You can do some simple exercises to activate the glutes. (Source: Getty Images/Thinkstock) Building strength requires working each muscle and part of the body individually; especially the glutes that are a key part of strengthening the lower body. Hence, it is important to know how to tighten and tone them.
Glutes are the strongest and longest muscle groups in the body, commonly referred to as the hips or the butt. They are responsible for maintaining balance and power when we jump, walk, or run. As such, maintaining strong glutes is essential for the body to operate and function properly as a whole.
“You don’t need a gym enrolment or a bootcamp class to engage your lower body glutes. A few simple exercises can be done right in the comfort of your living room to build strength,” suggested Simrun Chopra, deep health coach and founder of Nourish with Sim.
Time for glute workouts. (Photo: Getty/Thinkstock) These exercises can be done without equipment, or using objects you find around the house.
Squats
Stand with your feet hip-distance apart and initiate the movement by sending the hips back as if you’re sitting back into an invisible chair. Bend knees to lower down as far as possible with chest lifted in a controlled movement. Keep lower back neutral. Press through heels to stand back up to starting position. Repeat.
Side step squats
Keep your abs tight and back straight. Step wide to one side staying in your squat position, go back to your starting position. Then side squat wide in the other direction using all your lower body muscles, and then back to center. Continue squatting side to side staying low throughout.
Sumo squats
Stand with your feet out wide and your toes pointing out. Keeping the weight on your back heels, lower your hips and bend your knees into a wide squat. Go down until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Stand back up, squeezing your glutes at the top of the movement.
Squats and side leg raise
Begin by performing a squat, remembering to shift your weight back onto your heels and line your feet and knees up with each other. As you come up out of the squat, start shifting your weight to the right, lifting the left leg out to the side (be careful that the leg is directly to your side and not behind you)
Another great thing about this workout is that you can come back time and time again and tweak as your strength progresses. According to Simrun, “when a workout is repetition based, you should move at your own pace prioritising form over speed. This is important as we all have different speeds”.
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