Many people believe that isolating the waist and abdominal region can help reduce their waistline. However, the fat-burning process occurs throughout your body, not just in one area, according to exercise physiologist William McArdle. You will need to expend more calories than you consume to get a smaller waistline and reduce body fat.
Hiking
Hiking is form of hybrid aerobic and anaerobic activity that you can do almost anywhere as long as your hike has variations of height and incline, according to physical therapist Gray Cook, author of "Athletic Body in Balance." A hybrid aerobic and anaerobic activity is where your body uses both systems to perform. For example, if you hike at a steady pace for a long duration, then you are in aerobic mode, which uses fat as the main fuel source. If you hike up a hill strenuously, then you are in anaerobic mode which uses mainly glucose.
Hiking not only works on your lower body, but also your upper-body stability. When you hike up, your abdominal and deep spinal muscles stabilize your torso to maintain balance as you produce force to move up against gravity. When you hike down, they work with your lower body to maintain balance and the rate of descent.
Strength Training
Although strength-training uses little body fat during exercise, your body burns more calories from fat after strength-training in a state called excess-post-oxygen-consumption, or EPOC, according to Coach Robert dos Remedios, author of "Cardio Strength Training." During EPOC, your body uses energy from fat to repair muscle tissues, restore the body to homeostasis and replenish nutrients to your cells. This can burn an extra 300 to 500 a calories a day.
When you perform strength training exercises, perform full-body workouts rather than isolating muscle groups. These include push-ups, body squats, pull-ups, jump-roping, standing shoulder press and multi-planar lunges.
Dancing
Like hiking, most types of dances, including hip-hop, breakdancing, salsa, mambo and tango, use a combination of aerobic and anaerobic systems. If you do not like to work out in a gym, then dancing might be a better option. Find a type of music and dance that you enjoy, and practice the timing, steps and rhythm. According to McArdle, dancing can burn between 5-1/2 to 10 calories a minute. If you dance for 30 minutes, then you would burn between 165 to 300 calories.
Corrective Exercise
Corrective exercises improve joint range of motion and posture, which can help make your waistline appear smaller. Poor posture, such as hunching in your upper spine or having excessive curvature in your lower spine, can cause your stomach to distend, according to fitness professional Anthony Carey, author of "Pain-Free Program." If you improve your posture, then you will improve your appearance.
References
- "Exercise Physiology: Energy, Nutrition, and Human Performance"; William McArdle; 2001
- "Athletic Body in Balance"; Gray Cook; 2003
- "Cardio Strength Training"; Robert dos Remedios; 2009
- "Pain-Free Program"; Anthony Carey; 2005
Member Comments