It’s normal to feel a little stiff after a long day at a desk or hours in a car. It could just be that your hip flexors and lower back are tight. But you could also be experiencing a potentially debilitating condition called hip amnesia, or dead butt syndrome.
“The name sounds silly, but the side effects are serious,” says Jane Conidis, M.D., a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. “The gluteus maximus is one of the strongest muscles in the body and its biggest shock absorber,” she says. “When it’s not functioning properly, it can cause a domino effect of problems, from torn hamstrings and sciatica to shin splints and arthritis in the knees.”
Gluteal amnesia occurs when the muscles in your glutes become weak from lack of activity and seem to forget how to function. That means they stop working or become slower. This is different from having a “numb” leg or arm due to a pinched nerve. That means you don’t feel a numbness or pins and needles. Some people may feel a dull ache when they’re sitting, but most people don’t feel any pain until they go out for a jog or hike.
When your glutes become weak, other muscles and joints, especially your hips and knees, take on the strain, says Dr. Conidis. The pain can especially affect runners and rotational athletes, like golfers and tennis players. (Tiger Woods has previously been forced to withdraw from competition because of the condition.)
Learning to strengthen your glutes, just like learning to strengthen your core, can help prevent this from happening. But for most people, even those with strong butts, it doesn’t come naturally. If you’ve been sitting for hours, it’s important to recognize when your glutes are off and learn how to get them working again.
Reasons why your hips won’t move
Your glutes are actually three muscles on the outside and back of your hips that stabilize your hips, lift your legs, and rotate your thighs. Together, they act as a foundation for your spine and stabilize your pelvis and core, says Dr. Konydis.
“If our glutes were truly dead, we wouldn’t be able to stand,” she said.
When you take a step forward, your glutes should be the first to activate, but when you sit down, the hip and front thigh muscles give them a break. Repeated eight-hour shifts at a desk could delay the neurons that send signals to activate your glutes, says Chris Korba, M.D., a physical therapist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
If this cycle continues for a long time, your glutes will become weaker. lower back pain and Knee painThis is especially true for active people.
How to tell if you have hip amnesia
When your biceps and quads are working, you can see them bulging, but your glutes, like your core, can be harder to see bulging, says Dr. Conidis. You might think you have a strong butt because you can do 25 squats, but in reality it’s your quads and lower back that are all working.
Dr. Korba said anyone who regularly sits for more than two to three hours at a time has likely experienced some degree of hip amnesia.
The easiest test is to stand on one leg and dangle the other. The buttock on the dangling side should feel soft. Then put your weight on that leg and squeeze your cheek firmly. You should feel the muscle tighten slightly. If your buttocks are weak, you may have to squeeze a few times before you feel the muscle contract, says Dr. Konydis.
Another test: try a glute bridge while lying on your back, lifting your hips into the air. As your hips come off the ground, consciously squeeze your cheeks together. Do five to 10 repetitions. You should feel a slight heat in your glutes. If you don’t feel a heat, but you feel extreme tension in your hamstrings (the muscles in your legs just below your butt), that’s a sign your glutes aren’t being activated, says Dr. Korba.
How to Train Your Glutes
For most healthy people, your glutes should naturally contract when you move, says Dr. Konydis. Try setting an alarm to get up every 30 to 50 minutes and gently tap your buttocks with your fingertips. “It’s a little nudge to remind your brain that your muscles are there,” he adds.
Even better, march in place. Hip Circle Or do squats, making sure to squeeze both sides of your buttocks with each rep.
Simple exercises can help activate those stiff glutes, which is especially important before you exercise or play sports, says Jordan Metzl, M.D., a sports medicine physician at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City and author of Running Strong.“
Exercises such as ClamshellHip thrusts, side planks, split squats and single-leg glute bridges require no equipment and can be done at home. Choose two or three every other day, performing them slowly and with control until you feel mild pain in your hips.
Don’t assume your glutes are strong just because you walk or run regularly: Add in exercises like squats and lunges at least a few times a week, says Dr. Metzl.
If you’re consistently working your glutes but your butt doesn’t tire and you experience pain during exercise like running, see a sports medicine doctor or physical therapist, says Dr. Konydis.
“If one link in the chain is weak, the whole fence collapses,” she said. “And your glutes should be the strongest link.”
Jen Murphy is a freelance writer based in Boulder, Colorado.
