If you're working toward booty gains, chances are your glutes are feeling it. A little soreness is great; it's a sign you're building muscle and getting stronger, but tight glutes can cause hip and lower-back pain. Here are seven stretches to keep your backside flexible and feeling good. Heck, you might even want to foam roll the muscles too.
Seated Twist
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Begin seated on your mat with your legs extended straight out in front of you.
Bend your right knee and place your right heel as close to your left sit bone as you can.
Reach your right arm behind you and plant your palm or fingertips on the floor. Place your left hand or elbow on your right knee or thigh, and gently pull your knee to the left until you feel the stretch in your glutes.
Hold for 20 to 30 seconds, then repeat on the left side.
This classic glute stretch is a modification of the Seated Twist yoga pose. With less emphasis on twisting the spine, you can really focus on lengthening the glute muscles.
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Seated Leg Cradle
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Sit on your mat cross-legged or with your feet touching each other. Lift up your left leg and hook your calf over your left arm. Grab on to your feet with your hands for support.
Slowly lift up your left leg until you feel a stretch in your glutes and hips. You can gently rock your leg from side to side to move the stretch to different parts of the muscle.
Hold for 30 seconds, then switch legs.
This stretch is great for TV time and can really loosen up tight hips, too.
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Lying Twist
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Lying on your back, extend your arms out to your sides. Bend your knees and cross your right leg over your left.
Slowly rotate your knees to the right, allowing them to come to the floor. It's OK if your left shoulder comes off the floor. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds. Then slowly bring the knees back to the center.
Reverse directions and twist to the left. Repeat as needed.
This stretch feels great for the low back, but the configuration of the legs intensifies the stretch for the glutes.
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Figure Four
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Lie on your back with both legs in the air. Place your left ankle on your right thigh, just above your knee. See the shape of the number four? It is there, just upside down.
Clasp your hands around your left thigh and slowly pull your thigh toward your chest. You should feel a stretch on the outside of your left hip. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds, then repeat on the other side.
This stretch targets the piriformis, which technically isn't part of the muscle group known as the glutes, but it's in the area and it gets tight.
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Modified Pigeon
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Kneel on your mat, then bring your right leg behind you. Lean your torso forward, placing your forearms on the mat. Open your left knee outward to the left; your left ankle might need to slide forward so your pelvis can lower toward the floor.
Bend your elbows to deepen your stretch.
Hold for one minute, then switch legs.
For a deeper stretch, try the full version of yoga's Pigeon.
If your hips are tight, this stretch will start to loosen up your glutes and smaller muscles around the back of the hip.
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Supine Cow Stretch
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On your mat, lie on your back and cross your right knee over your left knee. Hug both knees toward your chest, making sure you keep a neutral back and neck.
If you don't feel a stretch, then work your hands down your legs, aiming for your ankles. Make sure you keep your head down.
Hold here for 30 seconds to one minute, then uncross and repeat with your left knee over your right.
This stretch is a modified version of a seated yoga pose known as Cow Face. When lying on your back, you can better control the amount of pressure and stretch you want.
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Low-Back and Glute Release
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Lie on your back and draw your knees to your chest to give your low back a gentle stretch.
Increase the stretch by bringing your forehead toward your knees. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds.
If your glutes are super tight and sore, this position will feel like a big stretch. On an average day, though, it might just feel like a gentle release for the lower back and butt.
