Is a spreading and dropping backside an inevitability of middle age?

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I am slim, 53, I exercise- a mixture of running, hiit, yoga, weights, I watch what I eat, yet I’ve noticed my backside is drooping by no matter what I try. Is this it now?
There must be something that helps surely?

I'm in my forties, I do a low impact programme called pvolve and my arse looks better. I haven't hit the menopause though so it might go pete tong then

No nothing will help. I just don’t look at my bum in the mirror any more. I call it square arse. You can tell how old a person is just by walking behind them if they are wearing trousers. Sorry. 💐

Squats. Mountain climbers. More squats.
I am close to 60 and my ass is neither square nor droopy, but it was both in my 40s.
It’s not fun, but when the gyms open and I can squat lower than most, I feel pretty good.

I'm currently trying to oppose the sagginess of my 48 year old arse with squats. It does seem to be making a bit of a difference

My whole body has gone south:
Bosom, bottom, thighs, chin. Even my feet have got flatter and have gone up a size.

I could have written exactly the same as you OP, I've even started wearing lower cut leg knickers as it seems to sag out of hi-legs! I'm trying to do more squats and lunges but feels like a losing battle - I'm 53 with similar exercise routine to what you've described

I do squats and donkey kicks every day, sets of 20. 47yo. It better frigging keep working...!!

It's odd isn't it, realising that.....things are changing. I've got greys coming through now, which will be sorted asap when hairdresser opens, but it makes me think. I'm getting older, FACT.

Yes my nice pert arse looks a bit like it's been hit by a frying pan these days.

Things that help; exercising the glutes (marginal difference)
Spanx pants for special occasions (significant difference)
Avoiding looking at it in the mirror (out of sight, out of mind approach)

Maybe depends on your shape before

But I have noticed this with some friends

I'm 54 and noticed it a few years ago. Had forgotten it as probably blocked it out. But yes, we all have to go through aging if we are lucky enough to be still alive. It's a difficult part of life to be sure.

Yes, me too and also 53. It's only started happening this year, I naively thought it wasn't going to happen to me. It's just become an extension of my legs, I do miles of walking, I can't squat as my knees are f**cked so I am doomed but at least it will match my sagging face 😐

Running, HIIT and yoga are great for fitness but won’t necessarily give you a sculpted look. You need to up your protein, consider eating in a mild calorie surplus to build muscle and do heavy hip thrusts (these are the best glute builders, not squats) and deadlifts!

Thanks everyone- hip thrusts you say?
It’s like it’s happened overnight.
I’m also struggling to keep my weight down. The usual abstentions aren’t working anymore either.
I was considering digging out my Callanetics dvd again but am not sure I can stand looking at the pot plant.😱
I bought some protein powder. I hardly have any bread, pasta, rice potatoes anymore.
The HRT works mostly.
How depressing.

What the hell are hip thrusts? Asking for a friend 🤦

My tip (apart from exercise) is take care when buying trousers with back pockets. If the pockets are set too high, they really don't help.

@OhWhyNot

Maybe depends on your shape before

But I have noticed this with some friends

I spent my 20s worrying about my big arse (it wasnt) and so far it's not too bad but I'm dreading getting an old lady's arse. The bit that has gone wrong is my tummy

An arse is for two things, sitting and shitting. If both of those functions are working well as I age then I couldn't care less what it looks like.

The posters here commenting on noticing their friends bums are weird. I don't ever think I've looked at a friend's arse before, what an obsessive thing to do and a bit inappropriate. Maybe examine what drives you to scrutinise other women's body parts like that, it's so sad and pathetic.

crayolacom why the rolling eyes

Some of my friends this has happened others not so much and nothing to do with size. we talk a lot (much of our conversations) are about how we are changing (not just physically) because of peri menopause

My mum hasn’t got a flat or saggy bum (and she isn’t slim)

I was fine until last year (49), never had a proper bottom really but it was a nice bottom. Looked great in jeans etc.

Then one day, DD (12) called me 'saggy bottom'

She knows not to do that again. It is true though, overnight, it is a saggy bottom. I long for a fat arse. But no, stomach is my fat deposit place now. Only stomach. the rest of me continues to disappear

Oh, and I did all the squats etc for a year. Walk everywhere. Made no difference whatsoever.

I sew and have to make a couple of adjustments called a 'flat bum adjustment' and a 'low bum adjustment'. Eurgh. I'm 46.

I have spent most of the last 8 years lying down due to me/CFS though

An arse is for two things, sitting and shitting. If both of those functions are working well as I age then I couldn't care less what it looks like.

Everybody's arse does one of those things from birth and the other a few months later. You may not care what yours looks like, but this surely isn't the first time that you've heard somebody express an interest in the shape of theirs.

Resistance training - hip thrusts, glute bridges, squats, lunges, deadlifts, straight leg deadlifts - anything with a bit of extra weight to build the glute muscles and strengthen the hamstrings.

Cardio is a bit of a killer for muscle growth especially steady state cardio, add some protein and glute / hamstring focused weight work outs and you’ll see a difference in a couple of weeks.

Lots of easy beginner vids on YouTube, get a couple of light hand weights to use.

What are hip thrusts please?