Slimmer hips, why sitting less and building your glutes changes how your hips look

The chair is part of the story

Many adults spend more than 7 hours a day sitting, at a desk, on a sofa or behind the wheel. The NHS page on the benefits of exercise explains why such long spells of sitting are bad for health. For your hips, long hours seated also mean the large muscles of your bottom barely work. If your day starts with the M40 or the A41 and ends on the sofa, that can add up to 10 hours or more.

Breaking up the sitting

• Stand every 30 to 45 minutes. Refill your glass, take a call standing, walk to a colleague instead of sending a message.
• Park further away. 200 or 300 extra steps at each end of the day add up over a month.
• Use the adverts or the end of each episode. A minute of marching on the spot is better than nothing.

Waking up the glutes

Strong glute muscles do not remove fat, yet they give the lower body a firmer, more lifted shape as you lose weight. The NHS strength exercises include simple moves you can do at home twice a week.

• Sit to stand from a chair, slowly, 10 times.
• Glute bridges lying on your back, knees bent, lifting your hips.
• Side leg raises holding the back of a chair, to work the outer hip.
• Step ups on the bottom stair, leading with each leg in turn.

Walking uphill or climbing stairs works the same muscles while you go about your day.

The food side does the heavy lifting

Your hips will only change shape if your overall body fat goes down, and that depends mostly on what you eat. Regular meals, generous vegetables, protein at each meal and fewer sugary snacks make the biggest difference. To understand why exercises for a single area cannot do the job alone, read about the spot reduction myth. The same logic applies to slimmer thighs.

Measure, do not just weigh

A tape measure tells you more than the scales here. Measure your hips at the widest point once a fortnight, at the same time of day. A few centimetres gone is real progress, even when the weight has barely moved.

A breakfast club on Churchill Road

Bicester Nutrition is on the first floor at 106 Churchill Road, and members start their day there with breakfast before work. Your free assessment is a chance to set a realistic goal for your whole body, not just a single area.

If your hips or legs are swollen, painful or bruise easily, see your GP. This page is general information and does not replace medical advice.