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Long hours of sitting can weaken your glutes, leading to dead butt syndrome, poor running efficiency, and even injuries. Learn how to wake up your glutes, prevent imbalances, and run stronger with these expert tips.
Most runners don’t think of themselves as sedentary, but long hours sitting at a desk or lounging in front of the TV can actually work against your performance.
If you spend a lot of time sitting and don’t actively strengthen your glutes, you could be at risk for “dead butt syndrome”—also known as gluteal amnesia.
In simple terms, this condition occurs when your glute muscles stop activating properly, affecting your balance, running efficiency, and even leading to injury.
Your glutes consist of four key muscles:
Together, these muscles keep your pelvis stable, help maintain balance, and allow you to run with power.
When they weaken due to prolonged sitting or lack of targeted training, your body compensates by overloading other muscle groups, often leading to discomfort and injuries.
Dead butt syndrome occurs when the glutes—especially the gluteus medius and maximus—fail to activate properly.
This is often caused by too much sitting, which leads these muscles to “switch off” and stop firing efficiently.
Unlike a typical injury, the pain isn’t always localized in the glutes. Instead, runners may experience discomfort in the lower back, hamstrings, or hips, as these areas compensate for weak glutes.
The symptoms tend to start as mild soreness and gradually become more persistent.
If you frequently experience low back pain that doesn’t resolve after a few weeks, it may be worth consulting a physical therapist to determine if weak glutes are the culprit.
Since your glutes play a major role in running mechanics, weak or inactive glutes can have a serious impact on your performance:
If you’re dealing with nagging pain or noticing a decline in performance, it’s worth addressing potential glute weakness.
Preventing dead butt syndrome requires a two-part approach:
Sprint training is another effective way to activate the glutes. Sprinting recruits fast-twitch muscle fibers, which enhance glute strength and power.
Additionally, cross-training activities like yoga, Pilates, and incline walking can help improve overall hip stability.
Before running, warm up with glute activation exercises to ensure your muscles are firing properly. When glutes are pre-activated, they’re more likely to function correctly during your run, reducing the risk of compensatory movements and injuries.
Perform 10-20 reps per side of the following exercises before your run or as part of your strength routine:
By incorporating these simple exercises and making an effort to reduce prolonged sitting, you can keep your glutes strong, boost your running performance, and avoid the discomfort of dead butt syndrome.
Plus, we highly recommend adding a stretching routine to maintain muscle flexibility. This 8-minute daily stretching program is quick, effective, and offers great benefits, especially for runners!
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