Description
The gluteal stretch exercise aims to relieve back, knee and hip pain, and to improve muscle flexibility. As you age, your glutes become weakened, leading to knee pain and lower back pain even for just a small movement in your leg. Having frail glutes also results to back stiffness and to uncomfortable sitting position.
The most common gluteal stretch is the pretzel stretch in which you get to sit on the floor, turn your upper body to one side, stretch your legs and extend your arm. You also bend your knee upon stretching your leg. The pretzel stretch can also be lying down on the floor and bending two of your knees and cross one of your leg over the other.
Through this exercise, you would be able to have healthy glutes and to maintain stability in your pelvis that greatly contributes to daily human activities such as running and walking. It also helps in reducing excess fat in your buttocks area, making it more firm and plumped.
Results
Gluteal stretch clearly targets the most powerful and largest muscle group in the body—your gluteus or glutes. This muscle group consists of the minimus, medius and maximus muscles, which are all located in your buttocks. These glutes are accountable for moving your hips and leg coordination. People, who have weak glutes, are experiencing constant knee pain because the glutes are not healthily flexible and are perpetually strained.
This exercise affects the glutes by reducing the stiffness and pain felt after long walks, strenuous runs or long hours of sitting down. The gluteal stretch also improves your mobility because your glutes are stretched and toned. Regular stretch also averts the chances of further injuries in your hips. Frail gluteal muscles often hinder the hip movements, that is why keeping your glutes fit and healthy is important.
Sets and Repetitions
One variation for the gluteal stretch is the twisting buttock stretch wherein you bend your one knee and twist your body towards that bent knee. Another variation is that you sit on a chair, cross your right leg and rest your right foot on your left knee. Then lean forward gently until you feel that your buttocks are stretched. All the stretches are done on both of your left and right side.
For novice, you need to hold your stretch for 15 seconds and repeat the stretch for four times. It is done vice versa, and increase your pace by holding the stretch for a maximum of 30 seconds for three repetitions on both sides. For a more challenging stretch, you should be able to hold the stretch for 20 seconds at around 10 to 15 repetitions. Avoid holding your stretch for more than 30 seconds to prevent overstretching and straining.
Top Performance Metrics
Some people who wish to have fast results often perform 100 repetitions of the glute stretch in over 50 to 60 seconds, while those who prefer nice and slow perform the regular 20-repetition.
Related Movements
In order to have a butt workout, there are certain exercises that aim to keep your gluteal muscles firm and plump such as the pile squat, frog jump, lunge kicks, forward lunge, donkey kick and side lunge. Most of these exercises do not require any equipment. As long as you have an ample space, these exercises can be all achievable.
Related Foods
Without any stretches, your glutes may weaken and may become flat. Certain foods can be of help to make your glutes plump and firm such as drinking shake with half a scoop of whey and casein. Some skinless chicken breast, potatoes or yams, and broccoli can all suffice to keep your glutes with enough amount of nutrients. Keeping yourself from carbohydrates is unnecessary because your glutes need nourishment and fats. They may become firm and tight when you perform a couple of stretches to structure the shape of your glutes.
Celebrity Use
As seen in the Underworld movies, Kate Beckinsale’s physique is indeed feisty and strong, most especially in her lower body. She is known to have a very well-emphasized booty due to her constant exercises, which includes the gluteal stretch. Her body is also intensely accentuated when she wears an all-black leather suit, leaving her more confident with her toned hamstrings and firm glutes.
Functional Use
You would be able to notice improvement when your buttocks become firm and when the fats are reduced. You would no longer feel stiff and pain from your hips, lower back and knee, most especially when you are aging. Gluteal stretch should be practiced by all those who are in their older years because as they age, their muscles become stiff.
The greatest functional benefit for the gluteal stretch is having to do the physical activities flawlessly without any pain in the buttocks area. You can be able to run steadfastly, and to walk even briskly.