11 Glute Stretches to Try Before and After Your Workouts

The importance of glute stretches

When you first start exercising, it’s common to experience muscle tightness, or delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS), as your muscles begin to adjust to being used in different ways.

The glutes are the largest muscle in the body and play an integral role in many functional movements such as squatting, walking, or stair climbing.

That’s why it’s so important to engage your glutes during warmups and do glute stretches during cooldowns after completing workouts.

Tight glutes can be the result of hard leg training, but it can also be a sign that you’re sitting too much.

If you spend the day sitting at a desk, try to stand up and walk around every 30-60 minutes to prevent your glutes from tightening. Adding glute exercises to your workouts can also help keep these muscles active and strong.

Why do glute stretches?

Regular stretching is another way to keep your glutes from being inactive and tight. Gluteal stretches can improve hip rotation and help with walking, running, and going down stairs.

If you have glute pain or tightness, hip pain or discomfort, tight hip flexors, lower back pain, tight hamstrings, knee pain, or pelvic discomfort, stretching your glutes can help.

How to stretch your glutes before a workout

Warming up before a workout is important as it can help prepare the body for exercise and minimize the risk of injury. The warm-up usually consists of dynamic stretches that help improve blood flow and increase the range of motion of the area in question.

Here are some of the best ways to stretch and warm up your glutes before starting a workout:

foam bearing

Foam rolling is often an important part of muscle recovery, but it can also help warm up your glutes before exercise by increasing blood flow to the area and loosening connective tissue around the muscles to allow for smooth movement.

Place the foam roller horizontally behind you. Gently sit on top of the foam roller and place both hands on the floor behind you.
Lift and rotate your right leg so that your ankle rests on your left leg just above your knee, as shown. Gently tilt your hips to the right to allow the foam roller to press into your right glute.
Slowly roll the foam roller along your buttock. When you reach a point of tenderness (called a trigger point), pause and hold for about 60 seconds or until the pressure/pain is significantly reduced. If you prefer, you can make small taps on the point of sensitivity.
Continue rolling along your glutes, pausing at trigger points as needed.
Repeat the operation on the left side.

leg swing

Leg swings serve to warm up the glutes and hips. You can use them before a workout, or to warm up your muscles for a deep stretch.

Plant both feet on the ground, hip-width apart.
While keeping your left foot planted firmly on the ground and your right leg straight, swing your right leg, making sure your torso remains upright.
Swing your right leg forward, directly in front of your body, and once again make sure your torso remains upright.
Continue swinging your leg back and forth before switching sides.

Lateral walk with resistance band

With a resistance band wrapped around your lower thighs, place both feet on the ground hip-width apart, making sure your knees remain in line with your toes. Looking straight ahead, bend at the hips and knees, making sure the knees are in line with the toes. Continue bending your knees until your upper legs are parallel to the ground. Make sure your back stays at a 45-90 degree angle to your hips. This is the initial position.
Inhale.
Exhale. Keeping a squat position with your right foot on the floor, step your left foot out so your feet are slightly shoulder-width apart.
Inhale. Keeping the squat position and with your left foot on the floor, step your right foot inward to return to the starting position.

glute bridge

The glute bridge exercise benefits many muscles, including the hamstrings, lower back, and abs, in addition to the glutes. The pose can be done using just a mat, or you can loop a resistance band just above your knees to increase the intensity.

Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
Lift your hips off the ground so your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
Pause when you’re in that position, and then slowly lower your body back to the ground.

Seated hip abduction

The hip abductors work in conjunction with the glutes to aid in standing, walking, and leg rotation. When you work your glutes, it’s important that these muscles are also active and working to stabilize your hips.

With a resistance band wrapped around your lower thighs, sit on a bench with your feet on the floor slightly hip-width apart. Lean back and place your hands on the bench behind you. This is the initial position.
Using the muscles in your buttocks and hips, spread your knees and feet apart until they are slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
Bring your knees and feet in to return to the starting position.

Best glute stretches for recovery

After your workout is over, take five minutes to cool down and stretch to minimize post-workout tension. The following stretches can be used in a cool down or in a specific recovery session.

half pigeon

This pose stretches the rotators and hip flexors, as well as the glutes.

Place both hands on the ground, slightly shoulder-width apart, and both legs together behind you, resting on the balls of your feet.
She releases her left leg, bends her knee and places it behind you and to the left of your left wrist. Rest your left shin on the mat, making sure your foot remains flexed. At the same time, place your right knee on the mat, point your toes off the ground, and lower your hips toward the floor. Maintain the upright position.
Hold this position for 30 seconds (or five slow breaths). Each time you exhale, sink your hips further in to increase the stretch, making sure your hips remain level.
Repeat this stretch on the other side.

Standing glute stretch

This stretch targets the gluteus maximus muscle to release tension.

Place both feet on the ground, shoulder-width apart.
She raises and rotates her left leg. Support the outside of the left ankle just above the right knee.
Bend your right knee so you’re in a single-leg squat position and gently push down on your left knee using your left elbow.
Hold this position for 30 seconds (or five slow breaths) breathing deeply the entire time.
Repeat this stretch on the other side.

*If you have trouble keeping your balance, try concentrating on a point directly in front of you. You can also find a hip-height bench or ledge to rest your leg on to stretch and help balance.

The seated version of this standing glute stretch can be performed by placing your left ankle over your right knee and leaning forward through your chest.

Supine Gluteal Stretch

This stretch helps increase hip flexibility by stretching the glutes.

Begin by lying on your back on a yoga mat. Bend your knees and place your feet firmly on the mat, making sure they are hip-width apart and your spine is in a neutral position.
Release and rotate your right leg so that your ankle rests on your left leg, just above your knee.
Bring your left knee toward your torso, resting both hands on the back of your left thigh.
Hold this position for 30 seconds (or five slow breaths), breathing deeply the entire time.
Each time you exhale, bring your knee toward your chest and press your right elbow into your right knee to increase the stretch, making sure your spine remains in a neutral position and your tailbone is on the floor.
Repeat this stretch on the other side.

Seated glute stretch

Like the previous stretch, this stretch helps improve flexibility and release tension from the gluteal muscles.

Begin in a seated position on a yoga mat with your legs extended in front of you, feet flat on the mat. She presses her hands and feet into the ground to raise her hips. She lifts her right leg and rotates her right knee to place her ankle on her left leg just above the knee.
She slowly lowers her hips to return to a sitting position.
Hold this position for 30 seconds (or five slow breaths), breathing deeply.
Repeat this stretch on the other side.

Why so many different glute stretches?

The glutes are made up of more than one muscle. The largest, and the one that shapes the buttocks, is the gluteus maximus.

The next largest is the gluteus medius, which helps you lift your leg to the side and rotate it. It also stabilizes your leg when walking and running, so it’s important to keep it strong and in good shape.

The gluteus minimus stabilizes the pelvis and rotates the leg. Finally, the piriformis, located under the gluteus medius, connects the tailbone to the femur, aiding in hip rotation and flexion.

By combining several different stretches you are sure to increase the flexibility of all four gluteal muscles.

Use these stretches to relieve tight glutes

Regular stretching is an essential part of a complete health and fitness routine. Not only does it help improve recovery after a workout, but it can also be a great stress reliever and an opportunity to calm your mind.

Do you have time to stretch regularly? Let us know how you incorporate stretching into your exercise routine in the comments.