Fitness Q&A: How Do I Get a Tighter Waistline?

Q: How Do I Get a Tighter Waistline?
A: There are 2 equally important factors involved in shrinking your mid-section... #1 reducing fat and #2 increasing muscle tone. Unfortunately, getting a slim, sexy waistline is not as easy as doing a few crunches everyday. In fact, crunches alone can actually increase the overall size of your waist. You see, crunches and abdominal exercises are designed to strengthen and tighten the muscles of the core (the muscles that circle your waist), but if you are increasing your muscle mass by performing these exercises without also decreasing your fat store, you are simply adding bulk to your waistline. While crunches and other core exercises are great for strengthening and adding overall muscle tone, you must be doing regular cardio and weight training exercises to decrease overall body fat as well (Yes, lifting weights will actually help you burn MORE fat and lose MORE weight). While there is no such thing as "spot reduction", the idea that performing area-specific exercises will decrease body fat in that certain area, regular cardiovascular exercise and weight-training WILL burn fat on your entire body, thus decreasing the fat stored in your mid-section. When you add cardio and weight-training to your core-strengthening regimen, your waist-line will reap the benefits.