The glutes are the body’s biggest and most powerful muscle group in the body, and when you keep them strong you will be rewarded with better posture, balance and pelvic stability. Glute strength can also reduce back and knee pain, and improve sports performance.
And the good news is you don’t need to do thousands of squats to build muscle in the glutes—good to know if you suffer from knee pain which is triggered by squatting.
There are plenty of effective alternatives, like the three demonstrated in this workout from fitness trainer Julie Baird. All you need is a looped resistance band and a small Pilates ball (like this one on Amazon) to get started.
In the video below, Baird, who specializes in pre- and post-natal exercise, gives excellent form tips and breathwork guidance while demonstrating the three glute-strengthening exercises.
How to do Baird’s workout
How to breathe when exercising
It sounds obvious, but remember to breathe while exercising. Lots of people hold their breath while concentrating and/or holding an isometric exercise like a plank, and when you don't breathe during exercise, oxygen can’t get to the lungs efficiently, your heart rate and blood pressure increase, and it’s harder to get a good workout.
But there's also a trick to timing your inhales and exhales, which Baird demonstrates in the video. The golden rule is that you should inhale during the eccentric part of the exercise when a muscle lengthens while contracting and exhale on the concentric phase when the muscle shortens and contracts.
So for example, if you’re doing a squat, breathe in as you push your butt back and bend your knees to lower, then exhale as you squeeze the glutes and drive back up to starting position. The same goes for push-ups—inhale as you lower your body to the floor, and exhale on the exertion, or work, as you push yourself back up.
Proper breathing during exercise gives the body more control, helps to calm the mind and improves focus so that you can actively engage all your muscles. Over time, it can also reduce the amount of air you need to breathe in and out during training, which can lead to improved cardiovascular fitness.
