We all notice things in the mirror as we age: wrinkles, thinning hair, or skin that isn’t as elastic as it used to be. But if you’re a physical therapist, one of the best ways to tell whether someone is aging well isn’t to look at their appearance, but to test the strength of their backside—specifically, their glutes, a group of muscles located at the back of the pelvic region.
“As more people pursue strategies for healthy aging, they are discovering the importance of glute strength. These muscles that form your backside do much more than just look nice,” Antonia Chen, M.D., M.B.A., writes on UT Southwestern Medical Center’s site. “They are the primary stabilizers of your entire body. All of your muscle movements from the waist down depend on your glutes.”
These muscles matter because when they weaken, they can cause a host of problems, including overloaded joints and tendons, lower back pain and stiffness, tendinitis in the lower extremities, and difficulty moving and walking. Weak glutes can also increase fall risk. Studies show that in seniors, having a fall dramatically increases their chance of dying within 12 months.
How to test your glute strength
One of the easiest ways to check glute strength is the 30-second chair stand. To see whether your glutes are in good shape, sit in a chair with your arms crossed and your feet flat on the floor, shoulder-width apart. Then stand up with straight knees and hips, and sit down as many times as you can in 30 seconds. Your score is how many times you can get completely up and down.
“The legs are the engine of independence,” Scott McAfee, an orthopedic physical therapist, told The Huffington Post. “So a fit 62-year-old woman knocking out 18 is in great shape. The same woman managing only 9 or 10 is telling me her fall risk may be climbing.”
It’s also important to have control of your body on the way down to the chair. If you plop down in the last few inches, it could signal a problem. “A strong mover lowers under control, while a rising fall risk drops the last few inches into the seat because the muscles that decelerate the body are already failing,” McAfee continued. “I watch the descent as closely as the ascent.”
Here’s how you can grade your score, according to the MAT Assessment. The site also offers a more detailed way to judge your performance by age.
Excellent functional lower-limb endurance: 30+ stands
Good: 22–29 stands
Moderate: 14–21 stands
Developing: 8–13 stands
Low current sit-to-stand capacity profile: under 8 stands
How to strengthen your glutes
The key to getting strong glutes is age-appropriate strength training. “Consider a movement that limits stress on your joints and one you can practice safely,” says Bold Head trainer Alicia Estrada. “Aim for exercises that strengthen without strain and support steady progress over time.”
Here is a video with some glute training exercises:
