april move of the month - and why glute strength might be the key to longevity!

A love letter to longevity, balance, and big strong butts

This month at Pilates Collective, we’re celebrating a move that does not mess around: the lunge.

At first glance, lunges can seem simple. One foot forward, one foot back, lower down, stand back up. But under the surface, this move is doing some seriously important work. A well-executed lunge trains glute strength, hip stability, leg strength, coordination, and balance — all things that become more and more important as we age. The lunge works the gluteal muscles along with the thighs and lower legs, and different lunge variations can place especially meaningful demand on the hip extensors.

And lately, that conversation has been getting more attention outside the fitness world too. A recent New York Times piece highlighted glute strength as an underrated marker of healthy aging and longevity, noting that weak glutes can affect how confidently and safely we move through the world. The article being referenced is “This Muscle Is the Unsung Hero of Longevity.”

Honestly? We love that the science is catching up to what Pilates people have been saying for a long time: strong glutes matter. A lot.

Your glutes are not just there to fill out your jeans. They are some of the largest and most powerful muscles in the body, and they play a huge role in helping you walk, climb stairs, stabilize your pelvis, support your spine, and control your balance. When they’re weak, other muscles and joints often have to pick up the slack. When they’re strong, your whole system tends to move with more power and support.

That matters because falls are a major health concern as we age. According to the CDC, more than 1 in 4 adults age 65 and older falls each year, and falls are the leading cause of injury for older adults. Falling once also doubles the chance of falling again. The good news is that falls are not just “part of getting older” — they are often preventable, and exercise that improves strength and balance can reduce fall risk.

That’s where the lunge comes in.

Lunges are a beautiful example of functional strength. They ask one leg to stabilize while the other moves. They challenge your balance. They train you to control weight shifts. They build strength through the hips and legs in a way that translates into real life: walking confidently, negotiating stairs, getting down to the floor, and getting back up again. Even Harvard Health recently noted that lunges can help improve strength, flexibility, coordination, and balance, and that those skills are deeply relevant to daily life as we get older.

In other words: this month is about living a long time via our big strong butts.

We love the lunge because it’s not just about working hard. It’s about working smart. In Pilates, we use lunges to train the glutes in a way that also reinforces alignment, control, and awareness. We’re not just flinging ourselves around hoping for the best. We’re building strength with intention. We’re helping the body learn how to stabilize, catch itself, and move with more confidence.

That combination matters. Research on exercise in older adults consistently shows that physical training improves components of balance, lower-extremity strength, and mobility, and helps reduce falls and fall-related injuries. Pilates, balance work, and strength training are all part of that bigger picture.

So if you see lunges popping up in class this month, know that there’s a bigger purpose behind the burn. Yes, we’re strengthening your legs. Yes, we’re firing up your glutes. But we’re also practicing something much deeper: the kind of strength that supports independence, steadiness, and resilience over time.

Because aging well is not about becoming smaller, frailer, or more cautious.

It’s about becoming more capable.

More supported.

More stable.

More powerful.

So here’s to the lunge. To better balance. To stronger hips. To more confidence in your body. To fewer falls, more function, and the kind of glute strength that carries you well for years to come.

April is for longevity. April is for balance. April is for big strong butts.

For more on the recent conversation around glutes and healthy aging, see the New York Times article “This Muscle Is the Unsung Hero of Longevity.”