Hip dips, those gentle inward curves below your hips and above your thighs, have become the latest body feature that the internet seems to criticize. So, why the sudden focus on hip dips? Unsurprisingly, it’s driven by social media. Like other body features such as thigh gaps or lower back dimples, hip dips are often highlighted in unhealthy diet and body-shaming cultures.
Whether your hip dips are noticeable or subtle, if you’ve found yourself searching for ways to get rid of them, you’re not alone. The good news is that you’re in the right place for expert advice. According to Wiener, hip dips are a natural part of your body’s structure, caused by the shape of your pelvis. While not everyone will have visible hip dips, everyone has an indentation where the hip bone meets the thigh.
It’s a common misconception that hip dips indicate health or fitness levels. As mentioned, they are linked to bone structure, which cannot be changed. Your hips might look different from others due to the shape of your pelvis, including your hip dips.
Hip dips are not a sign of being healthy or unhealthy, overweight or underweight. While body fat can make hip dips more noticeable, they are part of your bone structure. Although you can improve your body’s shape with diet and exercise, you can’t change your bone structure.
If you’re tempted by videos promising to eliminate hip dips in a week, remember they’re just clickbait. If you’re concerned about body fat, there are safe ways to lose weight and achieve a healthier fat-to-muscle ratio. Check out expert advice on losing body fat safely, how many calories you should consume, and the best macros for fat loss.
Unlike hip dips, “love handles” refer to fat on the sides of the abdomen and are not related to bone structure. They may be influenced by genetics, which determines where our bodies store fat.
Before we go further, let’s be clear: there’s nothing wrong with hip dips. While exercise can reduce their appearance, it won’t eliminate them completely. It’s important to be comfortable with this.
Focus on exercises that target multiple lower body muscle groups, like lunges and squats, and include isolation exercises like fire hydrants or clams when needed. Strengthening your entire lower body, not just the glutes, is crucial for overall fitness.
Obsessing over unchangeable body features can harm your well-being. It’s important to be happy with your body rather than constantly trying to change it. While targeting specific body parts isn’t recommended, strengthening your lower body can influence how hip dips appear. If you want to reduce body fat and improve fitness, exercise can help.
For a great lower body workout, include exercises like squats, side lunges, and glute bridges in your routine. Ensure your workouts are balanced to avoid overuse injuries and excessive muscle growth, which can make hip dips more pronounced.
If you prefer professionally planned workouts, trainers have shared their top lower-body exercises to help you build, tone, and smooth your muscles. Women’s Health expert Alice Liveing has designed a 28-day fitness challenge with full-body workouts. For a quick side-butt workout, try Lilly Sabri’s 10-minute routine, which requires no weights and is sure to make you sweat.
This content is available on YouTube, where you can find more information and similar workouts.
