Let me see that tootsie roll: Foam Rolling your Glutes!

The glutes get a lot of attention on the strengthening side, and with good reason. The glutes are often weak, and weak glutes can cause problems through the low back, hips, and down your legs into your knees. However, weak muscles are often tight, and the glutes are no exception. When the glutes get tight, the femur (thigh bone) can sit forward in the socket and cause you to feel tightness in the front of your hips, otherwise known as anterior hip impingement.

Rolling the glute loosens up this tight tissue and prepares it for strengthening exercises like bridges and deadlift variations. Rolling the glutes is simple, and all you need is a foam roller. You can also use a lacrosse ball, softball, or something similar, since the glutes are a large muscle and can handle pressure easily.

Step 1: Sit on one hip on the roller and roll back and forth. Work between your upper hamstring (just below the cheek) and the start of your lower back. Start relatively dead-on, and start to lean more and more to the side as you go. If you find any trigger points, just pause on them and take the time to work through them.

Step 2: Repeat on the other side. Different leg angles and degrees of hip extension will release tension in different spots, so take your time and work through the whole muscle. One side will probably be tighter than the other, that’s normal.

Follow this up with either the piriformis roll or pigeon stretch to finish opening up the hips, using this either as part of your warm-up or recovery/mobility work. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to drop them down below, and thanks for watching!