5 Best Workouts to Slim Your Waist for Summer
Summer’s almost here, and while sunshine and beach days are something to look forward to, those bulky winter layers often reveal more than what we’d like!
But don’t panic, and there are plenty of ways you can slim down your waistline for summer fun in the sun.
From home workouts with zero equipment to outdoor activities that don’t require a gym membership – it doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. (Promise!)
Here are our top five best—and simplest—workouts that will help you trim your waistline just in time for beach weather! Let’s go…
Best Exercise to Slim Waist For Summer
Nobody wants to hit the sand feeling like they have let their body and fitness goals slip away…
So whether you’re looking for something a little more intense or a shorter lower-impact strength routine – this list of the 5 best workouts & exercises will help you slim down that waist!
1. Reverse Lunge with Right & Left Knee Drive
The reverse lunge with knee drive is a spin off the traditional lunge, but brings the knee forward and up toward the chest.
This exercise primarily targets the lower body muscles, including the glutes, hamstrings, and quads. It engages the core muscles and the small stabilizing muscles in the hips and thighs due to the balance needed to perform the exercise by balancing on your left leg, then right.
It is particularly effective for slimming the waist as it engages the core muscles, which can help to tone and strengthen the abdominal muscles for a lean appearance for a slimmer waist!
2. Side Jackknife
The side jackknife exercise specifically targets the oblique muscles, which are located on the sides of our waist.
Starting position is lying on your side with legs fully extended and one hand behind the head for support and arms straight. The movement involves bringing the torso and legs together by contracting the oblique muscles.
The obliques are responsible for twisting and bending motions, which make them crucial for core stability and overall balance. In addition to working the obliques, the side jackknife exercise targets the rectus abdominis (known as the “six-pack” muscle) and the transverse abdominis (deep core muscle).
For those looking to slim their waist, the side jackknife can help to tone and strengthen the obliques, resulting in a leaner and more defined waistline… just in time for summer! The side jackknife can also improve posture, stability, and overall athletic performance.
3. Seated Russian Twist
The seated Russian twist is a floor exercise that targets our abdominal muscles, specifically the obliques, rectus abdominis, and transverse abdominis. One of the best exercises for a smaller waist!
To get started, sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Lean back so that your upper body is at a 45-degree angle to the floor while keeping your back straight. Hold a weight or medicine ball with both hands and twist your torso to one side, touching the ball gently to the ground. Return to the center and twist to the other side, touching the ball to the ground again. Repeat for several repetitions for your workout routine.
During the seated Russian twist, the obliques are the primary muscles targeted, as they are responsible for twisting and rotating the torso. Additionally, the rectus abdominis and transverse abdominis work to stabilize the core during the movement helping us to achieve that slim waist and hourglass figure. YEAH!
4. Bicycle Crunches
Bicycle crunches are a popular abdominal exercise that can be done without any equipment and can be easily modified for beginners or intensified for you advanced folks!
To perform this exercise, lie on your back with your knees lifted to form a 90-degree angle at your hip and knee joints. Cradle the back of your head and upper neck with your elbows wide. Take your hands and lift your right shoulder toward your left knee while simultaneously extending the right leg, then the left leg.
Bicycle crunches engage several muscles in the abdominal area, including the rectus abdominis, obliques, and transverse abdominis.
Bicycle crunches are a great exercise because they can help tone and slim the waist because they require more leg movement than standard crunches, which engages the obliques more effectively and helps to target the muscles in the waist area. Win-win!
5. Plank Hip Dips
Plank hip dips are another bodyweight exercise that targets the oblique muscles in the abdomen.
To perform this exercise, start in a low plank position with your body in a straight line, your elbows bent and under your shoulders, and your feet hip-width apart. Then, rotate your hips to the right and dip your body almost to the floor. Return to the starting position and repeat on the left side. Keep alternating sides until the set is complete.
This exercise strengthens the abdomen and builds core strength, helping to slim and tone our waist.
BONUS Exercise – SPRINTS
Sprinting is a high-intensity workout that gets the heart rate up can help slim the waist. Sprint training is one of the best exercises for building cardiovascular capacity, physical power, and endurance, which can lead to a reduction in visceral abdominal fat.
This type of fat is stored in the abdominal cavity around important organs and can be harmful to overall health. By engaging in sprinting, individuals can increase their caloric expenditure, leading to overall body fat loss, including the waistline.
Additionally, sprinting is an effective exercise for building muscle mass and burning calories, leading to improvements in speed, cardiovascular health, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels.
Therefore, incorporating sprinting into a fitness routine can have a multitude of benefits for waist slimming and overall health.
Understanding Body Fat, Visceral Fat & Slimming Your Waist
You’ve probably heard of visceral fat – but what is it exactly? Well, it’s a type of fat that surrounds the internal organs in the abdominal cavity, including the liver, pancreas, and kidneys.
It is different from subcutaneous fat, which is the fat found directly beneath the skin. Visceral fat is often associated with an increased risk of serious health problems, including inflammation and high blood pressure.
Therefore, targeting visceral fat is important in achieving weight loss goals, waist slimming and reducing the risk of health complications.
Wait, aren’t abs made in the kitchen? Importance of Healthy Diet
The phrase ‘abs are made in the kitchen‘ is often used to emphasize the importance of a healthy diet in achieving that rocking six-pack. Would you believe that research suggests diet is responsible for 80% of our physical appearance, while exercise accounts for the remaining 20%.
Exercise can only get you so far when it comes to losing body fat, specifically in the stomach
Surprised? I was!
As a matter of fact, our bodies are prone to storing fat around the abdominal area, making diet an even bigger piece of the puzzle to prevent tummy flab!
The key is to focus on losing body fat, and this depends on the way we feed and refuel our bodies rather than just the intensity of our exercise routines.
Bottom Line
The bottom line, both a healthy diet and regular exercise are critical components of slimming your waistline and achieving visible abs.
What’s the ideal way of eating to slim your waist? (And lose weight)
The answer is it depends.
The carnivore diet and ketovore diets have become wildly popular for their weight loss and waist-slimming results. They are low-carb, higher-fat diets that have been touted for their potential weight loss benefits and unique ability to slim the waist.
The ketovore diet combines the principles of the carnivore diet with the macronutrient ratios of the keto diet. This means that it also restricts carbohydrates while allowing for some plant-based foods.
Bottom line
A diet rich in animal proteins, vegetables, nuts, and seeds, can go a long way in achieving your six-pack dreams.
Final thoughts on achieving a slim waist for summer
Everyone has their own specific preferences when it comes to choosing which workouts they enjoy doing and what will give them the best results.
Whether you love these core strength-building moves or cardio sprints, there is something here for everyone to try.
Always remember to have fun with it and make sure to build in rest days so that your body can recover AND hone in your diet for best success.
Maybe even give an animal-based diet a shot for even faster results and health benefits?
Good luck, and see you on the beach!
