The best glute exercises for pregnancy and postpartum

This week on the blog we are talking all about glorious glutes!

Why we need them, where they have disappeared to and how to get them back. They are the biggest muscles in our body and we need them to be strong so we can have a happy pelvic floor, core and posture.

Why our glutes are important during pregnancy and postpartum

Your glutes are the biggest muscles in your body, they are the powerhouse behind everything. How your glutes are showing up or aren’t showing up affects your whole body. Not to mention its always nice to feel your clothes filled out rather than having a baggy bum on your jeans!

Where have they disappeared to?

During pregnancy, as your bump grows, your core muscles are stretched and unable to fire, so your lower back tightens to try and compensate. With these changes, you can find that your glutes switch off as go from primary muscles to secondary, which we don’t want.

After you have delivered your baby, there is naturally a lot of sitting down and rest time that it very important to your recovery. In this time your glutes are not being used as much so you will experience muscle loss.

How to strengthen your glutes

Don’t panic, you can get them back at any time whenever you are ready. It’s all about starting where you are and progressing from there.

If you are pregnant, following a prenatal workout plan will make sure exercises are safe and effective for your stage of pregnancy. Strong glutes will help you have a more comfortable pregnancy and help with pelvic girdle pain. They also play a big role in delivery, helping with endurance and getting into good positions.

And if you are newly postnatal you want to be following a postnatal exercise program that will allow you to fully recover and restore your body post-baby. The best online postpartum workout plans will include progressive glute exercises as well as focusing on strengthening your core and pelvic floor. Your glutes support your pelvic floor, and we all want a happy pelvic floor post-baby!

Let your glutes relax

Sometimes we can clench our glutes for most of the day, which makes them tired and actually weakens them. So next time you’re standing up, cooking, or holding your little, one squeeze your glute muscles and see if they were already clenched. If they were, let them relax! Do this over and over until you get into the habit of relaxing, this will also support your pelvic floor, as gripped glutes might be making up for pelvic floor weakness. Let them go!

5 best glute exercises for pregnancy and motherhod

Here are some of the best exercises to target your glutes in pregnancy and postpartum:

Squat
Deadlift
Side lunge
Glute bridge
Step up

I’d love to invite you to enjoy a week of free workouts in our Strong Mama Club, so you can get started, strengthen your glutes and feel amazing.

You’ll experience all the support of our lovely community, have access to educational videos so you feel empowered and can achieve your goals with quick workouts that fit into your day.

Lucy is a pre & postnatal corrective exercise specialist and mum. She is on a mission to empower, educate and inspire women during pregnancy and motherhood to feel fit, healthy and body confident.