4 Reasons Your Butt Hurts After Working Out 
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4 Reasons Your Butt Hurts After Working Out

4 Reasons Your Butt Hurts After Working Out
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Updated on July 31, 2025
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If you have sore glutes after a workout, you know they are literally a pain in the butt. Most of the time, the soreness you’re feeling is just a normal side effect of an intense workout. But sometimes, glute pain after a workout could be a sign of injury.

How can you tell whether it’s just soreness or something more serious? The location of your pain and the type of pain you’re experiencing — sharp, dull, or aching — can help determine the cause. If your pain is severe, it’s a good idea to see your healthcare provider about your symptoms.

Sure, a good glute workout can cause a bit of soreness here and there. But pain in the rear shouldn't force you to curtail your activities. So, if you've been wondering why your butt is sore after a workout, it’s good to be aware of other possible causes and what to do to relieve your pain.

Causes of Butt Pain After Exercise

A variety of health conditions can cause a sore bum after exercise. Here are some of the most common.

1. Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness

If your butt hurts after a workout, it may be the result of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).

Although the exact cause of DOMS is unknown, experts believe it may occur due to a combination of microscopic muscle tears and your body’s natural inflammatory response to exercise. You may also have a higher risk of DOMS if you significantly change your workout routine or make your exercises too intense too quickly, especially if your body isn’t used to it.

DOMS begins to develop about 12 to 24 hours after exercise, but you’ll likely feel the most discomfort after one to three days. This condition can cause aching, tight muscles, and pain when touched. As a result of the tightness, exercises that stretch and contract the glute muscles can cause butt pain. The good news is that DOMS is temporary, and the pain usually subsides on its own within a week.

2. Piriformis Syndrome

Piriformis syndrome causes muscle spasms, numbness, or pain in your butt, hip, or upper leg, which can often worsen after activities like walking, running, or leg day workouts. This condition affects your piriformis muscle, which is located behind the gluteus maximus and extends from your sacrum, a bone at the base of your spine, to your outer hip bone.

You may develop piriformis syndrome when this muscle presses on your sciatic nerve, which starts in your lower back and runs down the back of each leg. Activities like repetitive hip or leg movements, sitting too long, and overexercising can trigger injury or swelling of the piriformis muscle, which can lead to the onset of symptoms.

3. Degenerative Disk Disease

A series of vertebrae that serve as shock absorbers for the spinal cord are located in the lower part of your spine. Between these vertebrae are firm but squishy disks that serve as cushions.

When these disks become weakened or damaged — often due to age, injury, or normal wear and tear — they can cause a condition known as degenerative disk disease. This condition can cause pain in several parts of your body, including the neck, back, and butt. Some people also experience worsening pain with movement, as exercise can aggravate the positions of the disks and cause them to rub against nerves.

4. Sciatica

Sciatica is another condition that often causes leg and butt pain. It usually occurs due to pressure on or injury to your sciatic nerve. Similar to degenerative disk disease, general wear and tear, a herniated disk, or damage to the spinal disks can trigger sciatica.

Exercise can play a role in the development of sciatica. For instance, lifting weights incorrectly, such as performing squats without proper technique, can damage your sciatic nerve, leading to pain, weakness, and numbness that radiates down your lower back, butt, and legs.

How to Treat Butt Pain After a Workout

Your exact treatment plan for butt pain will depend on what’s causing the aching in the first place. Based on your condition, your healthcare provider can help you narrow down which treatments are most effective for your body.

For instance, foam rolling, active recovery (like walking or light yoga), massages, or compression garments can reduce symptoms of DOMS.

For sore glutes after a workout due to piriformis syndrome, treatment involves rest, massages, physical therapy, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to help manage the pain. In severe cases, your healthcare team may recommend surgery, but this is rare.

Degenerative disk disease has a variety of treatment options. Healthcare providers may recommend physical therapy, pain relievers, acupuncture, corticosteroid injections, and, in rare cases, surgery to repair or replace damaged disks.

If your butt pain is a result of sciatica, treatments like over-the-counter pain relievers, heat or ice packs on the affected area, deep tissue massage, physical therapy, and acupuncture can help reduce symptoms.

Butt Pain Prevention

While experiencing butt pain can be bothersome, there are some things you can do to reduce your risk of experiencing symptoms. Consider the following options:

  • Increase intensity and duration of your workouts gradually rather than going too hard, too fast.
  • Include warm-up and cooldown activities before and after a workout.
  • Use correct form when lifting weights, or ask a trainer for support if you’re unsure.
  • Practice good posture.
  • Avoid sitting for prolonged periods.
  • Participate in active recovery, such as gentle walking, stretching, or yoga.

The Takeaway

  • Butt pain can be a normal side effect of an intense workout, but extreme aches may be a sign of an underlying injury or health condition.
  • The most common health conditions that lead to butt pain, especially after exercise, include DOMS, piriformis syndrome, degenerative disk disease, and sciatica.
  • Your exact treatment plan for butt pain will depend on the underlying cause but may include home remedies, medications, physical therapy, or surgery.
  • To lower your risk of butt pain in the future, incorporate warm-ups and cooldowns to all your workouts, use correct form while exercising, and avoid sitting for long periods.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Wilke J et al. Is “Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness” a False Friend? The Potential Implication of the Fascial Connective Tissue in Post-Exercise Discomfort. Journal of Molecular Sciences. August 31, 2021.
  2. Wiecha S et al. Physical Therapies for Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness: A Protocol for an Umbrella and Mapping Systematic Review with Meta-Meta-Analysis. Journal of Clinical Medicine. March 29, 2024.
  3. Hicks BL et al. Piriformis syndrome. StatPearls. August 4, 2023.
  4. Piriformis syndrome. MedlinePlus. November 7, 2024.
  5. Herniated Disc. American Association of Neurological Surgeons. March 20, 2024.
  6. Donnally CJ III et al. Lumbar Degenerative Disk Disease. StatPearls. August 4, 2023.
  7. Sciatica. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
  8. Davis D et al. Sciatica. StatPearls. January 4, 2024.
  9. Kaminski J. Muscle soreness & DOMS: How to prevent & treat sore muscles. National Academy of Sports Medicine.
  10. Hicks BL et al. Piriformis syndrome. StatPearls. August 4, 2023.
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Scott Haak, PT, DPT, MTC, CSCS

Medical Reviewer

Scott Haak, PT, DPT, has been a member of the Mayo Clinic staff since 2000. Dr. Haak serves as faculty for the Sports Medicine Fellowship program at Mayo Clinic Florida. He is certified by the NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning Association) as a CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist), is a Certified USA Weightlifting Coach and Certified USA Football Coach, and possesses a MTC (Manual Therapy Certification) from the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences.

Haak is an exercise enthusiast and enjoys running, weightlifting, and sports performance training. He is the president and director of coaching of a youth tackle football organization, JDL Providence Football, and currently coaches high school football and weight lifting.

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Martin Booe

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Martin Booe is a health, fitness and wellness writer who lives in Los Angeles. He is currently collaborating on a book about digital addiction to be published in the UK this December.

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