[Lifestyle] This 5-minute workout will tone and tighten your butt

[S e u o n g]

 

If you're not comfortable heading to a gym to use the stair-climbing machine, one area of the body that you can focus on with no equipment whatsoever is your butt.

Gluteal amnesia and "dead butt syndrome" are both terms used to describe what happens when your glute muscles forget how to activate and therefore your hips, low back and legs take the brunt of your movements that require your butt for proper form.
In fact, experts say that sitting for too long can cause this tightness and weakness in the glutes. Taking frequent breaks from sitting and teaching the glutes how to activate through targeted exercises can help.
Your bum is composed of three muscles: gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimis. The gluteus maximus is the biggest muscle in the body, so traditionally in high-intensity interval training, also known as HIIT workouts, or in workouts focused on weight loss, working the butt is a key component to burn more calories and fat.
Furthermore, developing glute muscles can assist in low back pain, improved lower body strength and proper pelvic alignment. Strong glutes help prevent knee injuries during running and lifting exercises, and also support the low back during certain motions.
From an appearance standpoint, the red carpet is always buzzing with celebrities like Jennifer "J.Lo" Lopez and Kim Kardashian, who show off their developed derrieres in designer gowns. Whether your motivation to tone and tighten your butt is functional, appearance-focused, or both, this five-minute butt routine will get your backside stronger in no time.
While the gluteus maximus is the biggest butt muscle, minimis and medius have the important job of helping to stabilize and round out the butt as a whole. These smaller muscles also contribute to the round shape of the backside and strength in the lower body.
In just five minutes with only five exercises, you can tighten and tone your butt as well as the upper thighs and hamstrings. Perform each of these exercises slowly, and connect your breath to movement. Exhale through the mouth as you exert more effort, like when you press up from a position, and inhale through the nose as you move to the position, like when you step into a side lunge.

 

This five-minute butt workout can be done every other day to allow the muscles a day of recovery and time to build. If completing 10 repetitions feels easy, you can increase to 15 repetitions or do two rounds of 10 repetitions.