
Video: Glute strengthening exercises
Peer reviewed by Dr Sarah JarvisLast updated by Lilly Sabri, MHPCLast updated 29 Nov 2017
Meets Patient’s editorial guidelines
- DownloadDownload
- Share
- Language
- Discussion
- Audio Version
- Add to preferred sources on Google
Strengthening the movement in your lower back, glute and core muscles is the gateway into improving your ability to perform various other exercises.
Playlist: Glute Strengthening Exercises
2 videos
Glute Strengthening Exercises
Lilly Sabri, MHPC
Glute Strengthening Exercises
Lilly Sabri, MHPC

Glute Strengthening - Clam Exercises
Lilly Sabri, MHPC
Glute stretches
Glute max to support lower back
Get on all fours, with your hands directly under your shoulders and knees under hips.
Complete four cat/camel stretches - before finding neutral spine. Neutral spine is the point in the middle of cat and camel where your back is flat and you can balance an imaginary tray of drinks on your lower back.
Pull your core and stomach muscles in before shifting your body weight on to your left side and lifting your right leg up to 90° at the knee and hip, if able.
With your right foot flexed, pump the leg up towards the ceiling, leading with your right heel. Lift a few inches up and down with the leg to complete the donkey kick exercise.
Complete 20 repetitions on each leg, twice daily.
Clam exercise
Lie on your side with your knees bent, and your ankles and knees touching.
Try to create a small gap under your waist by drawing your stomach muscles in and activating the core muscles.
While keeping your feet together, open your knees apart in a slow controlled movement before closing them together again. Complete 20 repetitions on each side, twice daily.
Be careful to avoid your hips rolling and falling out of correct form. Keep the hips facing forward by pretending you have a full glass resting on your upper hip.
To increase the difficulty of this exercise, raise your feet up on to an imaginary stool, keeping the knees on the floor, and repeat the clam exercise.
Patient picks for Exercise and physical activity

Healthy living
How poor posture impacts more than just your back
These days, being stuck at a desk all day isn’t just a habit - it's basically part of the job for a lot of people. Between our professional lives and the digital entertainment that fills our downtime, we are increasingly pulled into stationary, hunched positions. This environment makes the simple act of maintaining good posture a constant struggle. A physiotherapist explains exactly how poor posture impacts your wellbeing and offers simple, actionable tips to help you lead a happier, healthier life.
by Victoria Raw

Healthy living
The best resistance band workouts to build muscle
Resistance bands are a great way to improve the quality of your strength training routine. They can be incorporated into numerous exercises, adding extra force so that your muscles have to work harder to perform each task.
by Lynn Stephen
About the authorView full bio

Lilly Sabri, MHPC
Physiotherapist, Personal Trainer
BSc Physiotherapy, MCSP, MHPC, MAACP, MACSPM
Lilly Sabri is a chartered Physiotherapist, APPI pilates instructor, fitness, health and lifestyle influencer and founder of #LeanWithLilly.
About the reviewerView full bio

Dr Sarah Jarvis
Clinical Consultant
MA (Cantab), BM, BCh (Oxon), DRCOG, FRCGP, MBE
After training in medicine at Cambridge and Oxford, Dr Sarah Jarvis MBE became a GP.
Article history
The information on this page is peer reviewed by qualified clinicians.
Article also available in English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Hindi, Hebrew, Arabic, and Swedish.
29 Nov 2017 | Latest version

Ask, share, connect.
Browse discussions, ask questions, and share experiences across hundreds of health topics.

Feeling unwell?
Assess your symptoms online for free
Sign up to the Patient newsletter
Your weekly dose of clear, trustworthy health advice - written to help you feel informed, confident and in control.
By subscribing you accept our Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe at any time. We never sell your data.
More in healthy living
- 1 in 10 people have encountered a near-death experience
- Balancing exercise and your diet
- Can you trust AI with your health?
- Do lesbian and bisexual women still need smear tests?
- Do sports drinks really work to improve performance?
- Fagerström test
- How an affair affects your sexual and mental health
- How to improve your sleep behaviour
- How to quit smoking without gaining weight
- How to run a 10k with no experience
- UpdatedHow to work out without feeling like you're exercising
- Is insomnia affecting your job?
- More evidence that social media is associated with teenage depression
- Should parents worry about 'dry drowning'?
- The benefits of switching up your exercise
- The link between anxiety and insomnia
- What you need to know about parenting with a mental health issue
- What's the right temperature for sleep?
- Why phones should be banned from the bedroom
- Why you're addicted to your iPhone