What is Dead Butt Syndrome?

 

Dead butt syndrome occurs when your gluteal muscles (the muscles in your buttocks) become weak from inactivity and fail to activate properly. Despite its name, your glutes aren’t actually “dead” – they’ve just become sluggish and forgetful about how to function correctly.

 

Reactivate and strengthen your glutes with today’s 20-minute routine!

Your glutes are some of the strongest muscles in your body and play a crucial role in stabilizing your hips, supporting your lower back, and absorbing shock during movement. When they don’t work properly, it can lead to a chain reaction of issues throughout your body, including lower back pain, knee pain, hamstring tears, sciatica, or shin splints.

 

How to Know if You Have Dead Butt Syndrome

If you regularly sit for more than 2-3 hours at a stretch, you may have experienced some degree of gluteal amnesia. Here are two simple tests you can try:

1. Stand on one leg and let the other dangle. The glute on the dangling side should feel soft. Now put weight on that leg and squeeze the cheek hard. You should feel it firm up. If it takes several attempts to feel this activation, your glutes may be weak.

2. Perform a glute bridge (lying on your back and lifting your hips). Do 5-10 reps while consciously engaging your glutes. If you don’t feel a burn in your glutes but instead feel strain in your hamstrings, this could indicate inactive glutes.

1. Take regular breaks from sitting: Stand up every 30-50 minutes and gently tap your glutes or do some quick exercises like marches or hip circles.

2. Perform glute-activating exercises: Include exercises like clamshells, hip thrusts, side planks, split squats, and single-leg glute bridges in your routine. Do these every other day until you feel a slight burn in your glutes.

3. Don’t assume walking or running is enough: Even if you’re active, make sure to include specific glute-strengthening exercises in your routine.

Wake up your sleepy glutes!