Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) — There are more than 600 muscles in the human body, and it is impossible to strengthen every one of them. However, you can enhance the power of many of them, and doing so is key to enjoying a healthy life.
Adults should do muscle-strengthening exercises that target all major muscle groups two or more days a week, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.
However, over 80 percent of adults do not adhere to federal government guidelines for muscle building, and strength coaches tend to train the same well-known muscles.
And while this can be a great start, there are many muscles that are often overlooked and which, when strengthened, can help avoid some common injuries and aches.
Here are 5 of the muscles you should strengthen:
The gluteus muscle
The gluteus muscle makes up the buttock area and can assist in day-to-day activities.
These muscles “give us good support and stability when we walk, climb stairs, and transition from sitting to standing,” said Amy Koch, MD, director of physical therapy at Methodist Physicians in Nebraska.
By promoting pelvic stability, these muscles can also help prevent knee pain, as an unstable pelvis can put more pressure on the knee.
In turn, weakness in these muscles can lead to chronic back pain, which can progress to degenerative disc disease.
External oblique muscles
The external oblique muscles are in the hip, or waist area, that connect to the spine.
They help bend and roll the body from side to side and are necessary for good spinal alignment and balance.
You may develop back and hip problems when you ignore these muscles.
grip strength
Having a firm grip makes it easier for you to lift and carry things, and it also helps you perform many everyday tasks, such as opening a jar.
And if your normal activities don’t require a lot of lifting and carrying, your grip may weaken over time.
Your grip strength can also be negatively affected by hand, wrist, shoulder or neck injuries, said Zack Webster, a physical therapist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus.
A weak grip can limit how much weight you can lift, how long you can hold it, and your motor skills.
Rotator cuff muscles
The four muscles that surround the shoulder joint make up the rotator cuff and help strengthen arm and shoulder movements.
Since the shoulder joint is the most mobile joint in the body, it is easy to injure yourself from misuse or overuse.
Posterior deltoid muscles
The posterior deltoid muscle is located under the back of the shoulders and helps maintain an upright posture.
We also find these muscles opposite the pectoral muscles.
Kat Koum, certified personal trainer and founder of Studio SWEAT and Studio SWEAT onDemand in San Diego, said many people train their chest muscles, but neglect their posterior delts, which can lead to muscle imbalances, injury and pain.
“We spend so much time driving,[seduti]in front of computers, doing things in a standing position that shorten the anterior deltoids and pectoral muscles in the front of the body,” Koum said.
So, “it’s important to stretch it. Strengthening the posterior deltoid and relaxing the trapezius muscles is a great way to do that,” she says.
