She Said, "Fix Your Glutes. Fix Your Life."

A New York Times writer recently wrote an article titled, "Fix Your Glutes. Fix Your Life."​

She described a litany of injuries, including stress fracture, sprains, and tendinitis, leading to a diagnosis of "weak posterior chain."

That's how we commonly describe the condition of having weak or inhibited muscles down the back side of the body.

When I say "commonly," I mean we see it every day.

People who sit a lot often have muscle weakness down the back side of their body, from the neck to their ankles, and many have quit using their glutes altogether.

How's that possible?

Your body can adapt to using the quadriceps (muscles on the front of the thigh) for getting up and down. When it comes to walking, people often walk with their feet ahead of their body. If you don't get hip extension (your legs finish each step behind your body) the glutes have no job to do!

The muscles that are designed to be the power center of the body become weak with disuse, creating what's called "gluteal amnesia" or "dead butt syndrome."

Weak glutes--and weak hip stabilizers--can cause

⚠️ lower back pain from the imbalance of the glutes and hip flexors

⚠️ pelvic instability resulting in an anterior pelvic tilt, increasing strain on the spine.

⚠️ hip pain from hip impingement or trochanteric bursitis

⚠️ balance issues due to lack of stability

⚠️ knee pain from the hip collapsing inward

⚠️ IT band syndrome, also resulting from the inward collapse

⚠️ bunions and plantar fasciitis

⚠️ poor spinal alignment, affecting overall posture

⚠️ functional leg length discrepancy

⚠️ gait abnormalities, like walking "duck footed"

⚠️ risk of ankle and foot injuries due to excessive foot pronation or instability

The NYT writer wrote that strong glutes changed her life dramatically.

Do You Have Weak Glutes?

Curious if your glutes are underactive? Try these tests:

Single-Leg Bridge – Lie on your back, lift one leg, and push your hips up with the other. If you struggle to lift or feel your hamstring cramp, your glutes may be weak.

Trendlenberg Test – Stand on one leg, arms at your sides. If your pelvis drops on the unsupported side, it indicates weakness in the hip muscles on that side.

How to Strengthen Your Glutes

Before strengthening, it’s essential to activate your glutes so they start firing properly. Activation exercises include:

• Glute bridges

• Hip thrusts

• Single leg hinges

• Side-Lying hip abduction

Once activated, build strength with compound movements like:

• Squats

• Deadlifts

• Lunges

• Step-ups

Strong Glutes Matter Beyond Aesthetics

Strong glutes enhance athletic performance, reduce injury risk, improve posture, and support daily activities like climbing stairs, lifting objects, and maintaining stability as you age. Research links lower-body strength to longevity and better mobility in older adults.

Strengthening your glutes leads to a pain-free body and a more powerful (and perkier) posterior--what's not to love?! 😉