The Ultimate Guide to Flat Belly and Thin Waist Exercises

A slim waistline not only looks great, but it’s also a key component of overall fitness and health. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the best exercises to help you achieve a flat belly and thin waist.

1. Warming up

This exercise helps to warm up our muscles before a workout, even if the workout is only 5 minutes long.

Exercise technique:

• Sit at the edge of a chair with your hands on your knees.
• Lean back slowly, contracting your abdominal muscles and keeping your back straight. Your back can touch the chair’s back, but don’t put your weight on it.
• Slowly return to the starting position.
• Repeat 10-12 times.

2. Twists for your obliques

This exercise is a great way to strengthen your oblique muscles.

Exercise technique:

• Start in a sitting position at the edge of a chair with your hands behind your head and your legs extended out in front of you.
• Keeping your legs and hips still, rotate your trunk to the right. Your arms should follow your torso, reaching towards the floor on the right side.
• Hold this position for 3 seconds, then slowly return to the starting position.
• Repeat on the left side, rotating your trunk to the left and reaching towards the floor on the left side.
• Do 10 reps on each side.

3. Leaning forward

This exercise works on abs just as well as traditional twists.

Exercise technique:

• Start by placing your hands behind your head and clasping your fingers together.
• Slowly lean forward from your waist, keeping your back straight and core engaged.
• Avoid using your arms to assist you when tilting forward.
• Once you’ve leaned forward, slowly return to the starting position.
• Repeat this movement for a total of 15 repetitions.

4. Pull your knees toward your chest

This exercise works on the obliques, the rectus abdominis muscle, and even the muscles of the hip.

Exercise technique:

• Lift one bent leg and pull it towards your chest.
• Hold your knee with both hands and maintain this position for 3 seconds.
• Slowly release your leg and return to the starting position.
• Repeat the same movement with the other leg.
• Continue alternating legs and complete a total of 15 repetitions for each leg.

5. Pulling your knees to your chest and straightening your legs

To have great abs, you have to involve your legs. Make sure your chair is steady before you start.

Exercise technique:

• Begin by leaning back in your chair and bringing your legs together.
• Pull your knees towards your chest and hold this position for 3 seconds.
• Next, straighten your legs and hold this straightened position for another 3 seconds.
• Slowly bend your knees once again and pull them towards your chest.
• Straighten your legs once more.
• Repeat this sequence of movements a total of 10 times.
  

6. Bent knee rotations

This exercise works the abs very well.

Exercise technique:

1. Begin in the starting position, as mentioned in the previous exercise.
2. Pull your bent knees towards your chest.
3. Now, start rotating your legs in a controlled manner.
4. Make sure to involve your entire leg in the rotation, rather than just focusing on your toes. This engages your abdominal muscles more effectively.
5. Continue rotating your legs, maintaining a controlled and steady pace.
6. Complete a total of 10 rotations for each side.

7. “Scissors”

This six pack exercise also involves the muscles of the hip.

Exercise technique:

• Begin by leaning back in your chair and holding onto both sides of the seat with your hands.
• Raise both of your legs straight out in front of you.
• Start spreading your legs out to the sides, opening them as wide as is comfortable for you.
• Then, cross one leg over the other leg in the middle.
• Continue alternating between spreading your legs out to the sides and crossing one leg over the other in the middle.
• Repeat this movement for a duration of one minute.

Some bits of advice

The advantage of these seated workouts is their simplicity. But if you want to get rid of excess weight, you have to be mindful of your diet. These tips will help you to achieve your goals faster:

1. Determine the recommended daily caloric intake for your age, gender, and lifestyle. For example, a sedentary 25-year-old woman typically needs between 2,000-2,400 calories per day. Consult a reliable table to calculate your recommended calorie intake.
2. Aim for a balanced diet that consists of 50% carbohydrates, 30% proteins, and 20% fats.
   
3. Include sources of omega-9 in your diet. Omega-9, also known as oleic acid, helps prolong the feeling of fullness and can prevent overeating. Foods that contain omega-9 include olive and peanut oils, turkey, trout, and avocado.

Bonus: Discover the ultimate exercise for sculpted abs

Researchers from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse compared the effectiveness of a variety of ab exercises, including the traditional crunch, on the rectus abdominis (the six-pack muscles). They found that the traditional crunch activated it more than any other exercise, including the Ab Circle Pro, Ab Roller, Ab Lounge, Perfect Sit-Up, Ab Coaster, Ab Rocket, Ab Wheel, and Ab Straps.

The researchers also evaluated core exercises such as the yoga boat pose, stability ball crunch, decline bench curl-up, captain’s chair crunch, bicycle crunch, side plank, and front plank. They found that none of these exercises were as effective at activating the rectus abdominis as the traditional crunch.

The study’s findings suggest that the traditional crunch is the most effective ab exercise for building a strong core. However, it is important to note that the study only looked at the activation of the rectus abdominis. It is possible that other exercises, such as the bicycle crunch or side plank, may be more effective at targeting other core muscles.

Exercise technique:

• Lie on your back on a mat with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
• Place your hands behind your head, with your fingers interlaced.
• Engage your core and curl your upper body up towards your knees, keeping your back pressed against the mat.
• Pause at the top of the crunch, then slowly lower yourself back down to the starting position.
• Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

You’ve learned our top flat belly and thin waist exercises, but before you go, we’ve got 12 sneaky hacks up our sleeve that you won’t want to miss.