. Squeeze a block between your thighs during Setu Bandha Sarvangasana to kick on your glutes more.
Locust Pose
A great pose to activate your whole back line, low back, glutes, hamstrings and all.
Horse to Star
Flowing between these two poses will really start to wake your glutes up. Inhale to Star and exhale to Horse.
Side Plank with Abduction
Kick on your gluteus medius and minimus in this vasisthasana variation to help all your glutes get to work.
The best way to prevent glute amnesia is to avoid sitting as much as we do, but if you have to spend a lot of time sitting, try some of these poses to get your butt back in gear!
Namasté
The best way to prevent glute amnesia is to avoid sitting as much as we do, but if you have to spend a lot of time sitting, try some of these poses to get your butt back in gear!
Namasté
Gluteus maximus pic from http://www.thansworld.com
Elephant cartoon from http://images.sodahead.com
Side plank pic from http://media1.onsugar.com
Horse pose pic from http://www.yogabasics.com
Star pose pic from https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com
Glute kickback pic from http://sportskneetherapy.com
Locust pose pic from http://yogalifejourney.com
Bridge pose pic from http://media1.popsugar-assets.com
Elephant cartoon from http://images.sodahead.com
Side plank pic from http://media1.onsugar.com
Horse pose pic from http://www.yogabasics.com
Star pose pic from https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com
Glute kickback pic from http://sportskneetherapy.com
Locust pose pic from http://yogalifejourney.com
Bridge pose pic from http://media1.popsugar-assets.com
RSS Feed