The average office worker now spends around 10 hours per day in a sitting position[1] be that at work or at home. Being sedentary is un natural for us humans, we are typically made with legs which points towards the obvious… we are supposed to move around. Being sedentary for long periods of time (aka being a lazy fuck) has been linked with a number of health issues including obesity, cardiovascular disease, cancer and psychological illness[2]. Another issue, not so widely known outside of the sporting world, is that sitting can cause weakness in the glutes.
Spending long periods of time in a sitting position causes hip flexors (which are at the front of the hips) to become short and tight. Everything in our bodies is interlinked so if you have tightness in one part it is likely to affect another part. Tight hip flexors cause our glute muscles to become long and weak resulting in them being effectively useless and not utilised by our bodies. Weak glutes are often responsible for lower back pain, knee pain, heel pain and shin splints[3] so it is certainly worth getting those beef cakes strengthened up. The good thing about strengthening your glutes is that it’s easy, can be done anywhere and gives you that perky backside you’ve been craving.
Here’s how:
Glute bridges can be performed with or without weight. Don’t push your hips up too high.
Glute bridge with leg extension. This is slightly more challenging than normal glute bridges but does provide a nice burn for your buns.
Move leg backwards and hold for around 20 seconds whilst remaining balanced and core engaged.
Lift knee to 90 degrees and push against wall and hold, this really burns if done correctly.
Although we are photographed in a gym, you can really do these exercises anywhere. Just remember to keep the core tight.
We also offer a 6 week butt shaping programme for only £25. This includes a tailor made programme and access to a personal trainer. See our shop for more details.
References
[1] https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/06/02/medical-researchers-have-figured-out-how-much-time-is-okay-to-spend-sitting-each-day/
[2] http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Genevieve_Healy/publication/51517649_Prolonged_sitting_is_it_a_distinct_coronary_heart_disease_risk_factor/links/54add0ea0cf2213c5fe41a54.pdf
[3] http://www.brianmac.co.uk/glutes.htm