Add these mobilising glute stretches to your post-run recovery routine.
By Alice Barraclough and Rachel Boswell
Our gluteal muscles – known simply as the glutes – are the largest muscle group in the body and what we use for sitting down. And while sitting is a common, if not inevitable, part of many people’s working days, the more we sit, the weaker our glutes become – and nobody, especially if they’re a runner, wants feeble, underperforming glutes. After all, strong glutes can result in a powerful stride, faster running times and reduced risk of injury, while weak, lazy, overstretched glutes will slow you down, put extra strain on your hamstrings and overload additional muscles in the chain.
‘It’s important for runners to keep equilibrium or tone across a whole range of muscles, specifically the glutes,’ says Gymbox personal trainer and Hyrox master trainer, George Edwards. ‘Made up of glute maximus, minimus and medius, they are the powerhouses of movement and running which require the correct amount of stretching and strengthening.’
Keen to strengthen your behind? Here’s what you need to know – and do – for greater glutes.
Why should runners stretch their glutes?
As Edwards notes, runners put a hefty strain on their muscles when they run – and the glutes take a particular beating.
‘The sheer number of reps [that runners do] – up to 180 strides per minute for top runners – means that failing to stretch will create an imbalance in the posterior chain,’ he says. ‘This can then manifest as knee pain, hip pain, calf pain, or even back and neck pain.’
As a result of the ground force reactions created by running, Edwards adds that runners’ muscles need to absorb forces that are up to three times their body weight – and that stretching is a vital way to lessen this impact. ‘Stretches like the pigeon pose (below) help to reduce the impact placed on the glute medius and minimus by allowing fresh, nutrient-dense blood into the hips, helping with recovery.’
So, if you want to become a faster, less injury-prone runner, your best bet is to add the following glute stretches to your post-run routine.
Best glute stretches for runners
The glute stretches detailed here should feel quite intense and localised. Try to find the greatest stretch, then hold it for around 30 seconds before switching sides.
Stacked knee glute stretch
- Sitting on the floor, stack your legs on top of one another in the cross-legged position.
- Then, keeping your back straight, fold your torso over your knees to deepen the stretch.
- Hold this for 30 seconds.
- Slowly unfold the legs, then repeat with the opposite leg on top.
Lying figure-four stretch
- Lie on your back with your knees bent, then cross your right ankle over your left knee.
- Lace your fingers behind your left hamstring, then gently pull the left leg toward you to activate the stretch on the right side.
- Hold the stretch for 30 seconds, keeping the upper body flat against the floor.
- Relax, then switch sides.
Pigeon pose
- Begin in a low lunge position with your back knee and both hands on the floor.
- Bring your front foot toward your opposite hand and drop your leg onto the floor so that your shin is parallel with the top of your mat.
- Bring your chest down toward the floor, over your front leg, to extend the stretch.
- Hold this for 30 seconds, then swap legs.
Glute bridge
- Lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart and tucked just underneath your hips.
- Squeeze your belly button into the spine, tuck your hips under and begin pushing through the middle of your foot and heel as you lift up your hips from the floor. Make sure that you don’t lift your heels off of the ground.
- Once you’re at the top, squeeze – then, begin rolling back down to the floor, maintaining control as you lower your spine.
- Repeat this up to 30 times.
