Hip dips used to be an area on the body that people didn’t care about. But today, you may see as something bothersome or something that you have to get rid of.
With new beauty standards being set as the norm, some people think that having this particular feature is considered a bad cosmetic problem. But is it?
Hip dips are have now become a common complaint among both men and women who are in their 20s and 30s. People tend to think this issue has something to do with their weight, but it’s actually more related to the size of their hips and could be something that’s inherent.
This article will look at what hip dips are, their health implications, and if they’re something that you should get rid of.
What are Hip Dips?
Hip dips are another name for the natural indentations that appear on the outside part of your upper legs just below your hip bone. Some people have deep indentations on the outside of their upper legs simply because the skin falls into these naturally occurring indents (or depressions) while other people may have only slightly noticeable dips.
It’s important to be aware that while they’re normal body structures and a variation of your current height and frame, they can be an indication of osteoporosis or any other condition or health risks associated with aging.
What Causes Hip Dips?
Hip dips are, in most cases, caused by your skeletal anatomy. This means that it’s fixed and determined by genetics.
How visible your hip dips are will depend on the width of your hips, the size of your hips’ very top point or the greater trochanter, the distance between your pelvis and hip socket, how long the femoral neck is on your femur (thigh bone), the width of both bones involved in the sockets of your hips, and how fat is distributed in your body.
Is it Good or Bad to Have Hip Dips?
Hips dips don’t have any effect on your health. It’s not an indication of how healthy you are which means hip dips aren’t a bad thing.
Many women celebrate having hip dips. There’s a notion that some people believe about round hips being the beauty standard, which shouldn’t be the case. Beauty is still in the eye of the beholder. It’s important to celebrate the body with which we are born and be confident in ourselves no matter the age.
Not to say that there’s anything wrong with wanting to change or switch up your look.
There are some people who have hip dips that are overly noticeable than others. Yes, hip dips are a part of your bone structure, but it’s also influenced by fat allocation. It is possible to minimize their appearance if it involves body mass and fat.
How to Get Rid of Hip Dips
Hip dips are perfectly normal and no set of exercises can change your bone structure. But if you want to reduce its appearance then you can do some routines that can build your muscle and eliminate fat in your hip dip instead.
Hip Dips Workout to Strengthen Your Lower Body
Hip Raises
This exercise targets the muscles around your hips and waist. Lie on the floor, face up with your knees bent and feet flat.
Place a towel under your lower back for support and keep your hands by your side and slowly lift one leg up off of the floor about 3 inches. Keep it lifted as you do ten pulses, then switch legs after 10 pulses.
Do at least 2 sets.
When finished return to normal position on the floor.
Hip Lifts
For this exercise, also lie face-up but place a mat or towel under both knees before lifting them up toward the chest to help protect your back from arching too much.
Bring one leg toward the chest until the knee is almost touching it, hold five seconds, then switch legs and repeat.
Keep your abs drawn in as you do this exercise because the movement should come from your hips and not your back or outer thighs, which will cause you to round forward at the waist.
Do 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps.
Plié Squat
If you want to tone the backs of your legs as well as tone your glutes (butt muscles), then try doing a plié squat as part of your hip exercises.
Stand with feet wide apart, toes turned out, arms bent at shoulder height, and hands pointing up toward ears. Slowly bend knees inward until they are over ankles and then extend legs again by pushing through heels into the floor and straightening knees. Your body should remain facing front during this movement.
Do 3 sets of 10 reps.
Hip Flexor Stretch
This exercise is perfect for after workouts when your muscles are warm and pliable, but it’s also good to do at any time you feel like your hip flexors (the muscles in front of the upper thighs) or abs need a stretch.
While standing or seated with good posture (shoulders back, spine long), slowly bend one knee bringing thigh toward the chest until thigh is close to the diaphragm, holding breath if necessary; then slowly lower leg until foot once again touches the floor before switching sides.
Do 2-3 sets of 10 reps on each side.
Figure four stretch
With this move, your hip flexors will get a nice stretch that feels good and relieves tension in the area.
To start, keep one leg bent with your knee facing up while laying flat on your back with the other leg extending to the floor forming a “4” shape with your other leg.
Slowly bring your top knee toward your chest until you feel a good stretch without pain or grabbing behind your knee or thigh, hold for five seconds then gently release before switching to the other leg.
Do 2-3 sets of 10 reps for each leg.
Towel hip dips
This exercise will not only give you strength in your thighs, but it will also give you great posture by engaging your core.
Start by sitting on a mat or towel with bent knees and feet flat against the floor in front of you then lean back slightly while lifting hips up toward the ceiling. It’s important that throughout the movement, abs are kept engaged or all of the work is being done by outer thighs instead of hips! Hold for five seconds before lowering hips again slowly so they are hovering just above floor level without touching at any point during movement.
Do 3 sets of 10 reps.
Kneeling hip squeeze
This is a great exercise that focuses on the inner thighs and hips. To begin, kneel on the floor with both knees under hips, feet together. Place hands behind your head and lean back slightly as if you’re trying to touch your toes without actually moving the body forward or backward at all by engaging abs. Keeping core engaged throughout movement, lift legs off the ground about three inches while squeezing inner thighs then lower back down again for one rep.
Do 2-3 sets of 15 reps on each side.
Remember, slow exercises like these where you hold the move for several counts before releasing the pose will keep blood flowing throughout the area you are working, so your muscles will get the blood flow they need to grow and rebuild.
Conclusion
Hip dips are not a problem and normal.
They have no negative health or cosmetic impact on your body. Body shape and beauty are subjective. It’s important to remember that each individual has their own unique shape and features.
Take care of yourself and love the way you look even if it does not match societies’ ideas of beauty or if it does not meet other people’s expectations of what an “attractive” man or woman looks like because in the end, only you know what feels good for you.
