If you are a working professional that sits all day, you have likely experienced some discomfort in your lower back or hips. If this pain is in your glutes and hips area, you could be experiencing dead butt syndrome (DBS).
DBS, which is also known as “gluteal amnesia,” transpires due to prolonged sitting. With DBS, your gluteal muscles become weak; it can be painful and can also disrupt your daily flow. Below, we will discuss the main sources of DBS and how you can prevent this discomfort and strengthen your gluteal and hip muscles.
Cause 1: Inactivity + Tight Hip Muscles
Inactivity is normally the main cause of DBS. If you work 40+ hours at home or in the office and don’t get up to move around enough, then you are cutting off blood circulation to your lower extremities. Blood circulation helps muscles stay active and healthy. Moreover, sitting for a prolonged period decrease your hip muscles’ strength and increases tightness.
Cause 2: Sedentary Lifestyle
Not only can sitting in an office chair all day cause DBS, but if you go from the office chair to the couch in the evening, you are more likely to suffer from DBS. There is an inverse relationship between inactivity and DBS: The more sedentary you are, the higher your chances of suffering from DBS are.
Ways to Prevent DBS
There are several ways to help prevent DBS. Most of them include some sort of physical activity. These exercises are simple and most of them can be done from your desk. Here are three easy ways to prevent DBS:
1. Daily Stretching
You ought to stretch daily to help prevent DBS. Stretching just five minutes in the morning and afternoon can help prevent DBS. Below are some key DBS-preventing stretches:
Hip thrusts
Butterly stretch
Variations of the pigeon stretch
Quad stretches
Hamstring stretches
2. Exercise
Not only does stretching help prevent DBS, but so does daily exercise or healthy activities. Most of these exercises you can do in your home office or at your office desk:
Donkey kicks (2x10)
Forward lunges (2x8)
Glute bridges (2x10)
Body-weight squats (3x10)
For more information on what DBS is and ways to prevent it, review the below infographic from Hello TUSHY.
Chi Whitley is a content marketer who writes for various B2B and B2C clients ranging from SaaS companies to lifestyle businesses. He is based in Austin, TX and when he is not brainstorming or writing SEO-backed content, you can find him playing ultimate frisbee or hiking with his dog.