Getting a trim waistline typically takes a combination of reducing fat and calories in the diet plus engaging in regular exercise. Specific exercises to help tone and shape the waist include twisting types of movements as well as belly dancing, jumping rope and cycling. Staying generally active and concentrating on burning calories rather than storing them as fat are also likely to help you achieve a trim waistline.
Brisk walking while moving the arms along with the legs may help whittle your waist. Even bicycle riding, either regular or stationary, can tone waist muscles. As the legs move the bike's pedals, the sides of the waistline also benefit from the toning movements. Swimming, especially the side stroke, can be another good activity to help you get a trim, sleeker waistline.
Sit-ups and other exercises that work the stomach muscles may also help trim the waist since a flatter abdomen can help the waistline appear slimmer through better toning. Muscle building though such exercises as lifting weights may make the waist look thicker as it becomes more muscular. In general, fat burning aerobic exercise rather than muscle increasing techniques work the best when a trim waistline is the goal.
While fat tends to first accumulate at the waist and stomach when a person gains weight, it is also often the first place to become slimmer when a diet plan is started. Getting moderate, regular exercise plus counting calories and fat each day to a reasonable amount that will allow for slow and steady weight loss is usually enough for most people to get a trim waistline from their efforts. Workouts should include at least one or two waist-specific exercises, whether these are swimming strokes, belly dancing moves or cross over movements.
Cross over twists such as standing and touching the fingertips of one hand to the toes of the opposite foot help work the waist. After about five or ten movements in this manner are done with one hand and foot, they should be repeated with the remaining two limbs. The repetitive cross twisting action can help result in a trim waistline if the mid-section gets a good toning workout.
Belly or hula dancing can be fun, waistline-slimming exercises to try as these movements constantly involve moving the waist. The 1950s style dance move the Twist is another fun dance move that can provide a trim waistline when done regularly; it also has the advantage of being easy to learn. Standing, with the feet comfortably on the floor, the hips are twisted while one foot is moved in a sliding motion to the beat of the music. Chuck Berry's song "The Twist," inspired by the dance, was released in 1962; it's upbeat and ideal for doing the waist trimming movements.