Firm, full buttocks are in vogue right now – but did they ever really go out of style? Everyone wants a great pair of glutes. Yet most people aren’t born with round, firm glutes. Even those who do have naturally round, perky buttocks eventually notice the downward force of gravity pulling their once high, firm buttocks downward.
There’s no doubt that age affects your glutes just as it does other parts of your body. How DO buttocks change with age and what can you do about it?
The Muscles That Make Up Your Glutes
What do your buttocks look like underneath the layer of fat that covers them? Buttocks are made up of three muscles. The gluteus maximus, the largest of these muscles, is important for stabilizing your core and pelvis. The gluteus minimus lies just underneath the gluteus maximum.
How about the gluteus medius? It lays toward the outside of your pelvis where it helps to stabilize your pelvis when you walk. You use your gluteal muscles to move your legs so having strong ones along with a strong core helps you perform better when you play sports.
Age-Related Changes to the Buttocks
What influences the shape of your buttocks? As with most things, genetics is a factor. Genetics determines where fat is stored on your body including your buttocks. Hormones play a role too. Women are genetically prone to store more fat in their hips and buttocks relative to men. This usually changes after menopause as a woman’s estrogen levels decline.
After menopause, women begin to see more fat storage in the belly region and around the iliac crest. More fat deposition in the belly region and around the iliac crest makes the buttocks look less round and full by contrast. Plus, buttocks flatten a bit due to the downward pull of gravity. The skin that overlies your buttocks changes too. As collagen and elastin break down, the proteins that give skin its support and youthful firmness, cellulite becomes more apparent.
Sounds pretty bleak, doesn’t it? Fortunately, there’s an anti-aging prescription for buttocks that are headed south – it’s exercise.
Stronger Glutes Equals a Firmer Butt
Why do all of these changes happen? For one, you gradually lose muscle mass after the age of 30. That’s true of both men and women. At the same time, most people, especially those that don’t exercise, gain body fat. That’s a bad combination when it comes to your back end.
How Can You Stop the Droop?
Work your buttocks muscles. The gluteus maximus is the largest muscle group in your body. It helps you stand and remain upright, walk, rise from a chair, climb stairs and turn your legs. It, along with your gluteus medius, responds well to exercise.
There are more than just superficial reasons to work your butt muscles. When you train your glutes, you get benefits that go beyond a rounder, perkier behind. Strong glutes give your back support and help stabilize your hips. They also help maintain proper body alignment. This reduces the risk of injury and lower back pain. This is especially important as you age.
In addition, building strong glutes will improve your functional strength and your performance in sports and athletic activities while reducing your risk of injury when you work out.
What Exercises Should You Focus On?
So what are the best exercises for preventing butt droop? In a study published in the Journal of Orthopedics and Sports Physical Therapy, researchers looked at this issue. They used electromyography to see which exercises caused the gluteal muscles to fire the most.
According to their research, the best exercise for activating the glutes was one-leg squats and one-leg deadlifts. Lunges also proved to be a strong glute activator. Side hip abductions were the best exercise for targeting the gluteus medius. So, a combination of these exercises, using resistance after you’ve mastered the proper form, is a proven way to effectively build stronger glutes.
In other research, Bret Contreras, known as “The Glute Guy”, has done extensive research and testing on the best exercises for glutes and has found “Hip Thrusters” to be one of the best exercises for strengthening and toning glute muscles. Based on Bret’s research we included Hip Thrusters in a bonus section of our XTrain series.
Don’t Sit So Much
If you want rounder, firmer glutes, don’t sit so much. Sitting for long periods of time causes your hip flexors to shorten and become tighter and the gluteal muscles weaken. This creates an imbalance that increases your risk of injury.
When your glutes are weak, your hamstrings and quadriceps have to work harder. In some cases, the nerve impulses to the muscles become inhibited because the hamstring and quadriceps muscles take over the function of the weak glute muscles. In other cases, the muscles simply weaken due to atrophy from too much sitting. Weak or inhibited glute muscles don’t look firm and round and they increase your risk for injury and muscle strains.
Building strong glutes has the benefit of improving your functional strength as well as performance in sports and athletic activities while reducing your risk of injury when you work out.
Awaken Slumbering Glute Muscles Throughout the Day
If you have an office job and sit much of the day, get up often to walk around. When you rise from a chair, squeeze your buttocks and do some slow squats before getting on with your business. This will activate your glute muscles and help prevent muscle disuse and atrophy. Contract your gluteal muscles when you’re standing in line and every time you think about it throughout the day. Keep the nerves firing to those glutes!
Diet is a Factor Too
On top of your glutes lies a layer of fat. When that layer of fat is too thick it doesn’t hold up well to the effects of gravity, especially as you age. You may have a tendency to store more fat in your glutes than someone else based on genetics. Still, eating a clean diet will help you shed some of the excess fat that’s pulling your tush southwards. Combine that with high-intensity exercise to burn more fat. Strengthen and build the glutes and trim the fat that overlies them. That’s the best way to minimize the effects aging has on “the bottom line.”
The Bottom Line (literally)
Yes, buttocks do flatten and move southward with age but strengthening your glutes will give your buttocks the definition they need to look more youthful and high-intensity exercise will help you zap the extra cushioning that’s creating the droop.
References:
Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy “Gluteal Muscle Activation During Common Therapeutic Exercises”
Related Articles By Cathe:
What Are the Best Exercises to Boost Flat Buttocks?
How Effective Are Deadlifts for Glute Development?
5 Tips for More Effective Glute Training
Are You Making These Mistakes When You Train Your Glutes?
Are Glute Squeezes an Effective Way to Build Stronger Glutes?
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