KEY TAKEAWAYS
- A tight gluteus maximus is usually caused by too much sitting or an improper walking gait that overworks the muscle.
- Release it with myofascial pressure: sit on a large massage ball or softball, hold pressure on each tender spot until the discomfort eases, and spend 2 to 5 minutes per side.
- The technique is sustained pressure rather than stretching, and you should stay in the range of soreness without pushing into actual pain.
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What causes tight gluteus maximus?
The glutes are a very tender muscle and you’re going to find plenty of sore spots in that muscle group. You can use a large massage ball or even a softball to help release that muscle.
The glutes are also a very strong muscle and do a lot of compensating for too much sitting or improper gait. You could spend quite a bit of time releasing the glute muscle but this is not a stretch, this is a myofascial release. You will want to make sure you go slow and spend a minimum of two to five minutes in that area.
How do you unlock tight glutes?
If you’re finding a lot of sore spots and it feels good to release them, then you can spend even more time if you’d like. Just make sure that you don’t go from soreness into pain. This should be a pleasant experience and always make sure that you’re gauging that you’re not crossing over into pain.
You will want to do this on the floor. To get into position, lift your body up and position yourself so that you are practically sitting on the ball. Once you’re there, you can ever so slightly move around a little bit to find the exact spot. Once you have found it you are going to stop and hang out there until the pain in that area dissipates. Then you will roll around more and find that next spot and wait until it dissipates.
You want to make sure to do both sides minimum two to five minutes. So for both sides, four to 10 minutes.
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