Can Stronger Glutes Help You Live Longer?

What Are the Glutes? What Are the Glutes? Your glutes comprise three main muscles found in your buttocks.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976291d2baef0-3ff7-46ee-ae42-b1b907773734 Gluteus Maximus The gluteus maximus is the largest and strongest muscle in your body. It’s used to move you forward (such as for walking , running , or climbing stairs), extend your thigh outward, and keep your hips balanced when standing or sitting. It covers the majority of your backside. Gluteus Medius The gluteus medius is sandwiched between your gluteus maximus and gluteus minimus on the outer side of your hip. This muscle moves your thighs out to the side and dynamically stabilizes your pelvis. Gluteus Minimus The gluteus minimus is the smallest and deepest of the glute muscles, lying beneath the gluteus medius. It helps move and rotate the thigh. Potential Benefits 4 Potential Health Benefits of Strong Glute Muscles Orthopedic surgeons spend a lot of time treating the consequences of poor movement patterns, which include conditions such as arthritis, tendon injuries, back pain , and fractures after falls, says Robert Volk, MD , a board-certified orthopedic surgeon for the Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics in Columbia, Maryland. “Strong glutes don’t eliminate those risks, but they improve the mechanics that protect the body every day,” Dr. Volk says. “They’re one of the best investments people can make in their long-term mobility, independence, and overall health.” Here’s a closer look at four ways strong glutes support longevity . 1. May Reduce Lower Back Pain Strengthening your glutes can protect your lower back.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629d506df09-4606-4a32-b6cc-e4008dfa4caf “When the glutes are weak or inhibited, the body compensates by overusing the lower back and hamstrings to handle hip extension, creating excessive stress on the spine,” says Tony Ambler-Wright, CSCS , a master instructor at the National Academy of Sports Medicine and a certified strength and conditioning specialist based in Phoenix. Restoring proper glute function helps relieve the strain that leads to chronic back pain, so you can move through life with a stable, well-protected spine, he adds. This matters because back pain carries real long-term risks that can impact longevity. One review found that back pain was associated with a modest increase in overall mortality among women and those who have more severe back pain. (The authors note that more research is needed to clarify why women appear to have greater mortality.)e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629fde9ed34-e554-4549-b959-516002920214 “People who have chronic back pain tend to become less active,” Volk explains. “That decline in activity contributes to weight gain, loss of muscle mass, poorer cardiovascular fitness, and ultimately loss of independence.” Maintaining movement is one of the most powerful things to support long-term health, Volk adds. 2. May Lower the Risk of Falls A study of older adults found that stronger hip abductors — the glutes that move your leg out to the side — were linked to a significantly lower likelihood of falling within a year. Knee and ankle strength didn’t show the same protective link.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976293e142c84-73d6-4a9a-8ecb-04aa083eaafc This is a significant concern given that falls are the leading cause of injury-related death for adults ages 65 and older.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976299b4d2dd8-7830-4c99-9398-c607984a2246 And even when they aren’t directly fatal, falls can still impact longevity. “Falls become increasingly dangerous with age,” Volk says. “A hip fracture or other serious fall-related injury can dramatically change someone’s quality of life, often leading to hospitalization, surgery, prolonged rehabilitation, and loss of independence.” 3. May Protect Joint Health Weak glutes let the thigh bone rotate inward, collapsing the knee and driving knee pain, Amber-Wright says. That inward rotation is normally controlled by the gluteus medius during walking and running. When it isn’t, the hip-knee dysfunction can result in iliotibial (IT) band syndrome — pain on the outside of the knee caused by irritation of the IT band, the thick strip of tissue running along the outer thigh from hip to knee. Research suggests that strengthening the gluteus medius can help prevent and correct this issue.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976295eb15453-78c5-4e3e-976e-fdee1b3bb660 Joint pain is more than a comfort issue: One meta-analysis found that knee pain related to osteoarthritis (a wear-and-tear joint condition) was associated with a 35 percent increased risk of early death. The authors note that decreased activity due to pain may be one explanation. But the exact mechanisms are not yet fully understood.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976298649cc8c-53a2-40ec-9cb7-433bda1f6db8 “By keeping the glutes strong, you maintain proper tracking of the knee over the toes,” Ambler-Wright says. “This alignment preserves joint health, ensuring that your knees and hips function without unnecessary wear for decades to come.” While glute weakness alone doesn’t cause arthritis, restoring hip strength is an important part of reducing joint stress and helping manage symptoms of degenerative joint disease, Volk adds. 4. May Improve Metabolic Health The glutes are among the largest muscles in the body, and increasing their mass can improve metabolic health. “When you increase muscle mass through strength training , you improve insulin sensitivity and your body’s ability to use glucose efficiently,” Volk says. That’s one reason resistance exercise is consistently associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome (a cluster of conditions that raise the risk of heart disease ), he adds. This connection plays out in long-term health outcomes, too. A study involving more than 12,000 people found that having poor metabolic health in midlife — issues like high blood pressure , high blood sugar ( hyperglycemia ), or unhealthy cholesterol — raised the risk of death by 31 percent. Having obesity pushed that risk even higher.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629c4ee1f8f-121e-41b1-a2de-5f18e08cbefb When you think about boosting longevity, you might picture tall glasses of water, brisk walks outside, and a good night’s rest. While those habits matter, there’s an unexpected area you might be overlooking: your glutes. “The gluteal muscles are crucial for walking, climbing stairs, standing from a chair, lifting, running, and stabilizing the pelvis,” says Veronika Larisova , an exercise physiologist certified by Exercise & Sports Science Australia (the professional body that accredits and regulates exercise and sports science practitioners in Australia) based in Miami. Strong glutes not only support these everyday movements, but they can also improve your health in ways that extend the quantity and quality of your years. The Best Glute Exercises How to Build Stronger Glutes To build stronger glutes — and potentially boost longevity — focus on these four categories of exercise: Strength Training Strength training preserves fast-twitch muscle fibers, which help prevent falls by allowing your muscles to react rapidly to instability, Larisova says. The best strength exercises for glutes include squats , deadlifts, lunges , step-ups , hip thrusts, and stair climbing, she adds. Aerobic Exercise Many c ardiovascular activities help strengthen the glutes, but walking or running uphill is particularly effective, Larisova says. Running — on any surface — also helps build stronger bones, keeps tendons flexible and adaptable to stress, and improves the coordination between your muscles and nervous system. “Together, these adaptations help maintain mobility, efficiency of movement, and physical resilience as we age,” Larisova explains. Mobility Training Your glutes can only function well if your hips, pelvis, and spine are also moving properly. “When mobility is poor, the body compensates by overusing the lower back, knees or hamstrings, which can reduce glute activation and increase the risk of pain and injury over time,” Larisova explains. Examples of mobility exercises include figure four glute stretches, tabletop hip circles, and external rotation clams.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762994ea7b89-ab4f-4325-958c-27f210b57c9f Power and Balance Training Exercises that build lower-body power and improve balance may help prevent falls by enabling you to react quickly and stay coordinated, Larisova says. Examples include step drills (repeated stepping, such as on stairs), lateral movements (like side-to-side jumps), plyometrics (explosive jumping exercises like jump squats), and single-leg balance work. Here are some strength-training workouts for building stronger glutes and lower body strength. Leg Exercises for Stronger Glutes, Quads, and Hamstrings A 5-Minute Low-Impact Lower Body Pilates Workout A 20-Minute Lower Body Workout for People Over 50 Lower-Body Exercises for Older Adults How Much Glute Training Do You Need? Most adults should aim for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity) per week, plus strength training at least twice per week.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762930ed7ea5-3bed-43fc-8fd2-b9f9636a641b But if you’re looking to build glute strength specifically, consider adding more strength workouts. “For most people, glutes respond best to two to four focused lower-body strength sessions per week,” Larisova says. Mobility work is ideally performed most days, even for just 5 to 10 minutes, while power and balance-focused exercises should be done two to three times weekly. Power and balance training is especially key after age 40 because these skills decline quickly with age and they reduce fall risk, Larisova says. As you build your glutes, it’s important to incorporate progressive overload: gradually increasing the load or stress you place on your muscles during workouts.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629dd4d940e-093c-42bb-b17c-22cb2495af1a “The body adapts to the stress you place on it, so if you perform the same exercises with the same weight forever, your muscles stop changing,” Ambler-Wright explains. “Gradually increasing the weight or repetitions ensures you continue to build strength.”