Walking may trim your waist. Depending on the amount of food you take in, you may see a reduction in fat if you carry excess weight. In addition, the movement of walking activates muscles that slim your waist. However, walking alone may not be sufficient. You must use the exercise in combination with a healthy eating plan to really see results.
Musculature
When you walk, you use your core to power the movement. Your core is composed of the front of your abdomen, your back, your butt and the tops of your thighs. All of these muscles engage in moving your body in a walking motion. A 2002 study published in the journal "Clinical Biomechanics" focused specifically on the abdominal muscles activated during walking. The study found walking activated three abdominal muscle areas: the internal and external obliques, which exist at the sides of your waist, and the rectus abdominis, which runs down the front of your torso. In addition, the study found that the erector spine muscles, which run down either side of your spine, were activated during walking.
Diet
While muscle activation means that muscles will firm up, potentially trimming your waist, walking alone is unlikely to have a visible effect in the short-term. Including it as part of a healthy eating plan will ensure the musculature you're building through walking is visible more quickly. While diet types abound, the simple math is that you must consume 3,500 calories less than you expend to lose 1 lb. of fat.
Effects
In a May 2008 study published in the "British Journal of Sports Medicine," researchers studied the impact of how far participants walked in relation to their body mass index and waist circumference. For all age groups, the heavier you are, the more quickly your waist responds to increased distances of walking, according to the study.
Other Benefits
Besides the potential to trim your waist, walking has other significant health benefits. Walking can lower your LDL, or the cholesterol that's associated with the potential for heart attacks. In addition, it increases your healthy cholesterol, also known as HDL. Walking also reduces your risk of developing insulin-dependent diabetes. It can improve your mood, motivate you to better track your calories and strengthen the muscles of your torso and legs.
References
- "Clinical Biomechanics"; Abdominal and Erector Spinae Muscle Activity During Gait: the Use of Cluster Analysis to Identify Patterns of Activity; S.G. White, et al.; March 2002
- Mayo Clinic; Counting Calories: Get Back to Weight-Loss Basics; December 2009
- "British Journal of Sports Medicine"; Association Between Walking Distance and Percentiles of Body Mass Index in Older and Younger Men; P.T. Williams; May 2008
- Mayo Clinic; Walking: Trim Your Waistline, Improve Your Health; December 2010
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