All throughout the summertime, bikini bottoms and shorts rock the scene. It's the season of revealing and, well, butts (and a few pool side margaritas) just get people going. Meeoowwww (sorry, Mom).
But, our behinds are so much more than just meaty backsides to cushion a fall or fill out some skinny jeans. They are the largest, and one of the most important muscles in our human bodies–especially for an athlete.
To start with the basics, let me explain what muscles make up our gluteus. First, the gluteus maximus is, actually, the largest muscle in your body. It is the most prominent part of your tushy and makes up most of the shape of your hips as well. The gluteus medius is a broad, thick, radiating muscle that's set on the outside of the pelvis. And the gluteus minimus is the smallest, situated directly under the medius.
As humans have evolved and shifted to our modern bipedal form, we developed larger gluteal muscles that help us stay and move upright by keeping our trunk steady. This is especially beneficial when walking uphill or running.
Whether you're an avid runner, or just like to move a little every day, you are probably using these muscles without even knowing it! And they need some attention!
Many people suffer from common injuries, actually due to weak gluteal muscles (especially the medius). Things like hip soreness or un-alignment, runner's knee, lower back pain, IT band pain, shin splints, and other common injuries can arise, sourcing right back down to your butt.
Glutes play such a big role in our stride, because of how our legs work. The medius and minimus are abductors, so they help move our legs away from our body. The maximus is then in charge of the leg swing, the hip extending as our knees rise and fall back while running. Without good hip extension and flexibility, the stride cannot reach its maximum power output.
Hip extension comes from strong butt muscles. How we, athletes and daily movers, get into trouble is when we start to just go without thinking about the biomechanics (the technicalities of why our body moves the way it does). Say spring baseball season comes up, and the team needs to get conditioning after a few seasons off. Your body isn't used to all this strong intense movement and pressure, but it will do what your brain tells it to. So, without thinking about gluteal muscle activation or form or foot placement, your legs will start to compensate, the lower leg taking all the pressure, your tiny calf and shin muscles suddenly responsible for propelling your entire body. And...shin splints, knee pain, and there goes your best season.
Nagging injuries are not fun, and you might be thinking this and wondering, "Is this me? Am I missing out on strength to help my overall performance?" Hip flexibility and a strong butt may not be the 'fix all' to the aches and pains all athletes experience, but there is so much you can do and try, even if just to make your body more fit. You can check out official physical therapy websites that work with professional athletes, like PACE, who have free downloadable exercises and tutorials. Or you can simply hop onto Youtube and check out the workouts they offer there.
However you decide to train, remember to listen to your body when doing the activities you love.
Now, happy running (and living!), from my medius to yours.
