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Hip dips (a dip or hollow on either side of your hips) have been added to the growing list of body image issues, such as thigh gaps and clavicle bones.
Thanks to social media, hip dips have become a new source of concern for women who worry about their body.
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Women are constantly criticized for their body type, and hip dips are just another example of that phenomenon. Here's what you need to know about hip dips, why they don't matter, and how to strengthen your hips.
What are Hip Dips?
Hip dips are naturally occuring indents or depressions on the outside of the upper legs, just below the hip bone.
Some people, including professional athletes and models, have hip dips that are more noticeable, as they have more muscle mass in that area. It's normal for hip dips to vary in appearance from person to person depending on bone structure and skin elasticity.
Hip dips are a normal part of the human form. They are not a sign of poor health, and they don't necessarily reflect your body fat percentage.
Can You Get Rid of Hip Dips?
Although certain exercises may reduce the appearance of hip dips by building muscle in the area, they won’t completely help get rid of them. You cannot decide where your body stores fat, but you can do things to make the hips stronger and more stable.
Instead of obsessing over how your hips look, focus on what really matters — building strength and stability in the hips. Strong hips are important for everyday tasks and can reduce risk of injury.
Exercises that target the gluteus medius and surrounding muscles may help reduce hip dips. Including exercises that work these muscles are one way to build mass in the area and support the stability and mobility of the hips.
Best Exercises for Hip Dips
Here are five best exercises that can tone the hip muscle groups:
1) Glute Bridge
Glute bridges are a great hip-strengthening exercise, as they train all the gluteal muscles. Plus, they're one of the best exercises for the lower body that you can do at home. One of their primary functions is hip extension — exactly what glute bridges do.
How to do it?
- Get down on your hands and knees.
- Place your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart.
- Bend your knees till the shins are vertical, but keep your toes pointed forward.
- Drive them down into the ground to activate the muscles in the back of the legs, and thrust your hips up as they extend.
- To further challenge these muscles, you can add a resistance band around the ankles to cause hip abduction — a movement that targets the hip muscles.
2) Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift
Romanian deadlifts are a great exercise for creating curvy glutes and tight hamstrings.
When you stand on one leg, you require greater activation of the gluteus medius muscle — the muscle on the side of the hips that supports and balances the entire bodyweight.
How to do it?
- Stand up with one leg extended behind you.
- With a slight bend in the knee, lean over at the hips.
- Keep the upper back straight, and brace your core.
- Extend your arms alongside your body, or extend the arm on the same side as the extended leg.
- Bend from the hips till you can no longer go down further.
- If the exercise becomes easier, add dumbbells to make it challenging.
3) Side Hip Opener
This exercise helps target the outer thighs, hips, and outer buttocks. To make this exercise more challenging, try placing a dumbbell behind your knee.
How to do it?
- Lie on your stomach, with hands placed directly underneath the shoulders and knees beneath the hips.
- Your spine should be flat and aligned, with the head resting on the floor.
- Lift one leg up to a 90-degree angle with the other, keeping your knee bent.
- Lower your leg back down, and lift again.
- Repeat this movement 15 times; on the last repetition, pulse your leg ten times in the upper position before lowering it. Repeat on the other side.
4) Side Crusty Lunge
This exercise works on the sides of the thighs and the buttocks. Keep your front foot pointing forward throughout the lunge, and step out to the side with each lunge. You can do lunges while holding a dumbbell too.
How to do it?
- Stand with your feet together, and lunge backward with your right leg.
- Lower your right knee towards the floor, and stand back up.
- Bring your right foot in line with your left and back to the starting position.
- Repeat on the other side, alternating legs. Do 15 lunges on each side.
5) Pulse Squat
Lunges are one of the best ways to build the lower body, but there's one variation that stands out — the pulse squat. It doesn't require a lot of weight or have a complex technique, but it still attacks the hips exceptionally well.
How to do it?
- Begin with a normal squat.
- Once the thighs are at parallel with the floor, rise up about one quarter to half an inch, and lower yourself into a squat again.
- Repeat four times for four pulses.
Takeaway
Hip dips should not be something to be embarrassed about. As normal and natural parts of the body, they exist for a reason.
When you have a well-balanced diet, get plenty of sleep, and exercise regularly, there's no need to worry about the size or position of the hips. If anything, focusing on these aspects of your life will make you both healthier and more attractive.
