Strengthening your glutes can help improve posture, as well as make sitting down, standing, picking up heavy objects and climbing stairs easier. Developing strong glutes can also improve athletic performance and decrease your risk for injuries.
Athletic Performance
Strong glutes are essential in almost every sport, as they are responsible for accelerating, decelerating, changing directions and creating explosive power in jumps. They are also responsible for effective hip extension.
Sprinting is one of the most effective exercises for simulating the glutes, activating a higher percentage of the gluteus maximus muscle than a vertical jump. Athletes with strong glutes will be faster, more efficient and explosive in their movements than athletes with weaker glutes.
Injury Prevention
Developing strong glutes is not only essential for optimal performance, but also can decrease your risk for injury in the knees, lower back, hamstrings and groin.
Weak glutes can cause an imbalance in the hip, which may lead to excessive medial rotation of the femur and lateral tracking of the patella, thus potentially causing knee pain.
Strengthening your glutes decreases your risk for back injuries in exercises such as the deadlift and squat by taking some of the pressure off your lower back. Furthermore, weak glutes may also contribute to pulled muscles in your hamstring or groin.