5 Stretches for Your Growing Glutes

Getting that perfect booty has been all the rage for years now! Whether you're scrolling through YouTube, Instagram, or Pinterest, you'll find tons of workouts promising to give you the peach emoji-worthy glutes you've been dreaming of. But here's the deal: nailing your booty workout is only half the battle. You've gotta pay attention to your recovery, too!

Your booty muscles are working overtime, and pushing them too hard without proper recovery can lead to tightness, fatigue, and a lot of soreness in your hips, lower back, and hamstrings. Not to mention, it can mess with your flexibility over time. So, while crushing a killer booty workout is awesome, don't forget to stretch it out properly, or you'll end up with a world of hurt.

Luckily, we've got some expert tips from our personal trainers (AKA our glute gurus) to help you out. We've rounded up the best glute stretches to add to your warm-up and cool-down routine. These stretches will help ease any pain and tension, improve your flexibility, and have you strutting your stuff pain-free the next day.

So, take a peek and see if you're already incorporating these into your routine!

This stretch is an example of a standing figure 4, but you can modify your figure 4 stretch by incorporating a chair or lying down. It just depends on your mobility and preference!

How to a Figure 4 Stretch: 

1. Stand tall with feet hip-width apart.
2. Shift weight to one leg.
3. Cross one ankle over the opposite knee.
4. Bend the supporting leg into a slight squat.
5. Hold for 20-30 seconds, feeling the stretch in the crossed leg's hip.
6. Switch sides and repeat.

TIP: By pushing the knee of your crossed leg downward, the more you'll feel this stretch in your glute. If you're doing a lying figure four, you can also try straightening your leg up and down 5 to 6 times if you want to get a slight stretch in your hamstring and sciatic nerve!

2. Pigeon Stretch 

The pigeon pose is a slightly more advanced version of the Figure 4 stretch that gives you a more intense stretch of your leg, glutes, lower back, and hip flexors!

How to do a Pigeon Stretch: 

1. Start from a push-up position.
2. Pull one leg forward and try to place it at a 90-degree angle from the side of your mat with your shin on the floor. Keep your other leg extended out behind you.
3. Once you find this position, untuck your toes on your back leg so the top of your foot and shin are resting on the floor.
4. Keep both hips facing forward, and sink your hips towards the floor. Adjust your positioning as necessary to avoid your hips falling off to the side.

TIP: To make this stretch more challenging, you can go down onto your elbows or extend your arms all the way forward and place your forehead on the floor.

3. Forward Lunge Stretch 

A forward lunge is just one of many variations of lunges that you can use to loosen up your hip flexors, hamstrings, and glutes. Depending on your mobility and flexibility, the forward lunge stretch can be standing as well!

How to do a Forward Lunge Stretch:

1. Lower down into a kneeling lunge by stepping one leg forward to a 90-degree angle and keeping your opposite knee on the ground. 
2. Place your hands on your front knee for support (if needed).
3. Sink deeper into the lunge by pushing your pelvis towards the ground while keeping your chest straight and core tight.
4. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds on each side.

TIP: Try to keep your knee above or behind your ankle, not in front of it. If you find that your knees are turning inward, focus on maintaining a neutral spine and moving only through your hips. 

4. Half-Splits

Half-splits are an awesome cool-down stretch for your post-leg day routine! This move focuses on loosening up your hamstrings and hip flexors after a tough workout, helping you recover faster and stay flexible for your next workout session. 

How to do a Half-Split Stretch:

1. Start in a kneeling position on the floor with your knees hip-width apart and your hands placed on the ground for support.
2. Extend your right leg forward, straightening it out in front of you, while keeping your left knee still bent behind you.
3. Flex your right foot, pointing your toes up towards the ceiling.
4. Slowly shift your weight back, straightening your spine and leaning your torso slightly forward over your extended leg.
5. Keep your hips squared and aligned with your extended leg.
6. Hold this position for 20-30 seconds, focusing on breathing deeply and relaxing into the stretch.

TIP: Once you are fully in the stretch, you can move your hands to the outside of your straight leg for an additional stretch to your IT band!

5. Downward Dog

Doing Downward Dog after your usual leg-day routine helps grow your glutes by stretching multiple muscles like the hamstrings and lower back, supporting recovery and making your workouts more effective!

How to do Downward Dog:

1. Begin on your hands and knees, with your wrists under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
2. Lift your hips up and back, straightening your arms and legs to form an inverted V shape with your body.
3. Press your palms firmly into the ground, spreading your fingers wide for stability while engaging your core muscles by drawing your belly button towards your spine.
4. Keep your heels pressing towards the ground. Relax your head and neck, allowing them to hang freely between your arms.
5. Hold the pose for a few deep breaths, focusing on lengthening your spine and stretching your shoulders and hamstrings. Then, to release, gently lower your knees back to the ground.

TIP: It's ok if your heels do not touch the ground during downward dog! Remember to focus on lengthening your spine by reaching your tailbone towards the sky and pressing your chest towards your thighs.

In Conclusion

If you're working extra hard to grow your glutes, your muscles can quickly turn tight and fatigued if they don't have time to recover. Your glutes may also be contributing to other pains in your lower body and your ability to move comfortably. These stretches are a surefire way to reduce tension and discomfort throughout your lower body.  They can even increase your flexibility and range of motion over time.

So next time you hit the gym, take a few extra minutes to recover to keep your booty looking and feeling good!