Human beings are living more sedentary lifestyles than ever before in history. Perhaps it is because people spend too much time sitting in front of their computers and driving in their vehicles each day. As a result, people have very little reason to move their bodies unless they make an extra effort to exercise and stay healthy.

The Top 5 Exercises for a Better Shaped Body

Too much inactivity can cause someone to develop health problems and a poorly shaped body. Your hip area could even form a shape known as hip dips. These are inward curves on the sides of the body, just below the hips. They form a shape similar to a violin, which has earned them the nickname “violin dips.”

The severity of hip dips is different for everyone. They have a lot to do with bone structure and genetics, which are two things you cannot change. However, you have the power to burn fat and build muscle mass to reduce the appearance of your hip dips. This can only get done with the proper exercise routine.

If you’re unhappy with the shape of your body, you can start doing five simple exercises to transform your body shape and make it appear leaner and more defined.

Let’s examine those exercises below.

1) Body Squats

Squat exercises don’t necessarily mean putting a heavy barbell on your back and squatting down with it. The simpler version of the squat exercise doesn’t require you to put any weight on your back. Instead, you can squat with your bodyweight only.

Squats require the use of your hip and glute muscles. Glutes, of course, is the name of the muscles in your buttocks. Each squat repetition will strengthen your hip and glute muscles tremendously. In addition, you will also strengthen the secondary muscles targeted from this exercise, such as the obliques, calves, and hamstrings.

How to Perform

Stand up straight and keep your feet at a hip-width distance from each other. Now slowly bend your knees until they are directly over your toes. Try to avoid letting your knees go beyond your toes.

Next, you will proceed to stand back up straight. Keep the pressure of your body weight on the heels of your feet as you push your body back up. Most of the muscle tension should be in your hamstrings and glutes. Focus on squeezing your glue muscles tightly as you push your weight back up. Now repeat to do more repetitions.

2) Plank

The plank exercise is a highly effective isometric exercise that targets your abdominals, obliques, glutes, lats, hamstrings, quads, biceps, and triceps. It is a posturing exercise that forces you to balance your body weight on your forearms and toes. But, at the same time, the other muscles will get worked too.

Plank exercises tone the most revealing muscles of your body. You should see the most results in your abs and obliques. These are the two muscles that truly define the shape of the body.

How to Perform

Kneel and put your forearms flat on the ground at about shoulder-width apart. Next, lift your upper body off the ground with your forearms. Next, straighten your legs and lift your lower body with just your toes.

Maintain this position so that only your forearms and toes are touching the ground. Keep your body perfectly horizontal as high above the ground as possible.

3) Push-Ups

Push-ups are a traditional exercise that can help you burn calories and tone your biceps and triceps. It also targets the shoulders, pectorals, lats, and abs as secondary muscles. Push-ups will strengthen your core and reshape it to something that looks more attractive.

How to Perform

Get into a plank-like position by straightening out your legs and using your toes to lift your lower body off the ground. Put the palms of your hands on the ground a little wider than shoulder-width apart.

Next, lift your upper body from the ground with your hands and arms. Now slowly lower your upper body so that your chest is an inch or two above the ground. Raise it back up and repeat.

4) Jump Rope

Jump rope is an excellent cardiovascular exercise that you can do almost anywhere. It only requires you to have a jump rope and a flat surface to jump on. The exercise involves repeatedly jumping over a rope for at least 1 to 5 minutes. It works all the muscles in your legs and helps you shed fat from your waist area.

How to Perform

Wear a pair of sneakers or athletic cross-training shoes. Use a wire jump rope with a handle on each end.

Grab a handle with each hand and let the rope hang down behind your body. Next, swing the rope over your head and down toward your feet. Jump over the rope at the precise time it comes to your feet. Keep repeating these jumps for at least 5 minutes if you can. It may take some practice before you can master the movements correctly.

5) Burpees

Burpees are a full-body exercise that doesn’t require any equipment. It is both a high-intense cardiovascular exercise and a strength training exercise. The most crucial muscle groups will get targeted, including your biceps, triceps, pectorals, shoulders, quads, glutes, calves, and hamstrings.

How to Perform

Get into a standing position and keep your feet shoulder-width apart on a flat surface. Lower your upper body as if you were going to do a squat. Put your hands on the ground and hop your feet behind you as far as they can go. You’ll put yourself into a push-up position, but you don’t have to do a push-up if you don’t want.

Now hop your feet forward and get back into a lower squat position. Lift your body weight off the heels of your feet as if you were completing a squat exercise. Repeat all of these steps, but make sure you do them quickly. Burpees are not meant to be done slowly.

Conclusion

Hip dips or inward shapes in the hips are a natural body shape many women have. They cause no harm to the body, and getting rid of it is often purely a cosmetic measure. If your goal is to get a fuller hip without the appearance of hip dips, the workout is an effective way to transform the shape of your hips.

These five exercises are a great place to start and they can also help strengthen your glutes, hips, and hamstring muscles. You can also grab more workout ideas to get rid of hip dips at Fitwirr to add to your hip dip routine to transform your body.