Walking with Your Glutes: Training Pelvic Control and SI Joint Stability

A student asked, "What is 'walking with your glutes'?" It's simple: sit on the ground and walk forward using your glutes. The focus isn't on speed or distance, but on whether you can maintain trunk and pelvic control as your pelvis alternates left and right. 🔶 Why stabilize the sacroiliac (SI) joint? It transmits upper body weight to the lower limbs and absorbs the impact of walking and running. Insufficient stability can lead to pelvic compensation, affecting the lower back, hips, and knees, and potentially causing tightness or pain on one side. Stability doesn't mean being locked down; it means moving when you should and being stable when you should be. 🔷 What are we training? It's not just about moving your glutes, but about training pelvic control, trunk stability, and left-right coordination. When one side of the pelvis moves forward, the other side needs to be stable, and the trunk shouldn't sway. Observe whether you are controlling your pelvis or compensating with your whole body. 🔷 Common mistakes ☑️ Body swaying side to side: As your right glute tries to move forward, your body leans left; when you switch to the left, it leans right. You should reduce the range of motion and slow down. ☑️ Pushing with your feet: Continuously bending your knees and pushing off with your heels to move forward. If you're training pelvic control, don't rely on your feet to push. Those with tight hamstrings can slightly bend their knees. 🔶 Relationship with the SI Joint This isn't a repositioning technique, but a movement tool to observe if you can maintain stable control as your pelvis moves. Start with 4 to 6 steps forward and backward, doing it slowly is more important than going far. If you experience significant pain in your lower back, pelvis, groin, or buttocks, avoid forcing it and consider seeking medical advice. I think I can try this before bed tonight... Provided that....... if I remember it at all 🤣