Love Handles vs Hip Dips: What’s the Difference?
Have you ever wondered about the difference between love handles vs hip dips? The terms are often used interchangeably, but they are actually two very distinct body features.
Hip dips, also known as violin hips, refer to the slight dip in the hip area which is often accompanied by a curve.
Love handles, on the other hand, refer to the excess fat that collects around the sides of the waist.
Is it possible to get rid of either of them naturally? In this blog post, we’ll discuss the differences between hip dips and love handles, and how to reduce their appearance of them without surgery or invasive practices.
What Are Hip Dips?
If you’ve been checking out your body in the mirror lately and noticed a dip on either side of your hip bones or inward thighs, then you likely have hip dips.
This phenomenon is also referred to as violin hips. Hip dips are indentations that usually occur just below the hip bone and vary from shallow dips to deeper indentations. According to Lydia Carron, R.D.N., M.S., wider pelvises may have more prominent hip dips because of the distance between the ilium and hip socket.
These dips are usually caused by genetics and are more common in women than men.
Hip dips are a normal and natural part of the female anatomy, but some people may not find them aesthetically pleasing. While there is no medical reason to get rid of hip dips, some people may choose to do so if they feel self-conscious about them. Fortunately, there are ways to reduce their appearance with exercise, diet, and lifestyle changes.
What Are Love Handles?
Love handles are a common name for the extra fat that accumulates around the waist and sides of the body. This excess fat is typically more noticeable in men than women, although it can occur in both genders.
Love handles are often the result of too much body fat, which can be exacerbated by not exercising enough or eating an unhealthy diet. Love handles tend to form as a person ages, but they can also appear due to genetics or environmental factors. Fortunately, there are ways to reduce love handles, such as dieting and regular exercise.
Love Handles vs Hip Dips
Many people struggle to differentiate between these two stubborn fat deposits that hang around your waistline. Love handles, also known as muffin tops, are fat deposits located near the sides of your waistline. They’re caused by a combination of diet and genetics, making them notoriously difficult to lose.
Hip dips, on the other hand, refer to the inner curves of your hips where they meet your thighs. Hip dips are usually due to bone structure, genetics, or lack of muscle, meaning there is no one-size-fits-all solution for getting rid of them.
The key difference between love handles and hip dips is the location. Love handles are fat deposits around the lower back and waist, while hip dips are those inner curves of your hips that meet your thighs. While both can be a source of frustration for many, understanding their differences can help you determine the best approach to remove them.
Why You Can’t Spot Reduce Fat
No matter what you may have heard or read, spot-reducing fat loss is not possible. Spot reducing refers to the concept that targeting specific areas of the body with exercises and diet can help reduce fat deposits in those areas.
Unfortunately, this is a myth. Even if you do hundreds of crunches or burpees daily, it will not reduce your love handles or hip dips. The best way to lose fat and tone these areas is to focus on overall fat loss through a combination of healthy eating and exercise.
You can tone and reduce the appearance of love handles and hip dips by following these tips.
How to Get Rid of Hip Dips
Stay Active: Tone your waist with a mix of cardio and strength training exercises. Focus on exercises that target the glutes, hamstrings, and lower abdominal muscles to tighten and strengthen your core muscles.
Grow your glutes: Build your side glute and hip muscles with side squats, hip adductions, deadlifts, lunges, and other glute-strengthening exercises.
Try waist training: Waist trainers can also help reduce the appearance of hip dips by compressing the area over time.
Challenge yourself: Try our 30-Day Hip Dip Workout Challenge, which includes various exercises that get progressively harder to guarantee results. This challenge will help tone and strengthen your glutes and hips while sculpting a sexier lower body!
How to Get Rid of Love Handles
Lower your calories: To reduce the fat stored around your midsection, you need to lower your calorie intake. By doing this, you will quickly see a difference in the size of your love handles.
Reduce sugar and salt intake: Cut back on processed foods and sugary treats that could contribute to the extra fat storage in your waistline. Increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables is a great way to reduce your sugar and salt intake.
Get more sleep: Try to get a good 7-8 hours of sleep each night. Sleep deprivation can cause weight gain and can prevent the body from burning off any extra calories.
Reduce stress: Stress hormones can lead to extra fat storage, so find healthy ways to manage stress levels. Meditation and yoga are both great activities that can help reduce stress.
Lift weights: Strength training exercises such as squats, lunges, push-ups, and burpees can help build muscle and help burn calories faster.
Do cardio at least 3 times per week: Doing cardio at least three times a week can help you burn off extra calories and fat, which can eventually help reduce the appearance of love handles.
Bottom Line
Love handles and hip dips can equally be frustrating for many, but it’s important to note that the two are different.
Love handles refer to excess fat around the waistline and lower back, while hip dips are indentations or dips on the sides of your body, typically around the hip area.
Although you cannot spot-reduce fat loss, exercise and nutrition can help reduce love handles and hip dips. By understanding the difference between the two, you can create a tailored plan to help you reach your desired shape and size.
Do you have any tips for reducing love handles and hip dips? Let us know in the comments!
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