Slim Waist Workout Routine

Let’s get one thing straight from the outset of this article – there is no such thing as a waist slimming exercise or workout. That’s because spot reduction is a myth, and you can’t preferentially burn fat from one area of your body.

Body fat is stored energy, and your body accumulates body fat globally rather than locally. Doing exercises for your waist won’t preferentially burn fat from that area. That’s not how your body works.

So, if you want a smaller waist, you need to lose fat from all over your body, including your middle. Simultaneously, you must strengthen your waist muscles so that, when the fat comes off, you’re left with a toned, well-conditioned midsection.

I know this is all bad news for anyone who came here looking for a “slim your waist in 30 days” kind of program, but it’ll save you a lot of time in the long run. If you adopt a sensible diet and sustainable workout program, you may actually reach your goal of getting a slimmer waist.

Or, you can just do side planks every day for a month and see where that gets you!

So, if you are SERIOUS about trimming your waist, forget 30-day fixes and other ineffectual programs and plans. Instead, follow the steps outlined below.

Nutrition for A Slimmer Waist

In the same way that there are no exercises to specifically trim your waist, there are no special diets, either. That said, what and how much you eat is incredibly important.

Body fat is stored energy and is the result of consuming more calories than you need. The excess calories are converted to fat and stored in your adipose tissue, some of which surrounds your waist.

To get rid of the fat, you need to create a calorie deficit and force your body to burn fat for fuel. If there is no deficit, your body has no reason to dip into these energy reserves. So, no deficit means no fat loss, period.

To create a deficit, you first need to determine how many calories you need to consume to maintain your current weight. This is called your TDEE, or total daily energy expenditure. TDEE is made up of several energy expenditure components, including your basal metabolic rate (BMR), the thermal effect of activity (TEA), and the thermal effect of food (TEF).

Don’t worry; you don’t need a math degree to determine your TDEE. Instead, all you need to do is enter a few details into our accurate TDEE calculator, and we’ll do all the number crunching for you.

Once you’ve got your TDEE, your next step is to take 300-500 calories from that number. This is your calorie deficit and how many calories you need to consume each day to burn fat and lose weight.

Now you know how many calories you need to eat per day to burn fat, it’s up to you to track your food intake and adjust it, so you hit that number.

You can eat almost any foods you like, and, providing you consume your TDEE minus 300-500 calories per day, your body will burn fat for fuel. That said, to avoid hunger, it makes sense to build your meals around filling, nutritious foods like:

• Lean proteins, e.g., chicken, fish, and low-fat dairy
• Vegetables
• Whole grains
• Healthy fats

Forget fad diets that are impossible to stick to for more than a week or two. Instead, adopt a long-term dietary approach that you can maintain for as long as it takes you to reach your goal.

Related: You can read more about how to fix your diet forever here.

Workouts for A Slimmer Waist

It’s important to stress that ALL types of exercise can help you burn fat and lose weight. All exercise will contribute to your calorie deficit by increasing your daily energy expenditure. As such, you can walk, jog, swim, cycle, or lift your way to a slimmer waist.

Your actual exercise energy expenditure depends on how hard, how long, and how often you work out. These factors are interrelated, and the harder you exercise, the shorter your workouts will be and the more rest you’ll need between sessions to recover.

Ideally, you should be active every day, seven days a week. This may mean structured workouts or just going for a walk. All physical activity can help you lose fat.

That said, as you want to condition your waist muscles as the fat comes off, it does make sense to include some specific midsection exercises in your workouts.

Remember, though, that these exercises and workouts will NOT burn fat preferentially from your waist and are designed to a) increase your general energy expenditure and b) tone and strengthen the underlying muscles. You’ll also need to combine the workouts with a calorie deficit to burn fat.

Here are three workouts to burn fat, work your entire body, and tone your waist muscles. Do each program once a week on non-consecutive days, e.g., Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. To burn extra calories all week long, commit to walking 10,000 – 20,000 steps every day that you don’t work out. This will help you lose fat faster and reach your goals sooner.

Start each workout with 5-10 minutes of cardio, followed by some dynamic flexibility and mobility exercises for your major muscles and joints.

Workout 1

Do each of the following exercises back to back in a circuit. Rest 2-3 minutes after the last exercise and then repeat for 2-4 total laps.

Workout 2

Do each of the following exercises back to back in a circuit. Rest 2-3 minutes after the last exercise and then repeat for 2-4 total laps.

Workout 2

Do each of the following exercises back to back in a circuit. Rest 2-3 minutes after the last exercise and then repeat for 2-4 total laps.

FAQs

1. So, are you saying that doing lots of side planks, oblique crunches, etc., won’t help trim inches from my waist?

That’s exactly what I’m saying! The only way to shrink your waist is to burn fat, and the best fat-burning exercises involve lots of muscle groups working together. However, side planks and other waist and abs exercises can help tone and condition the underlying muscles. But, if you want to see and feel your waist, you need to lose the fat.

2. What is the best waist-trimming diet?

Any diet that puts you into a caloric deficit will lead to fat loss, and eventually, some of that fat will come from your waist.

Choose a diet you can live with for as many months as it’ll take to reach your goal. Aim to lose 1-2 pounds per week. Remember that THE most important thing is that 300-500 calorie deficit. No deficit means no fat burning.

3. What about wearing a waist wrap – will that speed up fat loss?

Wearing a neoprene waist wrap may lead to temporary inch loss from your waist. Still, the only thing you’re losing is water, and your waist measurement will return to normal as soon as you have a drink. The same is true for PVC belts or wrapping yourself in saran wrap.

You can read more about this topic in our article Does Sweating Help You Lose Weight?

4. Will cutting gluten from my diet help me make my waist slimmer?

Gluten is a protein found in wheat and other grains. It’s safe for most people, but some find that it makes them feel bloated. This is because they have trouble digesting gluten, and it causes a mild inflammatory effect.

If you suspect you have an issue with gluten, try cutting wheat and wheat products (bread, cookies, etc.) from your diet. After a week or so, you may find your waist is smaller, and your abdomen is less bloated. This suggests that you have a problem with gluten and should avoid it if you want to prevent bloating out your waist.

The same is true for the lactose found in dairy. Lactose is a sugar that some people have a hard time digesting and can cause bloating and inflammation.

5. Will doing stomach vacuums help shrink my waist?

Stomach vacuums are an old-school exercise that involves pulling your abs and waist in by contracting your transverse abdominis muscle. Golden ere bodybuilders believed that it helped make their waists smaller.

While this exercise may help tighten your waist, remember that it’s stored body fat you need to lose if you want a smaller waist. So, while doing stomach vacuums may help tighten and tone your waist muscles, you still need to lose that unwanted fat if you want a significantly smaller waist.

6. What should my waist measurement be?

Your waist measurement is a predictor of heart health, and the larger your waist measurement is, the greater your risk of developing coronary heart disease or suffering from a cardiac event such as a stroke.

According to the American Heart Association, men should have a waist measurement of 40 inches or less. In comparison, women’s waists should be 35 inches or less.

That said, your waist measurement relative to your height is a better indicator of whether you are carrying too much weight around your middle. Use this calculator to see how your height and waist measure up.

Slim Waist Workout – Wrapping Up

Sadly, there are no magic exercises or workout routines that will preferentially trim inches from your waist, and anyone who tries to tell you differently is seriously misinformed!

Instead, if you want a smaller waist, you’ll need to lose fat from your entire body by combining a healthy diet with a balanced and consistent workout plan. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as spot reduction.

But, while this might sound like bad news, it’s actually not. Losing fat from all over your body will improve how you look and feel much more than just dropping fat from around your waist.

So, eat less to create a calorie deficit, exercise enough to accelerate fat loss, and do some targeted abs and waist exercises to improve muscle tone. Be consistent, and you WILL trim inches not only from your middle but from your entire body.

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