Does running make your butt smaller? It seems like every time this question is asked; people just never seem to get a real answer.
This article will go into deeper detail to determine if running, with all its benefits, makes your butt smaller.
The gluteal muscles go by many names. Strong glutes are what builds your butt, your rear, your bum. They help your body support your spine, hips, and pelvis.
These muscles can help you increase your mobility enhancing your athletic performance. It can also help you avoid injury and improve your balance.
A lot of factors could be making the butt flat. It could be a sedentary lifestyle or sitting all day. This can cause gluteal amnesia, better known as dead butt syndrome, where your butt gets too rigid.
Ageing can also lead to lower amounts of fat in the butt.
Running as an exercise can burn calories super-fast. But you may sometimes find yourself checking out your butt in the mirror and wondering if running is worth it.
EFFECT OF RUNNING ON BUTTOCKS
Running is a form of cardio. It is a widely known fact that spot reduction reduces fat from a specific area and is a myth.
To lose fat in an area, you have to overall reduce the fat content of your body. With this in mind, does running make your butt smaller?
The type of running actually influences the appearance of your butt. Long endurance runs burn fat all over your body. It only follows that you will lose your butt, especially if it is mainly made up of fat. It is made up of muscle, maybe not so much.
LONG-DISTANCE RUNNING VS SPRINTS
On the other hand, sprints build gluteal muscles so you can get better gains as opposed to long-distance running. Loaded sprints are even better, as you increase your workout resistance. They do wonders for the butt and comes in many forms.
Uphill sprints can help you build the muscle mass you need. You will literally be lifting your body weight a slope.
You can decide to do a little running up the stairs, hills, or even do weighted runs with a tire. A bit hardcore, but if you want a better-looking bum badly, you can do it.
If you have access to the beach, the Journal of Experimental Biology found that running on a hard surface requires energy, running on sand requires 1.6 times more energy. That intensity will work your butt and core well.
Also worth noting is that running as a form of exercise burns muscle more than it builds it. It burns so much energy, and your muscles have to feel that.
Even if your butt is mostly muscle, your body will use it, especially if your running is long distance.
A study conducted among 30 male participants had them run 10, 21 and 42 kilometres. At the end of the long-distance running, it was noted that muscle damage increased among the runners with distance.
The study concluded that long-distance running could actually inhibit muscle growth, and the butt being a muscle, yours might appear smaller.
If you want to keep running, you have to eat food that builds muscle like proteins to replace the muscle you lose while running.
You also have to incorporate lower body exercises that work the gluteal muscles and help your butt bigger.
Here are 5 such exercises.
5 EXERCISES TO MAKE YOUR BUTT BIGGER
Getting killer results in your butt has led to an industry with record numbers of surgical procedures growing every year. Gimmicks flood our feeds, and fast schemes promising fast results don’t stop.
Intentional and smart exercising can give you better natural-looking results. Results that are so good they almost look suspicious.
The exercise that receives the most accolades when it comes to lower body action is squats. On top of that, we will look at lesser-known exercises that offer just as good results.
Add resistance bands to your exercise because it makes the muscles work even harder.
Most places sell the bands in a set with difficulty levels that will suit everyone from beginners to veterans.
On to how to make your butt bigger:
GLUTE ACTIVATION FIRST, ALWAYS
In the same way, runners warm-up to loosen tight muscles and maximize their efforts from the get-go, butt exercises need the same. This is especially important as the butt’s primary function is sitting down.
Some cardio like running will help fire them up, but exercises specifically targeting those muscles by themselves will give even better results.
Clamshells and glute bridges are some of the best exercises for activation. This YouTube video shows you how to do this and has an added doctor’s perspective on maximizing the exercise to gain the most you can.
FIRE HYDRANT LIFTS
This exercise can be done at home and needs you to be on all fours. Anyone with back or knee issues should first find out from their physicians if it’s safe for them.
If you’re able to purchase a yoga mat, these exercises will be more comfortable and safer for your knees.
This exercise involves all your major hip movements at once and will also engage your core. This is why this is one of the most effective exercises.
Here is a good video on how to do this.
HIP ABDUCTORS
Hip abductors target areas where people lack the most strength. Weakness in the hips can cause activity-related injuries.
The abductors isolate all your exercise into your glutes. A 2011 study found an increase in strength and decreased pain around the glutes and hips after just three weeks.
Hip dips can also benefit from this exercise. These are those inward depressions just under your hip bone. This is completely natural, but abductors can improve their appearance.
This exercise has many variations. This is how you do it.
BRIDGE PRESSES
You may look a little strange or feel a little silly doing this because you have to thrust your hips while lying down, but the results are worthwhile.
Here are 5 variations on these exercises.
This is also a perfect exercise for your core and pelvic floor.
RUN, CHANGE THE TERRAIN, CHANGE THE MODE
Ditch the cabros and pavements and find a way to create resistance even as you run.
Skipping the lift and running up the stairs carefully will do the same. You can also take off on the sand on a beach.
Sprints do wonders for the backside. One or two 10-second sprints after your run should help.
CONCLUSION
The most important thing to consider as you exercise the butt has the proper form. It’s better to do fewer quality repetitions than pump up your speed.
Breathe correctly and squeeze, squeeze those muscles at the top of each move. Concentrate on your exercise, listen to your body, and make sure you’re feeling the strain in the right place.
Most importantly, be realistic and fair to yourself.
Training muscles take time. Pushing yourself for drastic unrealistic results will make you lose your morale and isn’t good for your mental health.
Does running make your butt smaller? Well, it can, and it cannot. And that answer makes a little more sense now.
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