How to encourage gluteus muscle activation in yoga to help prevent injuries?
One of my favourite things to teach teachers is about hip biomechanics and how we can make subtle changes to our sequencing and cueing to improve hip biomechanics for our students.
In this post, we’ll explore how to encourage proper glute activation in yoga, why it’s crucial for injury prevention, and practical strategies you can use in your classes to help students activate their gluteus maximus effectively.
The Importance of Hip Biomechanics in Yoga
During hip extension, different muscles engage in a specific order to allow the hip to move through its full range of motion. The typical muscle firing pattern for hip extension should be:
Gluteus maximus contraction
Hamstring contraction
Contralateral lower erector spinae activation
Ipsilateral lumbar erector spinae contraction
It is common for gluteus maximus to fire late (or not at all, as it is often weak), and as a result the lower erector spinae muscles will override this to create the hip extension.
This can overload and or stress the lumbar and sacroiliac joint, resulting in pain or injury over time.
How Can You Encourage Gluteus Muscle Activation in Yoga?
Encourage students to consciously feel where they should be activating—the gluteus maximus. Help them tune into their body so they can clearly differentiate between glute activation and other muscle groups, such as the hamstrings or lower back muscles.
2. Encourage no lumbar pain. Remind students that lumbar pain is a clear sign that something is not right. Encourage them to avoid overcompensating with the lower back muscles. By promoting gluteus maximus engagement, you can prevent excessive strain on the lumbar spine during backbends and other hip-extension movements.
3. You want to be able to see some gluteal activation in the backbend and not the erector spinae or the hamstring muscles overriding this.
4. Encourage the student to not over activate their glutes (if so, you will see hips externally rotate as they engage). Encourage the student to use block to prevent this and engage adductors.
5. Encourage warm up with light glute activation (such as bridges) to warm up ‘lazy muscles’ from sitting before taking the students into a stronger back bend posture.
6. Warm up/stretch psoas early and often (agonist/antagonist). The psoas muscle, which is an important hip flexor, plays a critical role in hip extension and should be carefully managed. Incorporate psoas stretches early in your class, as it is the agonist muscle to the glutes. A tight psoas can inhibit proper glute activation and lead to discomfort in backbends and other movements.
7. Encourage diaphragmatic breathing. This will aid in opening the psoas muscle as it will create less tension around the diaphragm crura (attachment next to psoas) with conscious diaphragm breathing. Remember the psoas muscle is involved in respiratory function as an anchoring mechanism for the crura of the diaphragm. Diaphragmatic breathing also plays a role in the functional movement of the entire body during asanas.
8. Finally, always remind your students: what you strengthen, you must stretch. After any engagement of the glutes and hip extension work, encourage them to stretch the hamstrings and glutes to maintain flexibility and avoid muscle imbalances. Regularly incorporating glute stretches will help balance the body and support optimal hip biomechanics in the long run.
Encouraging glute activation in yoga is an essential part of promoting healthy biomechanics and preventing injuries. By incorporating simple cues and mindful movements, you can help your students engage their glutes in a way that protects their lumbar spine, improves hip extension, and enhances their overall practice.
Whether you're teaching a yoga class or your own personal practice, a solid understanding of how the glutes and surrounding muscles work will elevate your teaching and give your students the tools to move safely and effectively on the mat.
~ Hope that helps, any questions? Ask away .. sophie@homebodyanatomy.com