FYI, Your 'Hip Dips' Are Actually Totally Normal

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Thigh gaps, Toblerone tunnels and ab cracks; it was only a matter of time before another body part caught the attention of your social media feed.

The latest body gains ‘goal’? To get rid of hip dips – as in those gentle inward curves found below your hips and above your thighs.

Your hip dips may be pronounced, or they may be subtle. But, if you’ve been seeing posts like those below and have been wondering whether you should switch up your training programme to change their appearance, keep reading. Here’s your hip dips all-you-need-to-know.

Hip Dips: What are They?

‘Hip dips are naturally occurring, inward curves,’ says David Wiener, training specialist for the Freeletics fitness app.

Shall we repeat that? Naturally occurring.

‘Hip dips are caused by the shape of your pelvis. Although not everyone will have noticeable hip dips, if reduced to a skeleton, all of us would have an indentation where the hip bone meets the top of the thigh. Hip dips are a normal part of your body’s structure.’

Are hip dips good or bad?

A common misconception is that hip dips – or a lack of hip dips – are a sign of how healthy you are. However, as already ascertained, hip dips are associated with the shape of your bones – something which cannot be changed.

And, because your pelvis is unique and will look completely different to those of all the other women at the squat rack; so, too, will your hip dips.

Does everyone have hip dips?

‘Hip dips are not a sign of being healthy, unhealthy, overweight or underweight,’ says Wiener. ‘Although the amount of body fat you have can make hip dips more noticeable and they can be the result of having a higher level of muscle mass, it’s important to remember that hip dips are a part of your bone structure, and while you can enhance your body shape through exercise and diet, you cannot change your bone structure.’

ashleigh_jordan View Profile

HIP DIPS 🍑 . TAG a friend! . This is a tricky one because it really boils down to individual body structure 🤷🏼‍♀️ I personally don't see "hip dips" as an imperfection but I think social media makes many women desire the perfect hour glass figure which can ultimately make "hip dips" an issue that needs to be fixed. Here are some exercises that will help strengthen your gluteus medius! It's not a very meaty muscle but it's still somewhat buildable! 🙌🏼 . 1️⃣Hip Abduction/Side Lunge 2️⃣Banded Squat Pulses 3️⃣Curtsy Lunges (right, left = 1 rep) 4️⃣Banded Crab Walks (right, left = 1 rep) . @brettstir 🎥💕 Outfit- @justpeachi _____________________________________ #fitfam #fitness #fitnessmotivation #fitlife #fitchick #workout #workoutroutine #workoutmotivation #workoutvideo #glutes #glutesworkout #hipdips #sidebooty #squats #squatbooty #healthylifestyle #happiness #positivevibes #fittips #sundaynight #citylife #pittsburgh

How do you get rid of hip dips?

While exercising to build muscle mass and reduce fat can help minimise their appearance, it won’t make them completely go away. Plus, avoiding exercises that work your quads and hip flexors to focus on exercises that work your backside (thus avoiding the dips) you could be doing yourself more harm than good. Why? Because injuries often happen when you overwork one body part and don't work on your weaknesses.

All lower body workouts should focus on:

hips
thighs
abdominals
buttocks

And, more importantly, isn’t it time you stopped obsessing over any one part of your body and simply celebrated your form for what it is? Beautiful.

Should I worry about my hip dips?

In a word: no. ‘Obsessing over any part of your body, especially those which cannot be changed, is potentially very damaging to your health,’ says Wiener. ‘It’s important for women to learn to love their body, rather than being continually determined to change it.’

Amen to that.

This article originally appeared on Women's Health UK.