You finally stand up after a busy morning and notice an ache in one buttock. It can feel especially unwelcome when there is still a full afternoon ahead. When new glute pain appears during a stressful week, changing how long you sit, and how tightly you hold yourself, is a good place to start.

Why a busy week can leave your buttock sore

Stressful weeks tend to mean longer spells of sitting and fewer chances to move. Sitting for hours puts steady pressure on the muscles and tendons around your buttock, especially on a firm chair. Stress can add to it by making you brace your legs, clench your buttocks or sit very still while you concentrate.

New glute pain usually settles well. It is often your body’s way of saying it would like a change of position and a bit less effort. Pain in the buttock can come from the muscles, the tendons around the hip or sometimes the lower back, and the steps below are a good starting point for all of these.

Changing the pressure first

The first step is taking the pressure off the sore area. Some things to try:

• Stand up and walk a short distance, if it feels comfortable.
• Check your back pockets, as a wallet or phone can press into the sore spot.
• When you sit again, settle back into the chair with your weight even on both sides.
• Try a cushion if your chair feels hard.
• Avoid sitting with your legs crossed for now.

Letting go of extra effort

When you are concentrating or under pressure, you might squeeze your buttocks or brace your legs without noticing. A quick check a few times a day can help. If you notice tension, let your legs rest heavily, rest your feet flat on the floor and take a few slow breaths, breathing out a little longer than you breathe in.

There is no need to force a deep stretch or press hard into the sore spot. Feeling tight does not always mean a muscle needs stretching. Gentle movement tends to help more at this stage.

Breaking up long spells of sitting

Often, the bigger issue is how long a task keeps you in one place. A different chair can help, but getting out of it helps more. Some ideas:

• Take a call standing up or walking.
• Walk to refill your water or make a drink.
• Finish a reading task in a different seat.
• Use the end of each call as a cue to stand.

VIDA’s Pomodoro stretches, in the top right corner, can prompt you to pause and move during focused work. Standing all day is not the answer either. Switching between positions is what helps most.

Gentle movement to try

Moving your hips gently helps the area settle. Something to try a few times a day:

• Standing tall, take one leg slowly back behind you, then return.
• Lying on your back with your knees bent, gently lift your hips into a small bridge, then lower.
• Walk at an easy pace for a few minutes.
• Sitting on your chair, gently lift one knee a little way, then lower, to keep the hip moving between tasks.

If you would like to follow along, VIDA has a short video of bridges you can use at your own pace. If a movement brings on sharp pain, make it smaller.

Making room in your week

If your workload makes breaks feel impossible, that is worth noticing. Talking to your manager about priorities, or asking whether a task can wait, can create space for movement. Even a short walk at lunchtime can help your body and your head. Your evenings matter too. Hours on a soft sofa after a long day at a desk adds more of the same, so a short evening walk can help.

Over the next few days, keep up everyday activities that feel comfortable, and shorten the ones that leave you more sore afterwards. Your VIDA pain check-in is a good way to keep track of how it settles.

What to take away

• Stand up and move regularly through the day.
• Remove anything pressing into the sore area when you sit.
• Let go of extra squeezing and bracing when you notice it.
• Try gentle bridges and short walks.
• Make room in your week for breaks.

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