These Glute Exercises Can Help Undo The Dreaded 'Dead Butt Syndrome'
If you’re a desk jockey or are in a LTR with your couch these days, you may be dealing with the aptly named dead butt syndrome, a.k.a. DBS.
The good news is that DBS does not actually mean your butt muscles are, uh, “dead.” Instead, you can think of them as simply sleepy (another term for the condition is “gluteal amnesia”) due to muscle weakness.
“They may feel tight, weak, or painful,” says board-certified sports physical therapist Leada Malek, PT, DPT, CSCS, SCS. Often, it’s a result of frequently being in the same position for a long period of time (yup, like sitting at your desk or on your couch all day). The glutes adapt and lose their ability to fully contract and relax.
This could mess with your balance and contribute to conditions like IT band syndrome, gluteal tendinitis, and sciatic nerve (which runs through the glutes) compression and discomfort. DBS could even lead to hip, back, and knee pain since the glutes also help support the back and keep us upright.
Unfortunately, we can’t give our booty muscles a shot of espresso as a simple solution. (If only!) Instead,keep reading for everything you need to know about the symptoms, causes, treatment, and prevention of dead butt syndrome.
Why Dead Butt Syndrome Happens
DBS occurs when the butt muscles lose the ability to contract and relax to their full range of motion as a result of long periods of being stationary. “You may be more susceptible to this if you do go through your day with less than average movement time or a lack of exercises that target the lower body and glutes,” Malek says.
However, an underlying nerve issue (in the glutes or lumbar spine, for example) could also be to blame. Because the glutes are powered by these nerves, issues at the nerve root in the low back can cause pain or weakness in the glute muscles and lead to DBS. Another possibility: Since the glutes are so interconnected to other muscles in the body, an imbalance somewhere else could be the cause.
How To Tell If You Have Dead Butt Syndrome
Some symptoms of DBS include discomfort around the glutes and tendons, as well as around the hip joint. In particular, getting up from a chair may be uncomfortable. “This may range from tightness, a deep or dull ache, or the feeling like it is hard to activate these muscles,” Malek explains. “Tendon pain is usually closer to a bony prominence like the top of your pelvis or the outer hip, near the greater trochanter, which is where the glutes attach,” she explains.
FYI: Tendons can become irritated with overuse as well as underuse, per Malek, which is one of many reasons it's important to talk to your doc for a diagnosis and treatment plan.
How To Treat Dead Butt Syndrome
After working with your health care practitioner to diagnose DBS, you can often treat symptoms with exercise. With your doctor’s okay, you can try Malek’s top recommendations for glute exercises, all of which activate and fire up those sleepy (not dead!) glute and lower-body muscles. Malek recommends doing them three days a week.
Romanian Deadlift
How to: Start standing with feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, holding a pair of weights in front of thighs, palms facing body. Keeping knees slightly bent, press hips back as you hinge at the hips and lower the weights toward the floor. Squeeze glutes to return to standing. That's one rep. Do 3 sets with 8-12 reps.
Why it works: “This exercise does a great job of using the hip extensors (glutes and hamstrings) in a way that lengthens them,” Malek says.
Banded Lateral Walk
How to: Place a mini resistance band a few inches above ankles, and stand with feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent. Maintaining a tight core, step left foot out to the side, followed by right. That’s one rep. Do 3 sets with 10-15 reps per side.
Why it works: “This helps to recruit the gluteus medius, an important muscle for balance and one that should be strong,” she says. You can take it a notch up by doing pulses in between those side steps for a deeper burn.
Stability Ball Thrusters
How to: Lean your upper back against a stability ball with feet on the ground. Drive through the heels and push your hips straight up by using your glutes, then return to start. Do 3 sets with 8-12 reps. “Keep your belly button drawn towards your spine and be sure to lift with the hips, not the low back, and don’t let the ball roll,” says Malek.
Why it works: Hip thrusters are an excellent option for glute strengthening, requiring the coordination of the trunk and hips.
How To Prevent DBS
It’s not just about treating DBS, but also preventing it from the start. In general, staying active is key. Try to avoid sitting in the same position for too long. Think: Stand up every hour and/or take a lap around the office or your home every 90 minutes. “Going for a walk would be helpful, and if you can walk uphill that will work your glutes a bit more,” adds Malek.
Pro tip: Foam rolling the glute muscles as part of your warm-up could improve your training and prevent DBS onset.
Finally, doing lower-body and glute-focused exercises, like the ones above in addition to the moves ahead, two to three times a week could help lower your risk. Aim for three sets of 8 to 12 reps (per side where needed) of each move.
Glute Bridge
How to: Start lying on back, arms by sides and knees bent so that you can brush back of heels with fingertips. Engage core and glutes, then press into heels to raise hips toward the ceiling until body forms straight line from shoulders to knees. Hold for two seconds before lowering back to start position. That's 1 rep.
Why it works: “This exercise allows the glutes and hamstrings to function together, but with a larger emphasis on the glutes,” Malek says.
Step-Ups
How to: Start standing facing a bench or stair, hands on hips. Step right foot onto bench or stair and pull left knee up toward chest. Reverse movement to return to start. That's 1 rep.
Why it works: “The step-up is an exercise that demands a lot from the glutes,” Malek says.
Sumo Squat
How to: Start standing with feet wider than shoulder-distance apart, toes turned out slightly, holding a dumbbell with both hands. Bend knees and push hips back to lower down into a squat. That’s 1 rep.
Why it works: “Squats are a great exercise in general because of how functional they are,” she says. "By angling out and maintaining control, you can demand a little extra from the glutes."
Pro tip: Don’t rush back up to standing and miss out on the burn that comes with each rep.
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