No ifs, ands, or butts about it, runners who want to get faster and healthier should develop their glutes. A simple plan executed a few times a week can help immensely, according to: “Hey Runners, Stop Ignoring Your Butt.” Your glutes are made up of three muscles – the maximus, medius, and minimus – that work together to power your stride, stabilize your hips, and absorb impact. Strong glutes help “distribute the load across the lower back and legs more evenly,” which can prevent common injuries. One reason you might not get the most from your posterior chain is poor posture, as described in more detail here: “Four Simple Ways to Engage Your Glutes While Running.” Holding your pelvis in an anterior tilt puts the gluteus maximus in a “biomechanically disadvantaged position,” making it crucial to learn what engaging your glutes feels like before adding weight, since the body is great at cheating with stronger muscles like the quads. Once you’ve mastered activation, “10 Best Glute Exercises to Build Strength & Add Size” suggests adding targeted movements like the hand-supported single-leg deadlift, where the support “reduces the wobble factor,” or the dumbbell side lunge, which challenges the glute medius to improve hip strength. You may see big returns in power and stability by adding this type of training just twice a week.

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