Your ultimate glow-up goal? A perfectly defined waist. A slim waist, lifted curves and sculpted hips can instantly transform the look of a silhouette… Here are 6 exercises and a few tips to help you slim your waist.
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Exercise no1 to slim your waist: the side plank
A strength training exercise well known for targeting the obliques — the abdominal muscles running along either side of the waist. Because yes, slimming also means strengthening!
- Lie on your side, resting on your right forearm and right foot. Your left leg rests on top of the right and is fully extended. Place your left hand on your left hip.
- On the inhale, straighten your right arm to lift your body off the ground. Your right foot and right forearm maintain firm contact with the floor.
- Hold this core-bracing position for 5 breaths, then slowly lower back down.
- Complete 4 to 5 lifts, then switch sides.
This first exercise should really fire up the oblique muscles — the perfect warm-up for what’s to come!
Exercise no2: the stomach vacuum
This exercise is inspired by hypopressive training and involves deep abdominal breathing. It has the added benefit of strengthening the core and toning the entire abdominal belt, waist included!
- Sit back on your heels, legs folded beneath your thighs. Place your hands on your knees, arms extended.
- Take a slow, deep breath in through your nose. At the same time, draw your stomach in as far as possible. Keep your back straight, let the diaphragm expand, and feel the abdominals “sink” towards the spine.
- Hold the position for a few seconds, retaining your breath.
- Exhale slowly through the mouth, gently releasing the belly.
Repeat 5 times. You should feel your deep core muscles working.
Exercise no3: the oblique leg raise
Think of it as the active version of the side plank. To sculpt your waist and get rid of your love handles, you’ll need to put in a little effort!
- Lie on your right side, legs extended, upper body slightly raised, right forearm and left hand on the floor for balance.
- On the inhale, lift your left leg. Keep your torso and right leg aligned — your left leg should not deviate from that axis.
- On the exhale, lower your left leg without letting it touch the floor.
- Repeat 10 times, then switch sides.
You can include 2 to 3 sets of this exercise in your waist-slimming routine.
Exercise no4: the cross elbow-to-knee
We continue this waist-slimming routine with an exercise that demands both coordination and endurance. If your abs are burning, that’s a great sign!
- Start seated on the floor, balancing on your sit bones (the base of the pelvis). Legs are extended, hands behind your head, elbows bent.
- Bend your right leg and, with a twisting motion of the torso, bring your left elbow to meet your right knee. Be careful not to pull on your neck — your abs should be doing all the work.
- Then reverse: bend your left leg and bring your right elbow to your left knee. Remember to breathe steadily throughout the exercise.
- Complete a set of 10 touches (5 on each side).
Aim for at least 2 to 3 sets of 10 to quickly slim your waist and tone your stomach.
Exercise no5: Parivrtta Utkasana pose
Could yoga also help work the waist? Here is a twisting pose that can be performed standing or seated. For beginners, using a chair is the best option.
- Sit on a chair without armrests.
- Inhale and raise your arms above your head in a wide arc, bringing your palms together in a prayer position, arms fully extended.
- On the exhale, lean forward, bringing your bent arms in front of your chest.
- Inhale again in this position, opening the back and chest wide, without arching the lower back.
- Exhale as you twist your torso to the right, keeping your hands joined at chest height. Rest your left elbow on the outside of your right knee.
- Hold the pose for 5 full breaths, then slowly sit back up.
- Repeat on the other side.
This exercise, deceptively gentle, can be repeated three times.
Exercise no6: the lateral bend
Strength training, fitness, yoga… All that’s left is a stretching exercise to round off this routine — the perfect way to finish with a relaxing yet effective stretch!
- Start standing, feet shoulder-width apart. Place your right hand on your right hip and raise your left arm, fully extended towards the ceiling.
- On the inhale, lean your torso to the right. Be careful not to tip forward — your upper body should stay straight, in line with your legs.
- On the exhale, slowly return to an upright position.
- Repeat 5 times, then switch sides.
You can do two sets of this exercise. The key: save it for the end of your workout, as it’s designed to thoroughly stretch the oblique muscles and help prevent any post-session soreness.
Nutrition tips to slim your waist
Exercise is great, but to slim your waist, what you eat matters just as much… Without a balanced diet, all your hard work will count for nothing. So:
- eat a balanced, varied diet, favouring home-cooked meals and minimally processed foods;
- choose “smart” foods — filling, gut-friendly fibre (wholegrains, vegetables, legumes), lean proteins to fuel your muscles (eggs, white meat, fish, plant-based proteins);
- stay well hydrated, primarily with water;
- chew thoroughly to avoid bloating, which can make the stomach and waist look swollen;
- cut back on sugar, unhealthy fats, salt and alcohol.
The Cellublue routine for a sculpted waist
Finally, if you want to take your waist-sculpting programme even further, you can count on our power cosmetic duo:
- our Gel Minceur Cryo Ventre, to apply every morning to the stomach and waist area. Its formula, enriched with Oriental lotus and Arctic algae, helps tone the abdominal muscles and supports localised inch loss (up to -6.6 cm after 21 days of use);
- our Crème Minceur Nuit Ventre, to apply every evening. A true firming ritual — this cream nourishes the skin while supporting the breakdown of fat around the stomach, waist and love handles. 97% of women who have tried it would recommend it!
