Whatever you’re searching the internet for, whether it’s ‘waist exercises’ or ‘exercises for your waist’, you’ve found the right corner here. Working on your core muscles (which knit together to create your waist) is one of the most important things you can do, with benefits reaching far beyond your silhouette.
A strong core helps you lift, carry, stand, sit, run, jump – functional movements that stretch well outside your time in the gym. Lifting weighty shopping bags, a small toddler or beloved pet? You’re using your core. Squatting down to lift a heavy box or sofa (à la Ross from friends)? You guessed it, your core comes into helping you do that too.
Making sure you’re strengthening the muscles that work overtime helping you complete workouts and daily life, is never a bad thing.
How can I lose weight around my waist?
When it comes to waist qualms this is one of the most frequently reported. But, one thing to get straight from the jump is that fat loss – the process of retaining muscle but losing excess fat – does not work through spot-reduction. Basically, you can’t choose where you lose fat from, that largely comes down to genetics and how your body works. Apols. What you can do, is make sure you’re eating a nutrient dense diet that’s suited to your goals and regularly exercising, mixing up strength training and cardio.What exercises are best for reducing your waist?
Again, there’s no one exercise that’s going to whittle you a strong, cinched core, if that’s what you’re after. Instead, building an exercise routine that strengthens your core muscles and also helps you to lose body fat will help to change your body composition. For some good moves that target those midline muscles, as well as how to do them, get around the list below.Thread Needle
a) Lie in a side plank position with your arm extended to the ceiling.
b) Lower your arm, ‘threading’ through below your hip and extend back up. Keep your hips up and high!
Plank Hip Dips
a) Start in forearm plank position.
b) Lower your left hip to the floor, twisting your torso but keeping upper arms and shoulders stable.
c) From the left hand side, reverse the move to drop your right hip down to the right hand side. Keep your body moving as your drop from side to side but make sure to stay engaged in the core
Single Knee Crunch with Twist
Bicycle Crunch
a) Lie down with your head and shoulders raised, hands behind your head and legs in tabletop position.
b) Bring your right elbow to meet left knee while straightening your right leg at 45-degree angle.
Alternating Bird Dog
a) Get into a tabletop position on the floor on your hands and knees, tuck your bum under and engage your core. Raise your right arm until it’s next to your ear while simultaneously lifting your left leg until it’s parallel with the floor.
b) Return to the starting position and repeat with the left arm and right leg. That’s one rep. Keeping your core tight will stop you falling to one side.
Russian Twists
a) Lie on your back, knees raised and bent at 45° with feet hovering just off the floor and both hands holding the weight above your chest. Use your abs to raise your torso to a 45° angle with the floor.
b) Slowly twist your torso to the right side, keeping your arms straight and raised. Pause and then reverse the twist to repeat on the left side. That’s one rep.
Side Plank
a) Lean on the right side of your body in a straight line from your head to your feet, with your arm bent and your elbow directly beneath your shoulders.
b) Hold for 30 seconds and repeat on the left.
T-Bar Rotations
a) Start in high plank position, with shoulders over wrists and one straight, engaged line from your head to your toes.
b) Lifting your left hand from the mat, open up to a side plank position.
c) Lower your hand back to the mat and repeat on the other side.
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Shoulder Taps
a) Start in high plank position, with shoulders over wrists and one straight, engaged line from your head to your toes.
b) Lift your right hand up and tap your left shoulder – try not to let your hips or core move as you do so.
c) Return your hand to the mat and repeat on the other side.
Superman
a) Lie on your stomach with your arms (overhead) and legs fully extended while keeping your head relaxed and spine neutral by looking at the floor in front of you instead of up.
b) Contract your core muscles to stabilize your spine, while simultaneously raising both your legs and arms a few inches off the ground, keeping your head and neck neutral. Hold at top for 3–5 seconds.
c) Gently lower yourself back to the starting position and repeat.
V-Sits
a) Lying on your mat extend your arms and legs out.
b) Using your core and keeping your legs straight bring your hands and toes up to touch. Lower, tapping your hands and feet to the floor and repeat.
V-Sit Hold
a) Sit up straight with your knees bent, feet on the floor and arms extended in front.
b) Lean back and extend your legs up so your body creates a V-hold. Hold. And yep, hold some more…
Plank Arm Reaches
a) Starting in forearm plank position raise and straighten your right arm, and hold it so that it’s parallel to the rest of your body.
b) Lower to the starting position, then repeat with the other arm raised.
Dead Bug
a) Lie on your back with your arms above your shoulders and legs in a tabletop position.
b) Keeping your arms straight, stable and strong, alternate lowering and lifting each leg, ensuring your lower back remains melted into the floor.
FINAL TIPS FOR AN HOURGLASS SHAPE
TIP 1 – Start your obliques workout with a core warm up.
TIP 2 – Breathe out during the exertion part of the exercise, that’s when you crunch.
TIP 3 – Finish the workout with a core stretching routine.
TIP 4 – Do 30 minute cardio workouts at least 3 times a week, to burn the extra fat, and add upper body, core and lower body workouts to your weekly schedule.
TIP 5 – Follow a clean eating diet, and drink plenty of water throughout the day.
