5 Exercises to Strengthen Your Glutes

Yoga is a layered practice with myriad benefits, but perhaps the greatest and most obvious benefit of incorporating yoga into your daily movement routine is the literal room it creates in the body. Tight muscles a.) impact our joints and our range of motion, b.) have a harder time eliminating lactic acid, and c.) keep prana, or life-force energy, from flowing freely throughout the body.

Here are my top five picks for yoga poses that everyone should incorporate into their daily movement routine (modify if necessary) and what muscles they strengthen and stretch.

Child’s Pose: The ultimate grounding posture, Child’s Pose gently opens the hips and stretches the thighs and tops of the feet while simultaneously lengthening the spinal column and inviting the heart to meet the Earth. It’s time to leave the outer world behind and take some time to turn your focus and attention inward.

How To: From Table-Top Position (all fours), bring your big toes to touch and draw the sits bones toward the heels as you outstretch your arms toward the top of your mat, lengthening your spine. Walk the knees as far apart as is comfortable and allow the torso to ‘snuggle down’ between the legs, with the heart falling toward the Earth. If possible, rest the forehead, or third-eye, on the mat. Now begin to inhale slowly and exhale slowly, noticing the spine elongating with every inhalation and the body softening with every exhalation. Take this time to check-in with yourself today, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally, too.

Crescent Moon Pose: You can work this juicy, standing side-stretch into your day anytime, anywhere. Crescent Moon Pose stretches the entire side-body, from the outside hip, to the obliques, to the intercostal muscles between the ribs.

How To: Standing with your feet either hips-width distance apart or completely together, inhale as your draw the arms upward in an Upward Facing Salute to lengthen the spine. Bring the palms to touch as you interlace all the fingers except for the index fingers, which come together in Kali Mudra. Once again, reach upwards as you inhale, creating as much space as possible before exhaling and leaning over to the right side. Stay here breathing mindfully for as long as needed before repeating on the left side.

Reclined Twist Pose: One of the most satisfying stretches, Reclined Twist Pose stretches the low back, the glutes, and the outer hip. I could stay here all day!

How To: Lay on your back and take a full-body stretch before you begin. Now, draw the knees into the chest and wrap your arms around your legs in a ‘hug’. Gently allow the knees to fall to the right side on an exhalation, doing your best to keep the hips as stacked as possible, and both shoulder blades firmly on the mat. Outstretch your arms and shift your gaze over your left shoulder and close the eyes. Notice your body softening into the posture with every exhalation.

Downward Facing Dog Pose: This well-known posture does it all. It lengthens the spine while stretching the lats, the abdomen, the calves, and the hamstrings, and strengthens the arms and shoulders, too. If you ever only have time for one thing, let it be Downward Facing Dog.

How To: From Table-Top Position (all fours), walk your hands forward and step your feet back as you draw your hips toward the ceiling on an exhalation. Keep the knees bent to start, and take some time to ‘feel into‘ the pose, or to ‘walk it out’, as you adjust your hands and feet into a comfortable and correctly aligned Downward Facing Dog. The fingers should be spread wide, with your weight evenly distributed into all ten fingers. The shoulders should be externally rotated, so that the insides of your elbow creases face each other and your back is open and wide. The feet should be positioned about hips-width distance apart, and slightly pigeon-toed (toes in, heels out) and the knees may remain bent, or may slowly straighten as you warm up, and the heels driving toward the mat (even though they may not touch it). Activate your core muscles by drawing the navel in toward the spine. The neck should remain neutral with a soft, steady gaze back between your upper thighs. Stay here and breath slowly and deeply, matching your inhalations with your exhalations. When finished, return to Table-Top Position, and then Child’s Pose.

Forward Fold Pose: A cooling, calming posture, standing Forward Fold relaxes and releases the muscles of the low back and neck, especially as you gently sway from side to side, and rock your head forward and back and side to side. This posture lengthens the spine and the hamstrings, while allowing you to reflect inward once again.

How To: With your feet hips-width distance apart, reach upwards with your arms, finding length in the spine and side-body first. Bring the hands to rest on your hips, draw your navel in towards the spine, and begin to hinge forward from the hips—not the waist. Bend your knees as much as you need to as you slowly fold down, torso over thighs. Relax your arms heavy, or grab opposite elbows, and relax the shoulders, neck and head. Gently sway from side to side, helping to ease low back tension, and lightly stretching the hamstrings and even the outer hips as you bend one leg and straighten the other as you sway. Notice how each inhale lifts you, inviting in more length and space, and every exhale eases you deeper into the fold. Stay here as long as it feels good before slowly lifting up.