Beyond conventional vital signs—temperature, pulse, breathing, and blood pressure—new markers are emerging. For example, leg and grip strength are now recognized as indicators of overall functional health.

A recent comprehensive study comprising more than 61,000 MRI scans allowed researchers to discern overall health in yet another way: the shape of the buttocks—or, more specifically, the gluteus maximus muscle.

Having a strong, well-tuned body through regular exercise, a balanced diet, and healthy daily habits can equate to a better overall quality of life and reduce the risk of conditions such as insulin resistance, diabetes, and heart disease.

That said, let’s do some exercises that strengthen your glutes and help you resist the development and progression of Type 2 diabetes.

5 Gluteal Exercises for Metabolic Health

The following strengthening and cardiovascular exercises can be performed almost anywhere, are easy to master, and can help strengthen your gluteal muscles and build your overall endurance when performed consistently.

While my patients typically tolerate these exercises well, I recommend consulting with your health care provider to ensure they are suitable for you.

1. Incline Walking

Walking strengthens the glutes, especially on inclines or hills, which increases muscle activation. Inclined walking also helps improve blood sugar control.

Practice Tip: You’ll need a natural landscape with inclines and declines, or a treadmill with an incline feature.

Step 1: Walk at your normal pace for five minutes to allow your body to warm up.

Step 2: Increase your walking pace as fast as you can while still maintaining your form, for five minutes. After five minutes, slow down again to your normal walking pace. Maintain this pattern, which replicates fast walking, with one exception: whenever you reach an incline, accelerate to the fast pace, and slow to your normal pace on declines.

Step 3: Perform this activity for 30 minutes, then add five minutes of slow walking at the end to allow your body to cool down.

Modifications: If you don’t have hills and inclines available outside, you can perform 30 minutes of fast/slow walking on an inclined treadmill—use as much of an incline as you can. It will be challenging at first, but you’ll become stronger as you go.

Why I Like It: First, walking is as natural as breathing and is accessible to most people. Second, incline walking makes the most of natural terrain to maximize the work on your glutes.

2. Goblet Squats

Goblet squats are great for targeting your quadriceps and glutes. They provide equal focus for your gluteus minimus, medius, and maximus, and are therefore effective for getting to the bottom of your entire bottom.

Step 1: Stand with your feet approximately hip-width apart, with a weight cradled in your hands just under your chin and your palms facing each other.

Step 2: Slowly lower into a squat, pushing your hips as far back as you can until your hips and knees are flexed 90 degrees. Remember to keep breathing.

Step 3: Lowering down and then standing back up counts as one repetition. Try to perform three sets of 12 repetitions, feeling free to adjust sets and repetitions to suit your needs.

Modifications: If you can’t squat very far, squat as far as you can before coming back up. You'll be getting stronger with every squat.

Why I Like It: Performed correctly, goblet squats naturally focus the movement’s exertion right where you want it: on your glutes. It’s also highly controllable.

3. Kettlebell Swings

I am a big fan of kettlebell swings. They generate a great cardiovascular component and significant strengthening for your back, buttocks—especially your gluteus maximus—and hamstrings.

Step 1: Stand with your trunk upright, your feet hip-width apart, and your knees slightly bent while holding a kettlebell with both hands.

Step 2: Quickly lift the kettlebell straight out in front of you, with your elbows straight. Keep your back straight and hinge at the hips. As you swing the kettlebell, thrust your hips forward, and tightly squeeze your glutes at the top of each movement to generate more power.

Step 3: Let the kettlebell swing back between your legs while keeping your arms and back straight and maintaining the bend in your knees. Continue in fluid movement and swing it straight out in front of you again.

Step 4: Swinging the weight up and then back down counts as one repetition. Try to complete three sets of 15 repetitions.

Modifications: Reduce the kettlebell weight to help achieve a more complete swing. If you still can’t swing it straight out, just swing it as far as you can.

Why I Like It: The kettlebell swing is a highly efficient exercise that strengthens your glutes and engages many other muscles, for whole-body action.

4. Lateral Band Walks

Lateral band walks work all three gluteal muscles, with additional emphasis on the hip abductors. It’s a great all-around strengthening exercise for your glutes.

Step 1: Use a piece of elastic band approximately 3 feet in length, securely tie it in a loop such that when you place it around your ankles, your feet are approximately hip-width apart.

Step 2: Step approximately 2 feet out to the right with your right foot, and then step in the same direction with your left foot.

Step 3: Stepping out to the side with one foot, followed by the other, counts as one repetition. Try performing three sets of 20 in each direction.

Modifications: If you can’t step out a full two feet, just step out as far as you can, maintaining tension on the band as you go.

Why I Like It: Banded exercises add constant tension to movements, train your body to move, and give your muscles a run for their money.

5. Weighted Hip Thrusts

The hip thrust by itself is a wonderful exercise—it strongly engages your gluteal, hamstring, and quadriceps muscles. Adding weight to the exercise increases intensity and effectiveness.

Step 1: Sit on the floor in front of a couch or chair. Lean your upper back and shoulders on the surface with your feet hip-width apart and flat on the floor. Place a weight in your lap. I suggest you start with 5 pounds, but you can use more or less depending on your needs.

Step 2: Push down through your feet and lift your hips until your body is in a straight line from your knees to your shoulders. Your hips should be suspended in the air, with your shoulders resting on the seat. Be sure to hold the weight securely.

Step 3: Once you reach the top of the movement, lower back down to the starting position. Raising up and then lowering back down counts as one repetition. Try to perform three sets of 12 repetitions. Feel free to modify your sets and reps as you see fit.

Modifications: If you can’t perform the activity with a weight or find it difficult to control the weight during the movement, you can do the exercise without the weight—you will gradually become stronger. To make the activity more challenging, add more weight.

Why I Like It: Hip thrusts with weight effectively strengthen several muscles at once. It definitely works your glutes, as well as your hamstrings, quadriceps, and core musculature.

Combined, these activities can help strengthen your gluteal muscles and help you combat the onset and progression of Type 2 diabetes. I recommend performing them at least three times per week, ideally five times per week. I hope you find them helpful.

About the fitness model: Aerowenn Hunter is a health editor and fitness model for The Epoch Times. Vibrant in her 60s, she’s an accredited yoga therapist who has dedicated three decades to teaching yoga.