There is no such thing as "false hip width"! The widest part of a woman's hips is the thigh root.

Audit expert: Peng Guoqiu

Deputy Chief Physician, Fourth Medical Center, PLA General Hospital

"You're not fat, but your 'false wide hips' draw the eye downward, making your legs look short and thick. Exercise with me every day and it will disappear, giving you a pair of long straight legs!"

We often see such words on social platforms. They often say that the "real hips" are at the upper part of the pelvis. If it is widest here, the lines will appear smooth and the legs will appear long; while the widest position at the root of the thigh is a "false hip width", which is a defect that needs to be corrected.

But in fact, the widest part of a woman's hips should be at the base of her thighs. It is almost impossible for the curves on both sides of the hips to become smooth through exercise, and there is no such thing as "false hip width".

Fake hip width and real hip width

What is the hip? Where is the hip?

The hip refers to the hip structure that connects the torso and lower limbs of the human body, including the hip bone (formed by the fusion of the ilium, ischium, and pubis), hip joint, and surrounding muscles and ligaments.

Source: Lower Limb Anatomy and Clinical Application Chapter 5: Lower Limb

It is located below the waist to the base of the thigh: the upper boundary is the iliac crest (the bulges on both sides of the waist), the lower boundary is the greater trochanter of the femur (the bony protrusion on the outside of the thigh), the front is the groin (the wrinkle on the front of the thigh), and the back is the gluteal groove (the boundary between the buttocks and thigh).

What is false hip width and real hip width?

0 1 "Really wide hips"

At present, the so-called "real hip width" mainly refers to the width of the upper part of the pelvis, that is, the iliac crest diameter, which is the width naturally formed by the human skeletal structure. From a visual point of view, when this part is wider, the hip line will be smooth, and the transition with the waist and legs will be natural, making the legs look longer.

0 2 "False hip width"

On social media platforms, the widest part of the hips is often described as moving from the upper pelvis down to the base of the thigh, making the base of the thigh appear wider, giving people the visual impression of short and thick legs.

What is the difference between the two?

0 1 Appearance

The so-called "real wide hips" have smooth hip lines, a natural transition with the waist and legs, and visually make the legs appear longer; while "false wide hips" have wide thigh roots, and visually make the legs appear short and thick.

0 2 Causes

"True hip width" is mainly affected by genetic factors and is the result of normal bone growth and development; some tutorials on improving "false hip width" often believe that "false hip width" is mostly caused by the protrusion of the greater trochanter due to femoral internal rotation, and the hypertrophy of muscles such as the tensor fasciae latae due to internal rotation. However, under normal circumstances, the effect of femoral internal rotation on the position and muscle morphology of the greater trochanter is very limited and will not cause obvious protrusion.

There is no false hip width at all!

In fact, from a medical point of view, "false wide hips" is not a recognized professional concept. It is more of a statement derived from people's visual perception and aesthetic concepts. It is completely normal for women to have the widest part at the base of their thighs.

There are two bony protrusions in our body that can be felt by touch, namely the iliac crest and the greater trochanter of the femur. The distance between the greater trochanters of the female femur (usually 28-31 cm) is usually 2-3 cm wider than the distance between the iliac crests (usually 25-28 cm), which also shows that from a skeletal perspective, the widest part of the female hips is near the thigh root! The so-called "false hip width" does not actually exist, but is part of the normal physiological structure.

Source: Lower Limb Anatomy and Clinical Application Chapter 5: Lower Limb

Additionally, it is normal to have a dimple on either side of the buttocks if the muscle and fat between the two bony high points are unable to fill the space.

Women's hips are generally wider than men's

In terms of pelvic width, since women shoulder the responsibility of bearing offspring, during puberty, the pelvis becomes wider and more flexible under the action of estrogen, so the width of the female pelvis (average 35-40 cm) is wider than the male pelvis (average 30-35 cm).

Source: Hip Atlas 360 Encyclopedia

From the perspective of fat distribution, women's thigh roots, buttocks and other areas around the hips are more likely to accumulate fat than men, which further increases the width of the hips.

How to Improve Hip Stability and Flexibility

Nowadays, there are many tutorials on how to eliminate "false hip width", but "false hip width" does not exist. Most healthy people have uneven hip curves, so there is no need to worry about it. What we should really focus on is to improve hip stability and flexibility, so that we can fully utilize the hip muscle strength during exercise, make the hips more tilted, and reduce the burden on the waist, knees and quadriceps on the front of the thigh. You can start from the following two aspects:

1. Strength training

Hip bridge: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, adjust the distance so that your thighs and calves are vertical when you lift your hips, tighten your waist and abdomen, lift your hips until your body and legs are in line, then slowly lower them. Do 10-15 times per set, and 2-6 sets, you can use weights.

Clam exercise: Lie on your side, make sure the line between your shoulders and hips is perpendicular to the ground, your thighs and calves are also perpendicular, and keep your heels together on the extension line of your body. Without turning your body, try to raise your upper knee as high as possible and then slowly lower it, alternating between the two sides.

2. Stretch and relax

Seated forward bend: Fold your body forward from the hips, bringing your abdomen close to your thighs, stretching your waist, buttocks, and back of your thighs.

Butterfly stretch: Sit down with your knees bent, soles of your feet facing each other, knees as close to the ground as possible, grab your ankles with both hands, and gently press your knees down to exercise hip joint flexibility.