Gluteal Buttock Stretch Lying
What muscles does the gluteal buttock stretch lying target?
Gluteals
Deep Hip
Upper Hamstrings
How to perform stretch:
Lay flat on the floor
Bend both knees
Cross one foot over the other bent knee as shown
Clasp the bent leg knee with both hands
Pull this knee towards your chest
Anatomy:
Muscles involved in this exercise include extensors, adductors and internal rotators of the hip.
Gluteal muscles in the hip have multiple actions. Gluteus Maximus being the major extensor of the hip; Gluteus Medius and Minimus both adduct the hip and along with Anterior Medius fibers carry out flexion and internal rotation at the hip joint. On the contrary, the Posterior Medius fibers perform hip extension and external rotation.
Hamstrings comprise of four different muscles including Biceps Femoris-both Long and Short head, Semitendinosus and Semimembranosus. All these muscles cross both hip and knee joint except for the Short head of Biceps Femoris that extends over the knee joint alone. Hamstrings cause hip extension and knee flexion.
Among the small deep lying external rotators of the hip, Piriformis is the only muscle involved in hip extension, also the Obturator Externus that takes part in adduction at the hip joint; so both these muscles stretch while performing this exercise. However, the exercise may lead to stretching of the rest of the hip rotators, even if they are involved only in external rotation; as it is assumed that hip flexion stretches these muscles as well.
Advantages:
This exercise helps to lengthen the Gluteal muscles as well as the upper section of the Hamstrings. Hip joint capsule stretches on its posterior aspect.
This preconditioning is important before attempting to stretch the entire Hamstrings.
It helps to relax the stiffness in the back, commonly associated with lower back problems. It enhances the ease of bending down, kicking and climbing etc.
Normal Range of Movement:
With the knee turning outwards, the ankle is brought closer to the chest. This action is a combination of flexion, abduction as well as external rotation at the hip joint. A flexed hip can rotate externally to a maximum of 45-60 degrees. The total extent of hip abduction is about 40-55 degrees.
With the knee flexed, hip can flex up to a maximum of 120-135 degrees. The range of hip adduction is from 10 to 30 degrees.
While stretching upwards and outwards, the hip flexes and abducts at the same time. With a flexed knee, the maximum range of this combination of movement is about 30-50 degrees.
