The glutes are large and powerful muscles that support the pelvis. By stabilizing the hip joint, they also allow it to move.
A plethora of messages on social media are praising the benefits of certain bodybuilding exercises to strengthen the glutes, such as: B. Squats. However, most of the “gymfluencers” behind these recommendations focus on improving the appearance of the buttocks rather than their function.
On the contrary, we suggest that you forget the looks of your buttocks for a moment and instead focus on what it does. Did you know that a muscular butt is important for the proper functioning of the body? Let’s not be afraid of words: the glutes are actually crucial elements of musculoskeletal health!
A muscular butt is important for health.
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The glutes allow us to stand upright
The glutes, also known as the glutes, are three in number: the gluteus maximus muscle, the gluteus medius muscle, and the gluteus minimus muscle. Each of them has a specific anatomical structure and function.
As the name suggests, the gluteus minimus is the smallest of the three. It’s also the deepest: it’s very close to the hip joint itself. The gluteus medius lies above the gluteus minimus. It is relatively large and extends over the entire outer surface of the pool. Finally, the gluteus maximus is the largest of the three. It covers the previous two and gives our buttocks their characteristic shape. It also plays a very important role in the functioning of our body.
The three glutes are independent, but they work together.
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Under the influence of our brain, the three gluteus muscles generate a large amount of energy to keep our body in an upright posture, thus counteracting the force of gravity that pulls us down. In combination, they enable many hip movements. They also protect his joint from impact and shearing forces that could damage him over time. For example, they absorb shock when we walk or run.
Several of our research studies have shown that the glutes of some patients with hip pain were deficient.
It’s possible that these deficiencies have reduced the ability of your glutes to protect your hip joints from long-term damage. They may also affect their ability to carry loads, including their own weight (e.g. when they stand on one leg or when climbing stairs – the body weight then rests alternately on one leg and then the other).
Don’t forget to work your glutes.
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It has also been shown that certain hip pathologies are associated with a decrease in muscle size and an increase in “non-active” tissue, such as B. adipose tissue are connected. This is the case, for example, with greater trochanteric pain syndrome (very common, this condition is also known as gluteal tendinopathy, trochanteric bursitis or trochanteritis).
This also applies to osteoarthritis of the hip (or coxarthrosis, which affects the entire joint. In Australia, the number of cases of this pathology is increasing. It is the cause of hip replacement in seven people under the age of 55. Research suggests that the risk hip osteoarthritis in young people can depend on how well they move.
However, keep in mind that signs of hip osteoarthritis can be detected on an examination (X-ray or MRI) without pain. Moreover, their presence does not mean that pain will inevitably arise one day.
For hip pain, strengthening the glutes is the recommended first-line treatment. Indeed, having strong glutes is a way to improve your physical abilities, which is beneficial in everyday life, and even more so if you suffer from hip osteoarthritis.
For example, we know that people with this condition who have more muscular buttocks can walk longer and faster than those who have weaker glutes. They also climb stairs faster.
Should I strengthen my glutes?
Weak glutes have been linked to a variety of problems: back pain, patellofemoral pain (pain below the kneecap), and trochanteric enhanced pain syndrome.
Your physical therapist can prescribe exercises to strengthen your glutes.
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Some research also suggests that strong buttocks may play a role in maintaining a healthy perineum, but further work is needed to confirm these observations.
Of course, strengthening your glutes is not a miracle solution: all the pathologies mentioned are under the influence of several factors, and each patient is unique. But strong glutes in general are very important for stability and proper functioning of the hips and pelvis. That’s why doctors, physical therapists, and other practitioners sometimes prescribe exercises to strengthen them for hip problems.
You don’t have to wait until you’re in pain, nor be a “gymfluencer” or a pro athlete to get started: if you want to stay in the race as much as possible and for as long as possible from the moment you have a back tooth , if this is the case better remember to strengthen it!