3 “Glute” Blasting exercises to help reduce back pain and fatigue

Over 80 percent of Australians will experience back pain at some point in their lives. Often, this pain is because of fatigued and overworked back muscles. Why do these muscles in our back get so tired and sore?
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We have forgotten the proper ways to sit, stand, move, bend, drive, cook, and brush our teeth. Instead of using our legs and spine properly, our sitting lifestyle has brought us to new levels of bending, slouching, and living in chronic hip flexion. 

This new lifestyle leads to the incorrect use of many muscles, one of the most important being the gluteal muscles, or “glutes”. The combination of these 3 large muscles (gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus) is extremely powerful. These muscles are integral to actions such as climbing stairs, getting out of a car, and standing us upright after bending over. Without the correct use of these muscles, we “overuse” the muscles in our middle and lower back to compensate.
 
Awakening the gluteals in a productive way can take a lot of pressure off those poor back muscles. Let the back relax while the glutes do their proper job. A combination of targeted stretches and exercises can help bring these important gluteal muscles back to life.
 
Here are 3 exercises you can do in the privacy of your own home, with no equipment, that can help get your glutes (and hamstrings) fired up again:
 
1. Pelvic curl and bridge-

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and the feet hip width apart. Have your palms face up and the back of your shoulders into the floor.  Your pelvis should be in a neutral position with a small space between your lower back and the floor.
2. Push your lower back into the floor using your abdominals and begin to roll up with your spine into a "bridge" position. Be sure to articulate the lift on the way up starting with your lower back, then mid back, then upper back. At the top position, use your glutes to get your hips a bit higher. Hold yourself there for 5 seconds.
3. Roll down, reversing the order until your lower back touches the floor. Then release your pelvis back into the neutral starting position. 
4. Perform 10 to 15 repetitions.

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Clam shell-

1. Lie on your side with your knees bent and stacked on top of each other. Make sure your pelvis is not “tucked under” and that you have a normal arch in your lower back.
2. Keeping your feet together, lift your top knee up towards the ceiling. Do not let your top hip open up by rolling towards your back.  Return your knee back to the starting position.
3. Perform 10 to 15 repetitions on each side.

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Single leg deadlift (more advanced)-

1. Stand on one leg with an upright posture.  Hold on to a railing or bench for support. Be sure that holding on to something does make you round your back. 
2. Lead with your chest and start to hinge forward from the hip joint of the standing leg, keeping the floating leg behind you and straight.  Only lower as far as you can go without allowing any part of the back to go "round", or slouch.
3. Soften the standing leg by bending your knee slightly to get the proper hip hinge, and make sure both hip bones are facing down to the floor evenly.
4. Stand back up slowly and do 5 to 10 repetitions. Repeat on the other side.

And that's it! Some simple exercises you can do at home to help take the pressure off your lower back. Of course, if you are having ongoing concerns with back pain, it is always best to get checked by a health professional. Good luck!