Day 11: The glutes

So yesterday you iron-ified your abs. But Pilates is all about balancing your muscles for good posture and alignment, so today we’re going to focus on another group of muscles essential for good alignment – the gluteals. 

The ‘glutes’ or ‘bum muscles’ (as they are technically known) are the gluteus minimus, gluteus medius and gluteus maximus. The first two are in the side of your hip, and are used to pull your leg out to the side (‘abductors’). The best exercise for these is the Side Leg Lift series, which I covered on Day 5 (Pilates for Runners) – take a look. 

The gluteus maximus is the big muscle in the cheek of your bottom. Apologies if this image is a little much so early in the morning. 

Great exercises for strengthening this muscles are the shoulder bridge (also Day 5), and any exercise where you lie on your front and lift your arms and legs off the mat. You should always squeeze with the glutes when you’re in this position, as it helps protect your lower back by stopping you over-arching through the bottom few vertebra. Try the breaststoke (see Day 6) with a focus on the glutes. 

The other exercise that’s great for the glutes is affectionately known as the ‘J-Lo Butt exercise’ (or Heel Squeeze Prone if you’re being all technical) – lie on your front with your hands under your head. Bring your knees slightly apart, lift your feet off the mat and squeeze your heels together. Concentrate on squeezing with your glutes, and pushing your pubic bone down into the mat. Hold for 5 seconds and release. Repeat 10 times. 

Tomorrow is going to be a proper anatomy lesson to explain the importance of strengthening various muscle groups, but for now, let’s just take a moment to look at pelvic alignment. The abs and the glutes both attach to the pelvis, so have an impact on how it is positioned. 

There are two main positions we use in Pilates – ‘neutral’ and ‘imprint’. I’ve used these terms in previous posts, so now it’s time to explain them. 

A neutral pelvic position is the most shock-absorbent position for the body, as the spine is holding its natural curves. This position can be found by lying on your back with your knees bent. Put the heels of your hands on your hip bones, and your fingers towards your pubic bone. Rock your pelvis backwards and forwards until you find a position where your hands are level with the mat – you should be able to balance an imaginary glass of water between your hands without it spilling. There should be a slight arch under your lower back, and it should also be a comfortable position. This is the position you should hold your pelvis in whenever your feet are on the mat. 

An imprinted pelvic position is used when you take your feet off the mat. Having your legs in the air increases the work put through the lower back, and this can be done more safely in imprint. You can stabilise the lower spine by rocking your pelvis towards your belly button, using your abs to decrease the distance between your hip bones and your lower ribs. Your lower back should come down towards the mat, but you’re not jamming it down, just softening it into the mat. 

The rest of the science is coming tomorrow – with pictures of muscles and everything.