It's easy to see that your waist measurement is an indicator of whether you're overweight or not, but it's also a good indicator of your overall health. According to the Arizona Medical and Natural Health Clinic, the size of your waist and your waist-to-hip ratio can help determine your risk for heart disease, stroke, diabetes and other serious health conditions. Keep your waistline healthy by being vigilant about your body shape, diet and fitness plan.
Benefits
According to the Mayo Clinic, having a healthy waistline and a strong core means that you have better balance, stability and posture, as well as a lower risk of many diseases, including cancer, high blood pressure and metabolic syndrome. Visceral fat cells in the abdomen can produce hormones that may negatively affect the body by making it more susceptible to disease, so it's important to be mindful of minimizing fat in your midsection.
BMI
There are a few different ways you can judge whether you have an unhealthy amount of fat in your midsection. One way is to calculate your body mass index, or BMI. A BMI calculator will give you a numeric ratio between your height and weight. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disorders, a healthy BMI is in the range of 18.5 to 24.9, a BMI of more than 25 is overweight and a BMI of more than 30 is obese.
Considerations
BMI measurements are not always accurate because of variations in height and muscle mass among different people. Hence, another way to judge your waistline is to find your waist-to-hip measurement. The closer the ratio is to 1 (or greater), the unhealthier your waistline is likely to be. Finally, you can measure the distance around your waist at the level of your belly button and consider it separately. For women, a healthy waist measurement should be less than 35 inches; for men, it should be less than 40 inches.
Diet
What you eat works in conjunction with your fitness plan to determine whether or not you have a healthy waistline. Eating too many fatty, fried, calorie-rich, sweet or salty foods can contribute to weight gain in your midsection and can raise your risk of disease. To achieve and maintain a healthy waist measurement, strive to eat foods that are low in saturated fat, cholesterol and calories and that are mainly fresh, whole and unprocessed or minimally processed. Good examples are fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat or nonfat dairy products, and lean proteins.
Exercise
One of the best ways to get your waistline in shape and improve your health is to add core exercises and cardio to your fitness routine. According to CNN, the best core exercises are those that work several muscle groups at once and focus on strengthening and controlling muscles. Exercises such as the abdominal plank, the bicycle crunch, the quadruped and the bridge will all work to tone multiple abdominal muscles, which can slim down your waistline when they're combined with regular sessions of aerobic exercise, such as jogging or biking.
References
- Arizona Medical and Natural Health Clinic: Waist to Hip
- CNN: Core Exercises - Beyond Your Average Abs Routine
- Mayo Clinic: Core Exercises - 7 Reasons to Strengthen Your Core Muscles
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disorders: WIN
- Mayo Clinic: Belly Fat in Women - How to Keep It Off
