I just turned 63 last week. At this stage of the game, I find myself wondering what my “healthspan” will be in the days ahead. Compared to lifespan, healthspan measures the quality of our years, not just the quantity.
I’m pretty intentional about giving myself a shot at some quality years as I get older. I move my body, I protect my sleep, and my nutrition is decent—though I’m a horrible hydrator and have a serious fondness for cookies. I thought I had all the key variables identified.
Then, I saw a Wall Street Journal headline that threw me for a loop: “Is the Secret to Men’s Longevity a Great Butt?”
Huh?? A great butt? Was this clickbait or scientifically valid? I went in.
But first, a confession: I have no idea what my ass looks like. I’ve never looked. Even as I write this, I’m not inclined to go take a peek. I’ll defer to others who have a better vantage point to make that assessment.
But I will say this: I do work the haunches. I do the squats, the deadlifts, the lunges. I just never really thought of those movements as “ass-building” per se. Sure, I knew they impacted the glutes, but I didn’t realize this muscle group is now considered “the absolute foundation of physical strength and well-being.” According to the Journal, “for the man who wants to live forever, few assets are more sought-after.”
So, what gives? Why the backside?
As it turns out, strong glutes dictate everything. They stabilize your posture, protect your knees, support your hips, and save your lower back. All of that adds up to good balance, which is the ultimate key to eliminating the falls that threaten us as we age.
And it’s all happening back there. Unseen. (Well, unseen for me anyway… you might be checking out your tush on a regular basis 🤷♂️).
Interestingly, as younger men, many of us focused entirely on the muscles we could see in the mirror…the chest, the shoulders, the biceps. The vanity muscles. We spent decades shaping our bodies into a masculine “coat of armor.” When all along, what actually protects us and leads to a long, healthy life is the thing we can’t see. It’s the invisible foundation behind us.
That idea opens a whole different perspective for me. I begin to consider the other unseen factors that carry us through the second half of life, the things that aren’t out front, but are essential to a good, long life: emotional regulation, deep connection, and real relationships.
So, no, I still haven’t gone and looked in the mirror. I don’t intend to. But the next time I’m grinding through a set of squats, I won’t just be thinking about my posture or my lower back, or if I have a great looking ass. I’ll also be thinking the “bottom” line for a long life are the things we often can’t see.
