8 Glute Exercises To Get Relief From Lower Back Pain (2024)

If you’ve been suffering from chronic lower back or hip pain, strengthening your glutes and core is one of the most important things to do.

And today I want to introduce you to 8 amazing glute exercises that’ll help you get lower back pain relief.

Focus on 1-3 exercises and focus on doing them consistently before adding more

Below you’ll find a list of one of 8 glute exercises to activate and integrate the gluteus medius, gluteus maximums, and gluteus minimus.

Strengthening this muscle group will stabilize and support the spine taking the load off the lumbar spine and leading to long-term relief from lower back pain.

You’ll also be engaging the core muscles, which like to work with the glutes.

How Strong Glutes Help You Get Relief From Lower Back Pain?

The gluteus maximum – one of the 3 major glute muscles – is the biggest muscle in your body. It’s designed to be the strongest.

Most people spend long hours sitting which weakens the glutes. Over time this leads to glute amnesia or dormant butt syndrome.

And once the glutes aren’t activating when needed, the lower back kicks in to bear the load.

Bodyweight Deadlift/Hip hinge (beginner)

• Grab a stability ball, or you can do this exercise bodyweight or with a band around your thighs.
• Hinge at the hips by pushing your hips back.
• As you return to the starting position, keep your glutes engaged.
• Make sure you’re not rounding your back.
  

Superman (Beginner-Intermediate)

• This exercise will activate and engage the gluteus maximum and the deep core muscles.
• Lie face down and start by engaging your core and glutes.
• Lift arms and legs off the ground together, hold briefly, then lower back down.

Related: 8 amazing Core and back exercises

Swimmers (Intermediate)

• Lie face down, extend your arms overhead, and lift your chest and legs slightly off the ground.
• Engage your core and glutes.
• Then, alternate raising and lowering opposite arms and legs as if swimming.
• Keep your core and glutes engaged throughout.

The Bridge (Intermediate)

• Tighten up your core and glutes, and then push through your heels up.
• Keep your glutes tight all through the movement.
• Squeeze your glutes as you hold this position for a few seconds, then slowly lower back down.

Click here to join the Strong Glutes Program and work on eliminating glute weakness.

Band Pull-apart (Intermediate-Advanced)

• This is a great variation to the Superman exercise to engage the glute medius.
• As you lift your hips off the floor, pull the band apart then back to the middle before lowering down.
• Keep your glutes engaged and core tight throughout the movement.
  

Backward Lunge (Intermediate)

• The backward lunge is a great lower body exercise that targets the glutes.
• Stand tall, then step backward into a lunge. Keep your back straight.
• Squeeze your glutes as you push off the ground to return to the starting position.
• Switch legs.

One-legged Bridge (Advanced)

• This is an advanced variation of the bridge so I advise you to practice the bridge exercise first.
• Focus on forming a straight line from your knees-hips-chest.
• Avoid putting pressure on your lower back by keeping your glutes and core engaged.
• You can ease into this exercise by doing fewer repetitions on each leg (3 reps) and adding more as you gain more strength.
  

Ball Glute Extensions (Beginner-Intermediate)

• This is a fantastic glute maximum isolation exercise with additional core work.
• Use a stability ball to challenge your balance and fire up the deep intrinsic core muscles.
• If you don’t have a stability ball, you can do this exercise on the floor or on a bench.
  

More glutes strengthening routines:

• 12 gluteus maximus strengthening exercises
• 11 gluteus medius strengthening exercises
• 14 Gluteus Minimus Exercises