Decoding the Truth: Do Male Hips Get Wider with Age?

According to a study published in the Journal of Orthopaedic Research, the pelvis continues to widen in both men and women well into older adulthood. This phenomenon means the answer to the question, do male hips get wider with age?, is a surprising 'yes'.

Quick Summary

Yes, male hips do get wider with age due to continuous pelvic bone growth, a process that can add about an inch to your overall pelvic width by your late 70s, regardless of body fat changes.

Key Points

• Pelvic bones widen: Scientific research confirms that male pelvic bones continue to widen throughout adulthood, adding up to an inch in width by age 79.

• Not just fat gain: This widening is due to actual bone remodeling, not simply fat accumulation, although weight gain can accentuate the effect.

• Exercise for balance: While you can't alter bone structure, building upper body muscle can create a more balanced physique by contrasting wider hips.

• Manage body composition: Maintaining a healthy weight and body fat percentage through diet and exercise will help minimize the appearance of a broadening waistline.

• Healthy aging focus: The most productive approach is to focus on overall health and fitness rather than fighting natural, unavoidable skeletal changes.

According to a study published in the Journal of Orthopaedic Research, the pelvis continues to widen in both men and women well into older adulthood. This phenomenon means the answer to the question, do male hips get wider with age?, is a surprising 'yes'. While many people assume expanding hips are solely the result of weight gain, research shows that bone remodeling plays a significant and unavoidable role in this common body change.

The Scientific Explanation: Bone Remodeling

For years, medical professionals believed that once skeletal maturity was reached around age 20, our bones stopped growing. However, a landmark study from the University of North Carolina revealed this is not the case for the pelvis. The research, using CT scans of adults aged 20 to 79, demonstrated that the pelvic bones continue to expand gradually throughout a person’s lifetime.

The study found that the pelvic width of participants in their 70s was, on average, about an inch wider than those in their 20s. This isn't simple bone formation on the outer surface, but rather true growth evidenced by the widening of the pelvic inlet. This continuous process can be attributed to the natural remodeling of bone as a response to the constant pressures and mechanical stresses placed on the skeletal system over decades of life.

The Role of Body Composition and Fat Distribution

While bone growth is an undeniable factor, changes in body composition and fat distribution also contribute significantly to the perceived widening of hips and waistline. As men age, their metabolism often slows down, making it easier to gain weight. Hormonal shifts also play a role, altering where the body stores excess fat. The combination of bone widening and fat accumulation can make the change even more noticeable.

How Weight Gain Affects Your Frame

• Fat Redistribution: Men tend to store fat in the abdomen (visceral fat) and flanks ("love handles") rather than the hips and thighs like women. This can push out the waistline, exaggerating the effect of the widening pelvic bone structure.
• Weight vs. Bone: The inches added from fat gain are in addition to the inches from skeletal changes. Even men who maintain a relatively stable body fat percentage throughout their adult lives will still experience some pelvic widening due to bone growth alone.

Male vs. Female Pelvic Changes

Aging affects the pelvic structure differently for men and women, largely due to hormonal factors and evolutionary pressures related to childbirth.

Feature	Male Pelvic Changes with Age	Female Pelvic Changes with Age
Skeletal Growth	Continuous, gradual widening throughout adulthood.	Initial widening during puberty and childbearing years, potentially followed by some narrowing after age 40.
Magnitude of Change	Less dramatic per year compared to females, but steady over time.	More rapid and significant changes during key hormonal phases.
Evolutionary Purpose	Not specifically linked to reproductive function post-skeletal maturity.	Shaped by evolutionary pressures for efficient childbirth and locomotion.

Taking Control: Managing the Appearance of Wider Hips

While you cannot stop your bones from growing, you can take proactive steps to manage body composition and visually balance your physique. These strategies focus on maintaining a healthy lifestyle, reducing excess body fat, and building muscle to create a more balanced silhouette.

Exercise Strategies to Consider

1. Strengthen Your Upper Body: Building muscle in your shoulders and back can create a V-taper illusion, making your hips appear narrower in comparison. Focus on exercises like pull-ups, overhead presses, and lat pulldowns.
2. Maintain a Healthy Weight: Carrying extra body fat will accentuate any changes in your bone structure. Maintaining a healthy weight through diet and consistent aerobic exercise (running, swimming) will reduce overall body fat, including around the hip area.
3. Core and Glute Exercises: Strengthening the muscles that support your hips and pelvis can improve posture and overall stability. Incorporate exercises like planks, bridges, and squats.
4. Embrace Regular Stretching: Regular stretching, including yoga or Pilates, can improve flexibility and range of motion in the hips, preventing stiffness and potential pain as you age.

Embracing Natural Aging

It's important to recognize that a change in hip width is a natural, often inevitable part of the aging process, not a flaw to be corrected. Placing blame and guilt on an expanding waistline is often counterproductive and misinformed. The focus should be on overall health and well-being, rather than trying to reverse a natural skeletal change.

By staying active, maintaining a healthy weight, and focusing on functional strength, you can ensure a healthy and active lifestyle as you age. Understanding that some changes are simply part of getting older can also help you accept and feel more comfortable in your body.

For more information on the skeletal changes that occur with age, you can read the research published in the Journal of Orthopaedic Research. This information provides a solid scientific foundation for understanding these natural shifts.

Conclusion

The question, do male hips get wider with age?, is definitively answered with a 'yes' by scientific research into bone remodeling. It is not an illusion caused solely by weight gain, but a gradual widening of the pelvic bones that occurs throughout adulthood. While this skeletal change is unavoidable, men can manage the overall appearance of their midsection through a balanced approach of exercise and healthy living. By focusing on upper body strength and overall fitness, individuals can create a more balanced physique and maintain excellent health for years to come. Ultimately, understanding and accepting these natural bodily changes is a key part of healthy aging.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can exercise make a man's hips smaller?

Exercise cannot change your underlying bone structure, so it won't make your hip bones smaller. However, exercise can help you lose overall body fat and build muscle, which can create a more balanced and toned physique, minimizing the appearance of wider hips.

Does gaining weight always mean wider hips for men?

Not necessarily, but weight gain often adds to the effect. While your pelvic bones will widen naturally over time regardless of weight, fat tends to accumulate around the abdomen and flanks in men. This can make the perceived widening of the hips and waistline more pronounced.

How can I tell if my wider hips are from bone or fat?

It's a combination of both. Some widening is due to natural bone growth, which is unavoidable. However, you can assess the role of fat by monitoring your overall body fat percentage and waist circumference. A noticeable increase in your pant size could be a sign that both bone and fat are contributing.

Is it true that men's shoulders get narrower as their hips widen?

This is a common misconception. While bone growth causes the pelvis to widen, there is no evidence to suggest a corresponding decrease in shoulder width. Changes in posture or muscle mass might affect the overall silhouette, but the underlying bone structure doesn't undergo a reciprocal change.

What kind of exercises should men do for better hip health?

Focus on strengthening your glutes, hamstrings, and core muscles, as these support the hips and pelvis. Exercises like squats, lunges, planks, and bridges are excellent for building stability and maintaining hip function as you age.

Why do some men have wider hips genetically?

Just as with other body traits, hip width can be influenced by genetics. Some men are simply born with a broader skeletal structure in their pelvic region due to family traits, which is completely normal and healthy.

Is there a health risk associated with having wider hips as a man?

The natural widening of the pelvic bone is not a health risk. However, if the widening is primarily due to excess abdominal fat, that can be associated with higher risks for health issues like heart disease and diabetes. A healthy lifestyle remains the best preventative measure.