Achieve a trim midsection with five exercises.
Whether you’re dealing with belly rolls, a beer gut, or the middle-aged spread, it’s safe to say your midsection situation is cramping your vibe—and putting your health at risk. Excess waistline fat makes squeezing into your favorite pants or shorts quite the chore, and you’d like to shape things up. To get you started, we’ve put together a bodyweight workout that’ll help you lose five inches off your waist with no equipment required.
According to the Mayo Clinic, abdominal fat should not be taken lightly. Whatever your body weight may be, having too much extra fat in your midsection is associated with sleep apnea, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease, colorectal cancer, and a greater chance of early mortality. Your age, the number of calories you feed your body every day, and the number of calories you torch can all contribute to your weight and gaining belly fat.
When it comes to trimming your waistline down by five inches or more, you need to eat a healthy diet, strength train at least two to three times a week, and make sure you’re doing enough aerobic work. In addition to cardio and strength training, a pretty underrated—but stellar—kind of workout you can add to your routine is one that’s totally body-based. Bodyweight workouts can be performed basically anywhere and don’t call for fancy equipment. So whether you’re traveling for the holidays or simply don’t want to leave your house, there’s no excuse not to squeeze in a healthy fitness session.
Get ready to build muscle, boost your endurance and strength, and improve your core stability. Here’s a great bodyweight workout to lose five inches off your waist or more.
1. Walking Lunges
Walking Lunges begin by stepping forward with one leg and firmly planting your foot on the floor. Then, lower yourself with control into a lunge until your back knee gently touches the ground. Walk forward with the other leg, and repeat the movement. Perform three to four sets of 12 reps for each leg.
2. Judo Pushups
Judo Pushups stretch out your core and improve your shoulder mobility. Start the exercise by getting in a pushup position. Drive your hips up to the ceiling, and get a solid stretch in your hamstrings. Swoop down toward the ground, leading with your head by your chest. Right before your body reaches the floor, push yourself back up, flexing your triceps to finish the motion. Perform three to four sets of eight to 10 reps.
3. Step-Ups
Step-Ups start with you putting one foot on a bench or sturdy surface, like a plyometric box. Keep your chest tall and core tight
by placing your foot on a bench or sturdy surface. Make sure your chest remains tall and your core tight as you lean into the heel of your front leg and push off of it to step up. Flex your quad and glute at the top of the movement, then lower yourself under control before performing another rep. Perform three to four sets of 12 reps for each leg.
4. Side Plank Leg Raise
Get into a side plank position with your shoulder in line with your wrist and feet stacked. Lift your hips up and forward and brace your core. Leading with your top leg, raise from the heel up as high as you can, flexing the glute at the end of the movement. Lower the leg under control back to starting position before performing another rep. Perform three to four sets of 10 reps for each leg.
5. Janda Situps
You will begin the Janda Situp by positioning yourself to where you’re lying flat on your back with your knees bent and your heels pressing against a sturdy surface. Perform a sit-up while digging your heels towards you, flexing your hamstrings. As you come up, flex your abs as hard as you can, exhaling all of your air. Lower yourself slowly—aka with control—before performing another rep. Perform three to four sets of eight to 10 reps.
