Key Points:
- Gripping the glutes is a common pattern.
- Often seen hand in hand with a hips forward posture, but also in others too.
- Gripping causes tight, tense muscles which can’t act reflexively.
- We need strong reflexive glute muscles to take some of the daily load.
- Grippig your glutes puts your pelvic floor in a shortened position meaning that can be tight and tense too (hello leaking, prolapse symptoms, plevic pain).
Key Points:
- Feet pointing forwards, hip distance (from the frontal hip bones) apart.
- Hold onto something so you can focus on technique instead of balance.
- Inhale and as you exhale blow out the candles and start sitting your bottom back towards an imaginary chair. You do not need to go low.
- Keep your knees on top of your ankles – don’t let them come forward.
- Think about coming up to stand but don’t – as if come up to stand. Feel your glutes (bottom muscles) engage.
- Keep the feeling of engagement as you slowly push through your heels to come up to stand with another candles exhale.
- Don’t stand up fully, starting squatting again!
- Lift a heel while you squat to increase the challenge.
- Work towards squatting on one leg.
- Only lift a heel or progress to one-legged squatting if you can do so without doing any of the 4 Bs! No bulging through the abs, bearing down, bracing or breath holding!