The tiny waist, big hips phenomenon is a cultural marker of beauty for black women, the standard of seduction that captures most men’s eyes. But beyond how sexy the curve from a small middle to a large derierre may seem, there are larger health reasons that should be taken into account. Like, how small should your waist actually be?
The magic number for a fantabulous waist? Anything under 35 inches.
Research from New York-Presbytarian Hospital shows that if a woman’s waist is larger than that, she will be pre-disposed to serious illnesses, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. A larger waist size mutually means that you are carrying more weight around your abdomen, notably recognized as “bad fat”. These excess levels of weight are a sure sign for high cholesterol and blood fats.
In your search for overall wellbeing, your health should be primary, and shrinking down fat or your waist size will very much come down to your nutrition and exercise. Do you want the body of a goddess? Then don’t forget these tips:
Stop eating foods that slow you down. These are carbs or any type of foods with have high energy density such as french fries and that oh-so-yummy cheesecake. Opt to eat lean instead by staying away from processed foods and consuming vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and low-fat dairy.
Up Your Cardio. If you don’t get in the gym, you can’t get slim. You have got to exercise regularly to see results, and we don’t mean hop on the elliptical for 15 minutes and call it a day. Try to really sweat for 60 to 90 minutes at least 4 to 5 times a week to see your waist shrink.
Change It Up All the Time. Stop doing the same old boring crunches. They aren’t doing anything for you. The body loves elasticity so keep your workouts dynamic. Try leg raises, reverse crunches, cycling, etc. to help tone your core and workout your waist fully.
