5 Best Pilates Glute Exercises to Stop Back Pain

These 5 Pilates Glute Exercises were actually tested against traditional squats and lunges and proved more effective at firing the glutes than any others.

The beauty of having strong perky buns and glute muscles is not only for looks, it can take pressure off your spine and end your back pain for good!

5 Pilates Glute Exercises to End Your Back Pain!

These exercises are listed in progressive order, challenging you more as you go through them.   If you have a resistance band wrap it around your upper thigh for the first 3 exercises to create more tension in the muscle. 

1.   The Side Lying Clam -  

Stack your hips and shoulders in a side lying position, lengthen your waist, squeeze your heels together and open the top leg until you come to a point of tension and hold for one minute.   Repeat 3 times.

Tips - keep the hips lined, don't roll back as you open the legs, waist long, neck long.

Pilates glute exercise the "Clam"

2.  Pilates Side Kick -

Lying on your side with hips and shoulders stacked, raise top leg to point of tension and hold for 1 minute.   Repeat 3 times.

Tips - Keep knee pointed forward, don't let waist drop into floor, keep hips long and stacked.

Side kick

3.  Pilates Bridge or Hip Lift -

Lying on your back press your hips up pressing down evenly into both feet.   Hold for 1 minute, 3 repetitions.   To progress, add one leg lift and hold.

Tips -  To get more out of this Pilates exercise you can wrap a band or put some tension on your outer thighs and press out into them as you hold.  Press into feet and shoulder blades.   Keep knees reaching apart.

Pilates Bridge

4.   Kneeling Leg Extension -

Kneeling on all fours with the spine neutral, lengthen one leg behind you reaching just parallel to the floor until the buns tighten and hold for 1 minute 3 times each side.   Reach the arm to progress the move.

Tips -  Press your hands into the floor so you feel the chest and body reaching up to the ceiling, keep abs pulled up and in.  Lengthen the leg behind you instead of trying to reach it high up.

kneeling balance

5.  Pilates Side Plank -

With knees stacked press yourself up on your side lining up knees, hips, and shoulders over bottom elbow.    Hold for one minute 3 times each side.

Tips -  Imagine lengthening the body out the crown of the head, hips move up and forward, press into bottom elbow to keep shoulder blades locked in.

Side Plank

Do these Glute Exercises at least 3 times per week to keep your glutes strong and your back pain away!

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