THE SOLUTION TO A SIMPLE, MEANINGFUL, WELL-DESIGNED LIFE /
THE F Ê T E / LIF E PROJECT NO.
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HOW IMPORTANT ARE YOUR GLUTES? Welcome to the Fête/Life Project – a collection of helpful, useful and practical articles that can be applied to life at any time, but especially now. Sourced from the many magazines we have released, our message has never been more relevant or needed by our community today… let’s embrace the simple life and treasure what is truly important – human connection, community, self care and pure acts of kindness. SUPPORT WHEN YOU NEED IT MOST /
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health / F I T N E S S
STORY / KIRSTEN KING PHOTOGRAPHS / CAROLINE MCCREDIE
HOW IMPORTANT ARE YOUR GLUTES? With summer just around the corner you might be focussed on a tight, well sculpted butt but there really is so much more to consider when it comes to your backside. The backside consists of three major
SIDE LYING GLUTES / RIGHT ANGLE LEG LIFTS
muscles… the glute maximus, glute
LIE ON YOUR SIDE WITH YOUR LEGS PULLED UP INTO A RIGHT ANGLE (KNEES IN
medius, and glute minimus.
FRONT OF YOUR HIPS AND YOUR SHINS RUNNING DOWN THE FRONT OF YOUR MAT). INHALE AS YOU LIFT YOUR TOP LEG UP IN ONE PIECE, EXHALE TO LOWER
This group of muscles are responsible
DOWN TO ALMOST TOUCH THE UNDERNEATH LEG.
for stabilising your pelvis, pulling the
–️ M A K E S U R E Y O U K E E P Y O U R L E G L E V E L ( H I P , K N E E A N D A N K L E )
thigh behind you, moving your hip
– KEEP YOUR HIPS STACKED SO YOU CAN FIT YOUR HAND UNDER YOUR WAIST
outwards (lateral movement) and
– KEEP YOUR ABS PULLING AWAY FROM YOUR TOP AT ALL TIMES
internally and externally rotating your
– MAINTAIN A NEUTRAL SPINE (BOT TOM STICKING OUT BEHIND YOU A LIT TLE)
hip. In summary they are extremely
20 REPETITIONS, REST, 20 REPETITIONS / REPEAT ON OTHER SIDE
important for day to day movement and posture but they are more often weak and under-utilised. Unfortunately for most of us we spend our day sitting on our backside and what we don't realise is the negative impact this is having on our posture. Not only is sitting bad for our posture and back it also inhibits glute strength and often causes our glutes to turn into ‘lazy glutes'. This is why you need exercises to build up your glutes – not just so they don’t appear flat (I mean, everyone wants a better backside), but so that your posture can improve, as well as eliminate back pain. Strong glutes can improve posture, alleviate lower back, hip and knee pain. The added benefit not often highlighted is you can even burn fat (especially in the abdominal area). Because muscle burns more calories at rest than does fat, increasing lean muscle mass via glute exercises can accelerate fat loss, and keep it off for good – here comes the summer body! I have designed a small and effective program you can perform safely at home to increase your glute strength.
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health / F I T N E S S
GLUTE LIFT / ELBOWS START WITH YOUR ELBOWS UNDER YOUR SHOULDERS AND YOUR KNEES UNDER YOUR HIPS. START WITH YOUR KNEE G E N T LY TO U C H I N G T H E G R O U N D, E X H A L E AS YOU LIFT THE LEG UP TO A RIGHT ANGLE. INHALE TO LOWER THE KNEE DOWN TO TAP THE GROUND. – K E E P T U M M Y P U L L I N G A W A Y F R O M
SIDE LYING GLUTES / LONG LEG FORWARD, DROP AND BACK LIE ON YOUR SIDE WITH YOUR BOTTOM LEG PULLED UP INTO A RIGHT ANGLE (KNEES IN FRONT OF YOUR HIPS AND YOUR SHINS RUNNING DOWN THE FRONT O F Y O U R M AT ) A N D Y O U R T O P L E G E X T E N D E D O U T L O N G F R O M T H E H I P. INHALE AS YOU FLOAT YOUR LEG FORWARD TO BE A RIGHT ANGLE TO YOUR BODY. EXHALE TO LOWER YOUR LEG DOWN AND TAP THE GROUND WITH YOUR
YOUR TOP AT ALL TIMES – K E E P T H E M O V E M E N T C O N T R O L L E D AND CONTINUOUS – STAY STRONG THROUGH YOUR ARMS 20 REPETITIONS / REPEAT 3 TIMES EACH LEG
TOE. INHALE TO FLOAT IT BACK UP TO HIP HEIGHT AND EXHALE TO PULL IT BACK IN LINE WITH YOUR BODY. – M A K E S U R E Y O U K E E P Y O U R L E G L E V E L ( H I P, K N E E A N D A N K L E ) – KEEP YOUR HIPS STACKED SO YOU CAN FIT YOUR HAND UNDER YOUR WAIST – KEEP YOUR ABS PULLING AWAY FROM YOUR TOP AT ALL TIMES – MAINTAIN A NEUTRAL SPINE (BOT TOM STICKING OUT BEHIND YOU A LIT TLE) 20 REPETITIONS / REPEAT ON OTHER SIDE
GLUTE LIFT / HANDS START WITH YOUR HANDS UNDER YOUR SHOULDERS AND YOUR KNEES UNDER YOUR HIPS. START WITH YOUR KNEE G E N T LY TO U C H I N G T H E G R O U N D, E X H A L E AS YOU LIFT THE LEG UP TO A RIGHT ANGLE. INHALE TO LOWER THE KNEE DOWN TO TAP THE GROUND. – K E E P T U M M Y P U L L I N G A W A Y F R O M YOUR TOP AT ALL TIMES – K E E P T H E M O V E M E N T C O N T R O L L E D AND CONTINUOUS – STAY STRONG THROUGH YOUR ARMS 20 REPETITIONS / REPEAT 3 TIMES EACH LEG
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FETEPRESS.COM.AU / ISSUE NO.28
health / F I T N E S S
RUNNING MAN NO. 01 / START STANDING IN A LUNGE POSITION AND THEN LEAN DOWN AND FORWARD AS IF YOU ARE ABOUT TO TAKE OFF IN A RUNNING RACE. HOLD THAT POSITION A N D T H E N G E N T LY B E N D YO U R B A C K K N E E TOWARDS THE GROUND WITHOUT ANY OTHER PART OF YOUR BODY MOVING. PUSH THROUGH YOUR BACK HEEL TO EXTEND THE LEG BACK OUT TO START POSITION. – DO NOT BOUNCE – K E E P W E I G H T T H R O U G H H E E L OF FRONT LEG - K E E P C O N S T A N T L Y M O V I N G , N O S T O P P I N G – S T A Y A T S A M E H E I G H T T H E ENTIRE SEQUENCE 20 ON EACH LEG / REPEAT 3 TIMES
RUNNING MAN NO. 02 / START STANDING IN A LUNGE POSITION AND THEN LEAN DOWN AND FORWARD AS IF YOU ARE ABOUT TO TAKE OFF IN A RUNNING RACE. HOLD THAT POSITION AND THEN PULL YOUR BACK LEG FORWARD TOWARDS YOUR TUMMY AND RETURN TO G E N T LY TO U C H T H E G R O U N D. - DO NOT BOUNCE - K EEP WEIGHT THROUGH HEEL OF FRONT LEG - K E E P C O N S T A N T L Y M O V I N G , N O S T O P P I N G - STAY LOW (BENT LEGS) 20 ON EACH LEG / REPEAT 3 TIMES
RUNNING MAN NO. 03 / START KNEELING IN A LUNGE POSITION AND THEN LEAN DOWN AND FORWARD AS IF YOU ARE ABOUT TO TAKE OFF IN A RUNNING RACE. HOLD THAT POSITION AND THEN LIFT UP THROUGH YOUR FRONT LEG AS YOUR BACK LEG FORWARD COMES F O R WA R D A N D U P TO H I P H E I G H T, G E N T LY R E T U R N TO G E N T LY TO U C H T H E K N E E TO THE GROUND. - K EEP WEIGHT THROUGH HEEL OF FRONT LEG - K E E P C O N S T A N T L Y M O V I N G , N O S T O P P I N G - G E N T LY TO U C H G R O U N D W I T H B A C K K N E E BUT DO NOT TRANSFER WEIGHT THROUGH BACK KNEE - KEEP ABS ON AND PULLED IN 20 ON EACH LEG / REPEAT 3 TIMES
Kirsten King, director of FluidForm Pilates studio, is a passionate advocate of the functional and aesthetic physical changes that Pilates can bring about in the human body. Kirsten holds a Diploma in Pilates from the Australasian Pilates Method Association and STOTT Pilates and is a fully accredited member of the Pilates Australian Alliance. FLUIDFORMPIL ATES.COM.AU
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