They are tied into everything from bending forward to turning your body. They are the gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus. The gluteal muscles make up your backside. Hence, I began an intensive butt rehab program and now I can do all of these things with a much quieter ITB. I also noticed that my back could get wrecked by something as simple as turning a shopping cart or opening a heavy sliding door. How You Can Keep or Regain Your ButtĪwhile back, I noticed that my butt was getting flabby and flat. Hence, a strong butt is likely associated with protecting the back and hips. We also know that atrophy (shrinking) of the gluteal muscles happens in patients with low back pain (3,4).

We also know that the butt muscles are stabilizers of the hip joint and that in people with hip arthritis, these muscles don’t work as well (2). Meaning older people had flat butts with more tendon tears in their gluteal muscles.

In fact, a research group in 2015 looked at 185 gluteal regions on MRI and found that not only was there a trend toward shrinking butt muscles with age (gluteus minimus and maximus), but that as the muscles atrophied, their tendons ended up getting frayed and torn (1). Let’s talk about how how losing your butt is just a sign of aging, not a must! The Old Flat Butt, and How Losing Your Butt is a Real Thingįirst, I feel like a 3rd grader even using the term “butt”, but hey we’re all adults, right? Let’s all admit it, we all notice that our older friends just don’t have that same butt that they did when they were younger. Let’s dive into why keeping your butt muscles big as you age will help protect your hips and back. Why is this a thing? If you’re wondering what your doctor is doing asking about celebrity butts, that’s a great segway into this week’s Aging Athlete series. First, as a late baby boomer, I have to ask, what’s up with this butt implant thing? I see many celebrities right now with really small bodies and really big butts.

Flat butts