Does my bum look fit in this?

Every client is after their perfect bum. Whenever I ask the question, "What would you like to work on?", "My bum" is among the top three answers every time (theirs, not mine).

So what does the perfect bum look like? For many people, it's the one that they don't have.

For me, the question isn't whether it's a perfect bum; it's whether it's a fit bum. The key to a fit bum is to make sure that your glutes are working properly when you're exercising. And that's down to making sure that you're in the right position for the exercise you're doing, so that you're working the muscles you want to rather than the ones that instinctively compensate.

So a perfect bum is one that does the job it's supposed to do, perfectly. It's very common that people's bums (glutes) are lazy. This may happen because of postural imbalance/dysfunction and/or external injury from an accident of some kind. Commonly the hamstrings and hip flexors are hyperactive and therefore compensate and end up doing the job that the glutes should be doing.
To achieve a fit bottom at home I would recommend the classic pilates exercise, Lying Leg Circles. It's great for toning, firming and re-shaping the backside, and perfect for checking that the glutes are working properly.

The exercise:
Lie on your side with a pillow under your head. Bend your bottom knee in toward your chest, lengthen your top leg out so that your leg and torso are in a straight line, and lift it up a few inches above your hip. Flex your toes toward your face and draw little circles with your leg in one direction for one minute and then reverse. Try to build up to five minutes each side.

To check if your bum is working properly press your top hand into your top cheek, you should feel the area flexing with every rotation of the leg.
David Higgins is the co-founder of tenpilates.com