Doing This One Exercise Can Shrink Your Waist Fast, According to Study

Looking to get your bikini body ready for summer? Don’t wait until July to make a splash.

A new study reveals that one specific type of workout can help shrink your waistline pretty quickly. Find out what kind of exercise it is and how long it takes—and why experts say it’s a great option for people who may be overweight or obese.

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The One Exercise That Can Shrink Your Waist Fast

A study published today in BMJ Open found that people who do water aerobics for at least 10 weeks lose weight and show smaller waist sizes. What’s even more interesting however, is that the results were most pronounced in women over 45 who were overweight or obese.

That makes water aerobics an excellent exercise option for obese and/or overweight people looking to exercise more, because while sure, exercise can help with weight loss, obesity research has found that extra weight puts people at greater risk for bone and joint injury when performing land-based aerobic exercises like running.

Thus, to avoid strain and injury, exercise physiologists recommend that people dive into water-based movement like water aerobics. This low-impact exercise has people in the shallow end of the pool performing movements like jumping jacks and butt kicks. The new study showed that aquatic exercises help women plunge into a fitter future in 10 to 12 weeks.

Related: Obesity Doctors on Which Workout Burns the Most Calories

How Long It Takes to Lose Weight With Water Aerobics

The authors analyzed the results of 10 studies published from 2009 to 2021 that compared water aerobics with other types of exercises in adults with a BMI of at least 30. The studies were designed as randomized controlled trials—the gold standard of research.

They looked at 286 people aged 20 to 70 who performed water aerobics for 6 to 12 weeks. As for the types of water aerobics they did? The selection included water Zumba, water yoga and water walking. Participants in some trials exercised twice a week, while others exercised three times a week, for one hour each session.

People started showing differences in body size only after 10 weeks or more of water aerobics. “Short-term water aerobics (e.g., six weeks) had a limited impact on body weight and body composition, whereas longer interventions (12 weeks or more) were more effective,” wrote the authors in the study.

On average, participants lost nearly 6.61 pounds and shrank their waists by 1.18 inches. Those who continued with water aerobics for 12 weeks lost even more weight.

The effects were most seen in women 45 years and older. Men in the study showed no difference in bodily size after doing water aerobics. This contrasts with prior research that found water aerobics lowers body weight in overweight older men after 8 weeks.

However, the authors note this could be because not enough men were enrolled in the trials to make an accurate conclusion. The study’s results may also have been affected by some trials lasting less than 10 weeks and participants dropping out midway.

Related: ‘I’m 65 and In the Best Shape of My Life—This Is the Exact Workout Routine I Swear By’

Why Water Aerobics?

According to the authors, water workouts are ideal for people who are overweight or obese because water buoyancy can reduce body weight by up to 90%. This puts less pressure on bones and joints when you exercise. Additionally, water resistance helps people burn more calories than if they walked on land. Sounds like a win-win to us!

Why Does This Matter?

This research is promising because there is an obesity epidemic on our hands that has yet to improve. Global obesity rates have increased in the past 40 years, with 504 million women and 374 million men considered obese in 2022. Thanks to this study, however, we now know that water aerobics is one method for improving obesity and potentially preventing hundreds of obesity-related chronic conditions.

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