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DEAD BUTT SYNDROME: Home ERGOnomics: Tips to prevent stress-related injuries in your home office

Second in our #TechTuesday Home ERGOnomics series where we can help set you up with a comfortable home office that will prevent repetitive stress injuries, we tackle:

Dead Butt Syndrome

Not the official medical diagnosis, but a term commonly used to describe when the gluteus medius (one of the three main muscles of the butt) stops firing correctly, causing the muscles to become weaker and shorter, overworking the hip flexors in compensation. 

This can happen if you spend too much time sitting in a chair, sitting in your car, or sitting on the couch.

The Reclined Hip Stretch is a Pilates move that can help free up those hip flexors by strengthening and lengthening the muscles to get you back in the game. 

Prevention:

Take a break. Find a comfortable place to lie flat on your back. 

Place your right ankle just above your left knee, naturally rotating your right hip outwards.

Keeping your right leg positioned on the left leg, lift your left leg into table top position. (leg up, with knee bent so bottom half of leg is parallel to the floor.)

Take your left hand and place it on the outside of your left thigh.  Thread your right hand through the opening between your legs and grasp your left hand.

Gently pull your hands towards you, whilst simultaneously pushing your right knee away from you until you feel the stretch.  

Breath deeply and push further and hold for 30 seconds.  

Repeat on the other side.

Why this works

✅ Greater flexibility helps keep your fascia lubricated.
✅ Improves your joint range of motion and decreases your chance of injury.
✅ Helps mobilise your hips and loosen tight muscles that can lead to back, knee, and foot pain.
✅ Strengthens the flexor and extensor muscles that work together to stabilise our spine for good posture.