Published: August 15, 2025
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Your back pain isn’t a “getting older” problem. It's a weak glutes problem. Weak glutes silently kill your back, cause chronic pain, and limit your mobility. Here’s a 5-minute fix to activate them and bulletproof your body… 🧵

Image in tweet by Kilian Rannou
Image in tweet by Kilian Rannou

Most people think glutes are “just for looks.” But they’re your body’s engine for: • Posture • Stability • Lower body strength When they’re weak, the entire chain from your hips to your ankles suffers.

Image in tweet by Kilian Rannou

Weak glutes cause: • Back pain (overloading the spine) • Hip instability (no joint control) • Knee injuries (bad tracking) • Reduced athletic performance It's not about having a flat butt anymore. It’s about keeping your body working for decades.

The main reason? Sitting for hours. If you spend 6+ hours a day in a chair: • Hip flexors tighten • Glutes are stretched but inactive • Your brain stops “finding” them when you move This is called gluteal amnesia — and it’s as bad as it sounds

When glutes don’t fire, other muscles take over: Hamstrings, quads, and even your lower back. But they're not built for that job. They get overworked, break down, and leave you in pain.

Strong & active glutes give you: • Pelvic stability • Proper spinal alignment • Better balance and agility • Efficient force transfer in sports They’re your body’s shock absorbers. Here's a 5-minute simple routine to switch them on... 👇

The fix isn’t heavy squats or deadlifts (at least not at first). It’s activation — teaching your glutes to fire before demanding movement. Start here: 1/ Glute bridges — 2x 15 Squeeze at the top for 2 seconds.

2/ Side-lying clamshells — 2x12/Side Add a resistance band if you have one.

3/ Banded side steps — 2×10/side Small, controlled steps. Keep tension on the band.

4/ Single-leg hip thrusts — 2×10/side Slow down and focus on the squeeze.

1/ Glute bridges — 2×15 2/ Side-lying clamshells — 2×12/side 3/ Banded side steps — 2×10/side 4/ Single-leg hip thrusts — 2×10/side

When to do this: • After 2+ hours of sitting, to reset posture • Before workouts to improve lifting performance • As part of rehab to reduce knee or lower back pain risk It’s 5 minutes that can save you years of pain.

Strong glutes don’t just make you look good. They keep you moving well, pain-free, and independent as you age. Activate them daily. Your future self will thank you.

Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed the thread: 1. Follow @KilianRannou for more science-backed health & fitness threads! 2. RT the first tweet to save more back in this sedentary world. See you soon! — Kilian Small, controlled steps. Keep tension on the band.

@KilianRannou @grok is this really true

@KilianRannou Best cure is lots of sex it will strengthen your glutes as you are f***ing missionary.

@KilianRannou Problem solved with a silver bullet to the back.

@KilianRannou I recently had lumbar surgery to decompress a nerve and am now in PT. I have chronic low back pain but no one ever explained the importance of strong glutes to me, not even the PT (although she has me doing bridges. Will these exercises eventually relieve my low back pain? I do

@KilianRannou Or as my elderly ex-Navy pilot dad says, “Get your ass in gear!”

@KilianRannou Imma have to agree with this to a degree of certainty. Had L5-S1 fusion in 2014 and haven’t really been 100% pain free until I started training glutes and hammy’s like my life depended upon it. Not too mention keeping my inner thighs loose. #agree

@KilianRannou GMWD’s knockoff of the Gluteator hits hip external rotation, hip abduction and hip extension. Haven’t felt this much activation is some time.

@KilianRannou I always thought it was just an age thing. That makes a lot of sense about the glutes though.

@KilianRannou Your thread is creating a buzz! #TopUnroll https://threadreaderapp.com/th... 🙏🏼@Edukivo for 🥇unroll

@KilianRannou It’s Fascia related.

@KilianRannou Finally a health thread worth reading!! Love it bro :)

@KilianRannou No it’s not. Stop misinforming people. You are either ignorant about the topic, or a grifter. There is not a one size fits all approach to back pain.

@KilianRannou No, no it's not ffs 🤣🙈! Stop this reductionist nonsense

@KilianRannou Meanwhile the doc will think it is necessary to slice you open.

@KilianRannou @grok Can you summerize everything in this thread and translate it to swedish?

@KilianRannou How’s this practical in a office setting ? 🤔

@KilianRannou So thankful to you for coming across this post.. lve been suffering from this back pain and one part of buttocks

@KilianRannou Does this issue make it difficult or painful to straighten/extend one leg?

@KilianRannou If you have mild sciatica, I recommend you to build your leg muscles first, then run for 45 mins and do strength and core workout. Hopefully this improves your back pain. Please discuss with your doctor first 😊

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