Sitting inhibits your glutes. When you sit, your hip flexors shorten and your glutes lengthen and deactivate. Over time, they "forget" how to fire properly. These exercises restore the connection between your brain and your glutes. Get personalized mobility routines: Start your 14-day free trial Why This Matters Glutes are your primary hip extensors and stabilizers. When dormant, your hamstrings and lower back compensate for hip extension, leading to overuse injuries. Active glutes protect your lower back and improve athletic performance. The Exercises Practice these exercises in order. Each prepares your body for the next. Move slowly and respect your current range of motion. Exercise 1 JME 117 Resting your hands on either your chair or a wall in front of you, lift one leg in front of you up to 90 degrees, rotate your upper body down, and then reset. Exercise 2 JME 120 Finding stability from a wall or a chair, lift your leg behind you. Then, rotate your upper body both left and right while maintainig the extension of the one leg behind you. Exercise 3 JME 114 Standing on one leg, place the foot of the other leg behind your knee. Then, rotate the elevated knee both forward and back. Exercise 4 JME 116 Stand with your feet at shoulder width apart. Then rotate your upper body in each direction - both left and right. Exercise 5 JME 115 Standing, rotate your upper body to each side - keeping your feet in the same position. Tips for Success Focus on feeling your glutes work, not just completing movements Squeeze and hold at the top of each movement Do not compensate with your lower back Practice before lower body training to "wake up" glutes Consistency matters more than intensity for activation How Often to Practice Practice daily and before any lower body training. Glute activation should be part of your warmup routine. Build Your Mobility Practice Consistency matters more than duration. Short daily sessions produce better results than long occasional ones. simplmobility provides joint-specific routines in 2-3 minute sessions that fit into any schedule. Start Your Free Trial