Fitness: Why strengthening your buttocks is good for your health

Jennifer Lopez made it her trademark, Beyoncé shakes hers in the video for “Bootylicious” and Kim Kardashian blew up the Internet with hers in 2014, balancing a glass of Champagne on it. A true symbol of social status, the booty is not losing its popularity, despite the current trend towards natural curves.

As a result, most people add glute strengthening exercises to their sports training program in order to have a rounded butt and look good, especially in leggings. Hence the large number of squats, hip thrusts and lunges in the workout routine. But did you know that a muscular butt has benefits that go far beyond aesthetics?

The gluteus muscle group consists of the gluteus maximus (gluteus maximus), gluteus medius (gluteus medius), and gluteus minimus (gluteus minimus), with the gluteus maximus being one of the largest muscles in the body. It constitutes the base of the spine.

Muscle weakness or imbalance in this area can lead to poor posture and tension and increase the risk of injury. According to Brian Klepacki, sports trainer and author of “Unlock your Glutes,” conscious strengthening of the glutes helps balance the spine and the rest of the body, so that everything works as it should and has an upright posture despite long hours spent in a seated position.

Additionally, the gluteus maximus and other muscles are responsible for stabilizing the hip joint. In the event of muscle weakness in the glutes, not only is the posture unbalanced, but pain can appear in the hips, lower back, knees, or even shoulders, as Adel Elzani, sports doctor, explains in the one of his research works. Some studies have even shown that high-level runners have less knee pain after working their glutes.

If you’re looking for aesthetics in addition to health benefits, you’re in luck. Associated with the abdominal muscles, the glutes stabilize the trunk of the body. By working your buttocks, you are simultaneously doing good for your chocolate bar (in the making).

A healthy butt increases the strength needed to meet the challenges of daily life and reduces the risk of injury from carrying heavy loads or poor posture or back pain from long hours of sitting.