Recently in class, I made a comment about the benefit of an exercise we were doing. Before I could bask in my wisdom, Jayne said, “Oh, I thought you were going to talk about strong butt, strong brain.” Michelle and I looked at each other a little funny, and Jayne continued, “No, really, there’s a really strong connection between the two. Look it up.” Michelle looked at me again and said, “You should write a blog about that.” And so here we are.🙂
Jayne, of course, was absolutely right. The connection between your glutes and your brain is far more significant than most of us realize. Research suggests that leg strength—particularly in your largest muscle group, the glutes—is associated with better brain health and cognitive function.
While researchers are still studying exactly how this connection works, we already know a lot. A 10-year study, published in Gerontology, followed 324 twins and found that the twin with stronger legs maintained better cognitive function and had less age-related brain changes compared to their sibling with weaker legs. This wasn’t just a coincidence. The research suggests that leg strength may be an important predictor of healthy brain aging.
Your gluteal muscles—the gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus—are the largest muscle group in your body. When these muscles become weak or underactive, we might expect issues with posture, mobility, and lower back pain. What we might not expect is their effect on the brain. Your brain and muscles are constantly communicating through the nervous system, coordinating movement, balance, and strength:
- Blood Flow and Neurological Signals: When you engage your leg muscles, especially during weight-bearing exercises, you send powerful signals to your brain. This increases blood flow, carrying oxygen and nutrients to brain tissue, supporting brain health, and helping create an environment that maintains and forms neural connections.
- Hormonal Response: Leg exercises trigger the release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), often called “Miracle-Gro for the brain.” This brain-boosting protein supports existing neurons and encourages the growth of new ones, improving learning and memory. Exercise, particularly resistance training involving large muscle groups such as the glutes, has been shown to increase BDNF levels.
In our modern sedentary lifestyle, many of us suffer from what’s called “gluteal amnesia” or “dead butt syndrome.” Hours of sitting weaken our glutes and essentially cause them to “forget” how to fire properly. This isn’t just about aesthetics or even just physical performance—it’s about your brain health.
When we stop using our legs in meaningful, challenging ways, we’re not just losing muscle mass. We’re depriving our brains of critical signals and stimulation. Research shows that leg strength is strongly correlated with cognitive function, making it an important factor in maintaining brain health as we age.
The brain-butt connection is real, it’s powerful, and it’s yet another reason to make consistent movement a priority. So the next time Jayne (or Deb, or Terree, or Mandy) has you doing squats or sit-to-stands or glute bridges, try to remember this is good for your butt, and for your brain. I’m not saying it will make them less onerous, but maybe you’ll be slightly less spicy towards the teachers (or maybe that’s just me who wants to throttle them 😉).
Every time you strengthen your glutes and legs, you’re not just building a stronger lower body—you’re investing in your cognitive health, protecting against age-related brain decline, and maintaining the vital communication pathways between your brain and body. Your future brain will thank you for every squat you do today.
If you have any topics you’d like to see in a future blog, let me know!
