A combination of strengthening, toning and aerobic exercise will help you achieve a smaller waist -- you can't spot-reduce any part of your body. Perform strengthening and toning exercises two to three days a week along with maintaining a consistent program of aerobic exercise.
Getting Rid of the Fat
If you have a large waist from an excess amount of fat, you must create a calorie deficit. While reducing your intake of calories might help lose fat, a beneficial method of fat reduction is through aerobic exercise. Depending on the type of aerobic exercise you perform, you could burn hundreds of calories per hour, which equals eventual fat reduction. The more intense the aerobic activity, the more calories will be burned. Strive to perform at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise a week, or 75 minutes of intense aerobic exercise.
Body Resistance Exercise
Body resistance exercise provides strength-training without using additional weights, such as barbells or dumbbells. This type of exercise can be performed virtually anywhere at any time. Several abdominal-strengthening body resistance exercises include crunches, lying leg pushes, in which you lie on your back and push your straightened legs into the air perpendicular to the floor, and reverse crunches. Reverse crunches are much like traditional crunches, except you keep your upper body on the floor while you push your bent knees toward your chest. Perform three sets of 12 to 15 repetitions of each body resistance abdominal exercise.
Weight Bearing Exercise
Add weights to any exercise to produce larger muscles. This is particularly useful in abdominal strength-training if you are aiming to form six-pack abdominal muscles. Many body resistance abdominal exercises can be modified to add more weight to the exercise. For example, when performing a traditional crunch, hold a dumbbell to your chest with both hands. Or, while performing lying leg pushes, hold a dumbbell between your feet. You will feel and see results in your abdomen that reflect your efforts.
Circuit Training
Circuit training has several benefits. This type of workout can be done in as little as 10 minutes and promotes muscular strength and endurance. It also provides heart health benefits due to its cardiovascular conditioning component. In circuit training, you can perform a variety of exercises for various muscle groups. However, if you are concentrating on slimming your waistline, you might wish to perform only abdominal exercises during your circuit routine, or add several other exercises for different muscle groups. To perform a circuit, choose four to six exercises, such as Roman leg lifts, crunches, side bends and reverse crunches. Perform a set of 10 to 15 repetitions of each exercise back-to-back without a break. After you have performed a set of each exercise, rest for one to two minutes. Repeat the circuit for a total of four to six sets. Perform a circuit training routine two to three days a week in addition to or in place of your abdominal-strengthening routine.
Member Comments