Stand Like a Flamingo! Do your Gluts need strengthening?

Ok! I have a little test for you today! Looking in a mirror, when you stand on one leg can you keep your pelvis level? What about adding a single knee bend? And now a hop?

These are some of the functional tests a physiotherapist might ask you to do to assess your glut strength and pelvic stability and see Do your gluts need strengthening?

Single leg stanmce requires an enormous amount of core, glut and lower leg strength, stability and balance

Think about how often we stand on one leg, even if only momentarily? Walking, running, going up and down stairs, stepping into the shower or bath, just to highlight a few!

Do your gluts need strengthening?

So if you noticed difficulty in keeping the pelvis level during these movements or noticed the knee collapsing in or wobbling side to side, you might benefit from some Glut Med strengthening and pelvic and core stability work.

It is not uncommon after teaching a class or private Pilates session that clients will say to me “I’ve used muscles I never realised I had! Especially during the side lying glut work”.

The side lying glut series can really focus on and isolate the Gluteus medius, which is the muscle needed to help stabilise the pelvis in one leg standing.

Our gluteus muscles (bottom muscles) are made up of several different muscles. Most of us know the Gluteus maximus, the largest of the gluts at the back of your bottom, but there is also the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus on the side of the pelvis. Deeper to these large muscles you also have your smaller stabilising muscles of the hip and pelvis.

One exercise often taught in Pilates is the Clam, which, when taught correctly, has been shown to effectively activate and strengthen the Glut Med muscle.

Check out my Blog Post "Pilates Clam - Tips and Tricks to get it right!" to help you feel it in the right place!

Want to progress your glut strengthening?

Other Pilates exercises such as Side Bend (see below) and Leg Pull in Prone with one leg lifted (one legged plank) have been shown through research to strongly activate both Glut max and Glut medius as well as giving more of an all over body challenge.

So, If your Flamingo Stance needs a little work, get down on the mat and start waking up those gluts!

Pilates for core and glut strengthening on the mat or equipment can really target all the muscles of the gluteals