Working your core muscles is the best way to cinch your waist. Not only that, a strong core helps you do a myriad of everyday activities from lifting and carrying to sitting, running and jumping. The right ab exercises will help you tighten and define your waist, giving you a gorgeous silhouette. Remember, consuming a healthy diet is key to losing weight in your stomach area, so combining eating right with waist workouts is a surefire way to get a smaller waist. Check out our favourite waist workouts for women to sculpt and tone!
5 Benefits of Waist Workouts
1. Tightened, cinched waist
2. Strengthened core
3. Better balance and stability
4. Improved posture
5. Relieves back pain and strengthens the back
3 Waist Workout Essentials to Invest In
1. Exercise Mat
Many popular waist workouts, such as bicycle crunches and dog birds are done on the floor. An exercise mat is key to increase comfort while doing floor exercises and to prevent injury.
2. Dumbbells
While many waist workouts are ‘equipment free’, if you want to make them more challenging, add dumbbells! You can easily add a dumbbell to exercises like Russian twists, v-sits and thread the needle to strengthen your core even more.
3. Medicine Ball
Just like dumbbells, a medicine ball can be used to up the difficulty level of your exercises, cinch your waist and strengthen your core even more.
6 Best Waist Workouts for Women
1. Russian Twists
Russian twists strengthen your abs, obliques and spine for a total core workout that also works your balance and builds stability. Start by sitting on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Engage your core and lean back so that your upper body is at a 45 degree angle to the floor. Link your hands together or hold a dumbbell or medicine ball in front of your chest. Brace your core and lift your legs off the ground so they’re at a 45 degree angle. Slowly twist your torso and arms all the way to the right side, then do the same in the other direction.
2. Bicycle Crunches
In addition to firming your ab muscles, bicycle crunches improve your posture and help cinch your waist. Start by lying on the ground with your lower back pressed flat into the floor and your head and shoulders raised slightly above it, your legs in tabletop position. Place your hands lightly on the sides of your head, careful not to yank your head with your hands at any point during the exercise. Bring your right elbow to meet your left knee while straightening your left leg at a 45-degree angle. Repeat on the other side.
3. Alternating Dog Bird
The dog bird is a total core exercise that strengthens the lower back and abdominals while also improving balance and stability. Start on your hands and knees in tabletop position. 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 to the floor. Return to the starting position and then repeat with your left arm and right leg.
4. Super (Wo)mans
This exercise strengthens your lower back and is a great equipment-free way to boost your core strength. 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. Contract your core muscles while simultaneously raising your arms and legs a few inches off the ground. Hold at the top for 3 to 5 seconds. Gently lower yourself back to starting position and repeat.
5. V-Sits
V-sits target the rectus abdominis, obliques and hip flexors while improving core and trunk balance. Start lying flat on your back with your arms above your head and your legs extended out. 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.
6. Side Plank to Thread the Needle
This exercise strengthens your shoulders, hips and sides of your core without putting stress on your back. Lie in a side plank position with your arm extended to the ceiling. Lower your arm, ‘threading’ through below your hip and extend back up. Keep your hips up and high. Repeat on other side.
4 At Home Waist Workouts for Women
Smaller Waist and Lose Belly Fat in 14 Days | Lilly Sabri
This 10 minute workout will help you tighten your waist and lose belly fat in just 14 days. You don’t need any equipment, just a workout mat since all of the exercises are done on the ground. Work up a sweat with moves like star crunches, Russian twists, side planks and more!
Small Waist Workout (10 Mins) | Holly Dolke
Check out this workout to learn some awesome moves that really target the waist and nip it in. It’s a 10 minute, no equipment workout that she recommends doing alongside some cardio to really reap the waist tightening benefits. You’ll do exercises like jump side twists to target your obliques, standing oblique crunches and balancing knee to elbow to burn the whole abdominal area.
Tiny Waist Abs Workout | Vicky Justiz
This killer abdominal workout will help you get a smaller waist, targeting your core to build definition and shrink your waistline. She takes you through exercises like dead bugs, bear crawls with shoulder taps, leg raise pulses and a two minute plank hold. She ends off the workout with vacuums, which help to minimize and shrink your waist.
Quarantine Abs | My 8-Minute Go-To Cinch Waist Workout | Daisy Keech
These ab exercises are geared to give you a cinched waist and activate your lower abs. It’s key to focus on your lower abs because if you start increasing blood flow to this area, it will help you burn stubborn belly fat, which many people have a tough time getting rid of. Follow along as she works through exercises like elevated crunches, bicycle kicks and super (wo)mans!
If you’re trying to get a smaller waist, we hope our tips and waist workouts help you reach your goal!
