Whilst genetics plays a big part in the way in which our bodies look, including the shape of your glutes – many strive to improve the strength and appearance of their glutes through various methods. One such method is through Yoga – although you wouldn’t typically associate glute building with Yoga! Despite this, consistent practice with yoga can help you to improve the way that your glutes look because yoga helps you to work on your posture. When you are moving your body through yoga poses, you should be able to feel comfortable and strong, and there are several different poses as part of a yoga workout that improve the appearance of your glutes and strengthen them at the same time.
It’s not just about the way your butt looks when it comes to yoga for glutes. Sure, it’s nice to have a butt that looks stronger and allows you to feel more confident, but you need strong glutes! Your body relies on your muscles being strong to hold it up, and your glutes are a part of that. Weaker glutes can be a contributor to back pain and knee issues, and if you’re not making your glutes a priority, you’re going to feel it. Your glutes are the largest muscles in the body, and without strong glutes, you will notice pain in other areas of your body more than ever.
Yoga for Glutes
It’s very common for those who participate in yoga sessions to spend a lot of time holding postures for several seconds at a time. This means that your glutes need to be strong enough to hold your body in those positions. Below, we’ve got a list of those positions that are going to help you to strengthen your glute muscles and enable you to flow from one move to another. Here are some positions in yoga that will strengthen your glutes:
Utthita Hasta Padangustasana – Extended Hand to Big Toe Pose
You begin this pose in a standing posture, and then bring your right knee to your core and hold the outside of the foot (or the big toe, it’s up to you). Once you do this, you keep the standing leg as strong as possible and while holding the foot, extend the leg forward. This requires strong glutes, and the standing leg has to remain stable and the position has to be held before rotating back to the center. You then release the toe and bring the leg back to the starting standing position.
Purvottanasana – Upward Plank Pose
Not everyone enjoys doing planks when they workout, but when you do it in yoga your movement has to be deliberate. Sitting on the floor with your legs out in front of you, you need your palms on the ground with your fingertips pointing toward your toes. You’ll then press the bottom of your feet to the floor and roll back your shoulders. The chest and hips are lifted towards the ceiling and your spine has to be aligned from the top of your head to your pelvis. Holding this position for a few seconds, you have to then lower slowly back to a seated position. This is done several times and you will feel that burn in your butt and watch your glutes get stronger and more lifted.
Setu Bandha Sarvangasana – The Bridge Pose
You’ll start on your back on the floor with this one. Your knees should be bent and the bottom of your feet have to be pressed into the floor. You’ll rest your arms at your sides on the floor, and then press your hips up to the ceiling. When your hips are raised up, you then bring your hands under your hips and clasp them. You then hold this pose and lower back to your start position slowly, working your glutes.
Salabhasana – Locust Pose
With your belly down on the floor and your legs behind you and extended out, your arms will be by your sides with your palms facing down. Your fingers should be pointing to the direction of the toes and you then lift your torso off the floor so that your chest and shoulders are up. You use your glutes to hold your core together, and then you lift your arms and reach back as you lift up with your torso. You hold this pose, and you’ll feel it in your core, glutes and legs. You then lower yourself back to the floor.
Virabhadrasana III – Warrior III
From a standing position, you engage the core and step onto your left foot and reach your arms to the ceiling. Your right foot has to come off the ground behind you and lower your upper body to the floor. Your hips remain square and with a straight right leg, you hinge your upper body so that your upper body is parallel to the ground. You’ll look like the letter T, and your head should stay in alignment with your spine. You hold the pose and then reverse to the starting position slowly, engaging your glutes the entire time.
Of course, these aren’t the only yoga poses that can help to stretch your hips and strengthen the glutes. There are plenty of options and no matter which poses you use, you can get the help that you need to strengthen your glutes with the correct form. Your alignment really does matter the whole time if you want your glutes to remain strong. Yoga is definitely a great option if you are looking for stronger glutes and hips, and you need both of these things to be able to gain that aesthetic you want. Try out these poses and see whether they work for you!
Whilst genetics plays a big part in the way in which our bodies look, including the shape of your glutes – many strive to improve the strength and appearance of their glutes through various methods. One such method is through Yoga – although you wouldn’t typically associate glute building with Yoga! Despite this, consistent practice with yoga can help you to improve the way that your glutes look because yoga helps you to work on your posture. When you are moving your body through yoga poses, you should be able to feel comfortable and strong, and there are several different poses as part of a yoga workout that improve the appearance of your glutes and strengthen them at the same time.
It’s not just about the way your butt looks when it comes to yoga for glutes. Sure, it’s nice to have a butt that looks stronger and allows you to feel more confident, but you need strong glutes! Your body relies on your muscles being strong to hold it up, and your glutes are a part of that. Weaker glutes can be a contributor to back pain and knee issues, and if you’re not making your glutes a priority, you’re going to feel it. Your glutes are the largest muscles in the body, and without strong glutes, you will notice pain in other areas of your body more than ever.
Yoga for Glutes
It’s very common for those who participate in yoga sessions to spend a lot of time holding postures for several seconds at a time. This means that your glutes need to be strong enough to hold your body in those positions. Below, we’ve got a list of those positions that are going to help you to strengthen your glute muscles and enable you to flow from one move to another. Here are some positions in yoga that will strengthen your glutes:
Utthita Hasta Padangustasana – Extended Hand to Big Toe Pose
You begin this pose in a standing posture, and then bring your right knee to your core and hold the outside of the foot (or the big toe, it’s up to you). Once you do this, you keep the standing leg as strong as possible and while holding the foot, extend the leg forward. This requires strong glutes, and the standing leg has to remain stable and the position has to be held before rotating back to the center. You then release the toe and bring the leg back to the starting standing position.
Purvottanasana – Upward Plank Pose
Not everyone enjoys doing planks when they workout, but when you do it in yoga your movement has to be deliberate. Sitting on the floor with your legs out in front of you, you need your palms on the ground with your fingertips pointing toward your toes. You’ll then press the bottom of your feet to the floor and roll back your shoulders. The chest and hips are lifted towards the ceiling and your spine has to be aligned from the top of your head to your pelvis. Holding this position for a few seconds, you have to then lower slowly back to a seated position. This is done several times and you will feel that burn in your butt and watch your glutes get stronger and more lifted.
Setu Bandha Sarvangasana – The Bridge Pose
You’ll start on your back on the floor with this one. Your knees should be bent and the bottom of your feet have to be pressed into the floor. You’ll rest your arms at your sides on the floor, and then press your hips up to the ceiling. When your hips are raised up, you then bring your hands under your hips and clasp them. You then hold this pose and lower back to your start position slowly, working your glutes.
Salabhasana – Locust Pose
With your belly down on the floor and your legs behind you and extended out, your arms will be by your sides with your palms facing down. Your fingers should be pointing to the direction of the toes and you then lift your torso off the floor so that your chest and shoulders are up. You use your glutes to hold your core together, and then you lift your arms and reach back as you lift up with your torso. You hold this pose, and you’ll feel it in your core, glutes and legs. You then lower yourself back to the floor.
Virabhadrasana III – Warrior III
From a standing position, you engage the core and step onto your left foot and reach your arms to the ceiling. Your right foot has to come off the ground behind you and lower your upper body to the floor. Your hips remain square and with a straight right leg, you hinge your upper body so that your upper body is parallel to the ground. You’ll look like the letter T, and your head should stay in alignment with your spine. You hold the pose and then reverse to the starting position slowly, engaging your glutes the entire time.
Of course, these aren’t the only yoga poses that can help to stretch your hips and strengthen the glutes. There are plenty of options and no matter which poses you use, you can get the help that you need to strengthen your glutes with the correct form. Your alignment really does matter the whole time if you want your glutes to remain strong. Yoga is definitely a great option if you are looking for stronger glutes and hips, and you need both of these things to be able to gain that aesthetic you want. Try out these poses and see whether they work for you!