Do you have back pain?

You may have weak hips!

It is common to see people with back pain also have weak glute muscles. These people can have a harder time coordinating and contracting these muscles. As a result, people will instinctively use their hamstrings and low back muscles more to create hip extension which can place excessive stress on the spine. 

So what is the answer? Try these two exercises to target the glute muscles and help increase their strength. 

THE BRIDGE

Step 1: Lie on your back with your knees bent.
Step 2: Squeeze your butt muscles FIRST and THEN lift your hips from the ground. Squeeze your glutes as hard as you can in this bridge position for 5 full seconds before relaxing back to the ground. 

DEEP SQUAT WITH ISOMETRIC HOLD

Step 1: Hold a weight in front of your body and perform a deep goblet squat.
Step 2: Brace your core in this bottom position and drive your knees to the side while keeping your foot in an arched position
Step 3: Rise a few inches and squeeze your glutes tightly. Hold this for 5 seconds before dropping back down. .
This translates the glute activation from the previous exercise into something functional that mimics your squat technique. 
​
These are great supplemental exercises that are a great addition to your lower body routine. Try them out and let us know what you think!