Ways to keep your backside shapely

Unless someone points out your "bottom line," you have no idea of its size. You can't see it; therefore, it doesn't exist. The only time you consider what you carry behind you is when you have to stuff it into Levi's. Too much, too little, too loose, too flat, too low, too high and too much jiggle. Boy, I've heard it all.

Every bottom, whether male or female, is structured with the same muscles. Women just have more fat on that muscle, and they spend a lot of time sitting on it. Let's talk a bit about restructuring that bottom. Within the buttocks are muscles known as the gluteus maximus, medius and minimus. At the base of your bottom is the biceps femoris muscle on the top of the upper leg. Groin muscles and hip flexors also interact, but for now let's just concentrate on the part that jiggles.

The gluteus medius and gluteus minimus muscles move the thigh bone in all directions. These muscles get a workout with walking or running movements. And they add stabilization to the foot on landing. When you do your running uphill, you incorporate the use of the large or gluteus maximus muscles of the bottom. They give the leg the powerful downward and backward movement for the push ahead, at the same time the medius and minimus muscles stabilize. These same muscles stop the upper body from folding in on itself or falling forward.

Working these major muscle groups will help stop that backside jiggle.

What can be done to change the dimensions of your bottom? Side leg lifts (or scissor lifts, as it is known in aerobic circles) will work the medius and minimus muscles. You can also have someone hold you down on your side while you lift your upper torso in sort of a reverse side leg lift. The muscle needing the most work is the maximus. You are working it when you do straight, back leg lifts either on your knees or on your side, kicking back. You will get a better range of motion from your movement with the hip flexed, or with a "bent over at the waist" position.

The best training movements for the large gluteus muscles are those that use the hip and knee extensors at the same time - as in sitting and lifting and leaning forward in the sit position.

It takes a lot of hard work to rearrange your sitting area. Running, lunges, knee-to-chest work and knee presses are exercise that will help - but only if you do them.

• Jerry Vance is owner of The Sweat Shop/Wet Sweat. She offers classes through Carson City Recreation and Aquatics Center and is a fitness instructor for the Carson City Senior Citizens Center.