“Sitting is the new smoking.” Long periods of sitting weaken your glutes, like a couch cushion that gets compressed after being used repeatedly for a long time. In order to stay firm and strong, these large muscles need to be worked.
Glutes are the largest muscles in our body and are closely tied to stability, balance, and aging well. They act like shock absorbers when we walk or climb stairs. They work to help you sit, stand, balance, and lift heavy objects. Strong glutes can help prevent and manage back pain and reduce the risk of falling.
If you want to get out of your chair, your car, and off the toilet, strong glutes are essential.
“Glutes” are actually a group of 3 muscles: gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus. These work with the other muscles in the back of your body, starting at your heels and traveling up your spine, a long chain that is essential to daily motion. If glutes are weak, your body can overuse hamstring and back muscles, causing tightness and pain and possibly affecting how you move and balance.
Do you have a hard time getting out of a chair without using your hands, or have difficulty walking up or down steps? Your glutes may need strengthening.
Simple exercises:
- Sit on a firm chair then stand up repeatedly, keeping a small pillow between your knees
- Walk up stairs, holding on as lightly as possible, placing your entire foot on each step.
More challenge:
- Standing with a hand on a chair, lift one leg out to the side (not too high) repeatedly.
- Try to balance on one foot for up to 30 seconds.
- Lay on your back with knees bent and lift your butt off the floor.
Advanced challenge:
- Step forward into a lunge and drop down until both knees bend 90 degrees.
- Squat and raise heels when you rise, even adding a weight if you’re ready.
- Wall squats (especially good for cranky knees).
- Slip a circular band around your ankles and take giant diagonal steps.
Some excerpts in this post came from the New York Times article by Hillary Achauer, March 25, 2026
CAROL WING 