So, most of the time, it’s not hard to pinpoint the source(s) of some of the wild rumours we hear around here - and we’ve heard some doozies! It probably won’t shock you to learn that, in the realm of sex, sexuality, and butt stuff, in particular, misconceptions and misinformation abound. Which brings us to the topic of anal sex and butt size. Somewhere along the way, at least a few people began wondering (and Googling) ‘does anal sex make your butt bigger?’
In this case, we can honestly say that we have no solid theories about where that question came from. Maybe someone’s friend’s husband’s coworker saw something on the internet while searching ‘does anal sex hurt?’ Maybe an anal toy or butt plug joke got out of hand. Maybe there’s even a meme about it! Who knows? It doesn’t really matter though, because here we are, getting to the bottom of the question of the hour - does having anal sex make your butt bigger?
So, Does It?
Before we answer this question, we have one of our own. Are the people wondering about anal sex and bigger butts referring to the inner butt (anus/rectum) or the booty (buttocks/glutes)? In other words, are they asking if having anal sex stretches out the inner workings of a butt in question, or are they looking for a link between anal intercourse and the possibility of a bigger booty, ass, bum, derriere, derriere, buns - whatever you like to call it. It’s an important distinction!
The answer in both cases, by the way, is no. Having safe, smart, properly prepared for anal sex does not make your butt bigger. Not permanently, anyway. Don’t worry, we’ll tell you everything! Plus, if you’ve been wondering about the benefits of anal sex, we’ve got you covered there, too.
Anus & Rectum vs Booty
We’re minutes away from getting into the specifics of why having butt sex - or playing with anal sex toys, for that matter - won’t make your butt bigger, but first, here’s a quick anal anatomy refresher.
The Inside Stuff
Your anus - or butthole, to be blunt - is the entrance to and exit for your rectum, which is the lower portion of your digestive system. The rectum extends upward and inward, where it eventually connects to the large intestine. When you have anal sex, or use an anal sex toy like a dildo, butt plug, anal beads, or prostate stimulation massager, you’re penetrating your rectum via your anus.
The Outside Stuff
Luscious curves and sexy spank-ability aside, the outer portion of your butt is just as important as those inner workings we talked about above. The gluteal muscles (glutes, for short) rotate your hips, keep you standing upright, and keep your pelvis stable to your legs and pelvis. See, important!
The gluteus maximus is what people are usually talking about when they reference the booty/bum/buns/keister/rump/caboose/derrière etc. It’s the largest glute muscle, and, since it’s rounded, is what you can thank for those curvy butt cheeks.
Things like genetics, body make-up, hormone levels, and lifestyle determine the natural look, size, and shape of your bum. Having anal sex, on the other hand, has nothing to do with it!
Fact vs Fiction: Anal Stretching
Let’s get this out of the way right off the bat: under normal, healthy circumstances, which can include some careful, safe, well-prepared-for anal play or sex featuring lots of lube, you won’t permanently or very noticeably stretch or enlarge your rectum and anus.
Your anus is a pretty neat little organ. It’s elastic, and is specifically designed to stretch and contract. Obviously, that stretchy nature comes in pretty handy when it comes to getting rid of food waste and other leftovers that your body doesn’t need. Yes, we’re talking about poop! That’s kind of the anus’s thing. Of course, the anus doesn’t just go expelling things (or letting things enter) willy nilly - there’s a control mechanism called the anal sphincter.
We need to talk about the sphincter, because it’s something that can, possibly, be affected by having anal sex. The sphincter is a group of three muscles that band around the anal opening. Think of it as the guardian of your rectum. If you’ve ever tried to insert an anal plug without being fully relaxed, you probably felt some pain and pressure, and lots of resistance. That was your sphincter doing its job, and hopefully, you pressed pause on your butt doings. During anal sex and anal penetration, your or your partner’s sphincter needs to be relaxed. Period.
The sphincter, as we mentioned, is a muscle, and like most muscles, it has a memory. It can get used to relaxing during penetration over time, which is probably why some people feel like anal sexual activity gets easier and more comfortable the more often they do it.
Here’s the thing, though: it’s technically possible to over-stretch your sphincter, just like it’s possible to over-extend and injure any other muscle. Someone who repeatedly pushes their butt-boundaries by using a very large butt play toy or penis, or who ignores painful penetration might find themselves with an anal sphincter that can’t properly contract, or ‘snap back’. This can cause some fairly unpleasant side effects like fecal incontinence (ie. anal leakage).
Please don’t panic! Your body will usually alert you long before you’ve done any damage. That’s why it’s so important to pay attention to your body and any pain/discomfort/something-doesn’t feel-right cues. Play safe, and you should be just fine. Speaking of, you can read all about anal sex safety in our blog, “Is Anal Sex Safe?”
All that said, just after you’ve had anal sex, or right after playing with an anal dildo or plug, you might notice that your anus looks a little bigger. You might even feel a little ‘stretched out.’ This is normal, and it’s temporary. No bigger butts here, folks!
What Actually Makes Your Butt Bigger?
Okay, we’ve cleared up some anal sex and bigger butt confusion for you, and that’s great. But maybe you really want a bigger (outer) butt! In that case, you might be left wondering what, if anything, can make your butt bigger
Hate to break it to you, but there’s no magic bullet here. Plain old exercise, including some targeted butt-strengthening moves, will build muscle, which can tone your glutes and possibly round out and perk-ify your booty.
That said, having regular sex, especially active, engaged, enthusiastic sex, can benefit your bum, too. As it turns out, sexy activities burn off calories faster than you might think. Burning calories, in turn, can help tone you and your buns even faster. For instance, giving a massage can burn up to 80 calories an hour. A hot, sweaty make-out session can sizzle off up to 230 calories per hour, spending on how rowdy things get, and giving oral sex can add up to a whopping 100 calories per half hour. Yeah...we’ll take any of those over squats any old day!
If you’re interested in adding some anal sexiness to your repertoire, you can find everything you need at PinkCherry. From anal sex toys perfect for beginners to pegging tools, anal vibes, and slippery, slide-y anal lubes, we’ve got your back - and butt.
