A 25 inch waist is well below the average waist size for women, which is a staggering 38.7 inches.
Given this huge difference in waistline size, could it be that a 25 inch waist is actually too small?
As you’ll soon learn, whether or not your 25″ waist is excessively small depends on if your waist size causes you to suffer from health issues such as being underweight or lacking nutrition.
See How Your Waist Compares:
- 20 inch waist
- 21 inch waist
- 22 inch waist
- 23 inch waist
- 24 inch waist
- 26 inch waist
- 27 inch waist
- 28 inch waist
- 29 inch waist
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Is a 25 inch waist small?
Is a 25 inch waist small for women? Yes, considering that the majority of women have waistlines that are at least 10 inches bigger than our example, a 25 inch waist is extremely small and slim indeed.
You might have a 25 in waist if you exercise frequently. For example, many marathon runners have small stomachs because their body weight is low, which helps them to run for longer periods of time.
Of course, some people just have naturally slim waistlines, which may or may not come paired with narrow hips—more on that later.
If you have a small build and are short in stature, then you may well have a tiny twenty five inch waist.
And yet, you could be taller and have a 25″ waist if you have a low body fat level. This is because when you’re tall and have a low body fat percentage, the fat that you do have is stretched over a larger surface area, which often makes your waist physically slimmer.
How small is a 25.5 inch waist?
Having a 25.5 inch waist or a 25.6 inch waist is, of course, very similar to having a 25″ waist. But because so many people are preoccupied with the size of their waist, half an inch can really make a difference in your head (in practice, it would be very hard to tell the difference between a 25 inch waist and a 25.5 inch waist).
Furthermore, some clothing brands use sizing ranges that have half-inch measurements as their upper and lower limit. So if you’re on the cusp between two different sizes, then it might be worth gaining or losing an inch from your waist so that you have more wiggle room.
To answer the question more directly, yes, a 25.5 inch waist is obviously very slim for a woman, regardless of her height and build. While some women may never be able to sculpt a 25.5″ waist due to their genetics (and there’s nothing wrong with that), other ladies naturally have slim stomachs and can get a 25 in waist without trying.
What does a 25 inch waist look like?
It depends on the height of the person. For example, a 25 inch waistline will look slimmer on a taller woman than on a shorter woman. This is simply because a 25″ waist represents a much larger surface area of your body when you’re short rather than tall—hence it will look bigger, though not necessarily outright big.
On many women, a 25 inch waist will look tiny. After all, according to previously cited anthropometric research, a 25 inch waistline is normal for an 8 or 9-year-old child.
Of course, if you have some stomach fat, then you might not think that your 25″ waist is particularly small. However, you don’t need gym-grade abs to have a slim waist. Having some body fat is perfectly natural, even if you have a slim build. So it’s entirely possible to have a 25″ waist, for example, without having visible abs.
How to get a 25 inch waist
As mentioned, not everyone has the genetics to sculpt a 25 inch waist. Yet, if you’re currently overweight and/or want to modify your body composition, you can slim your waistline by following these safe and effective tips.
Lose some abdominal fat
Losing belly fat is a daunting task for many people because they think that getting a slimmer waist involves extreme dieting and exercise protocols.
However, you can shed stomach fat by making simple dietary changes such as removing junk food from the menu and cutting back on carbs. [1]
Resistance training and cardiovascular exercise are two other effective ways to kick up your metabolism and sculpt a lean, toned waist.
Find a program or routine that you enjoy and can stick to. It’s much better for your health and motivation to lose a small bit of belly fat every week or month than it is to plummet in weight (due to unsustainable dietary and exercises regimes) and then stall for months on end.
Don’t train your obliques directly
When they want to slim their waist, the first thing that many people do is head straight for the ab mat. While working your abs will certainly make your stomach look flatter and more toned, it’s important that you don’t overdo your core training.
The obliques are large core muscles that run down the side of your waist, which, when well-developed, will make your waist significantly thicker.
Now, muscle growth is often very stubborn and certainly doesn’t happen overnight or in a week. But if you’re trying to get a 25 inch waistline, then focus on abdominal exercises (crunches, leg raises, etc.) rather than oblique-build movements like cable wood chops and side bends.
Increase your protein intake
Building a toned and lean body comes down to more than just strength training; you need to get enough protein and other essential nutrients in your diet if you want to improve your body composition.
Eating plenty of protein will help you to develop your abdominals (and all of your other muscle groups, too) while also aiding your recovery from training.
Protein is also important for maintaining good health, so don’t be fooled into thinking that protein is a macronutrient that’s only important for weight lifters.
While you don’t need to consume it in excess, getting sufficient protein in your diet will also keep you feeling fuller for longer, which can help to reduce your cravings for processed foods.
Which celebrities have a 25 inch waist?
The internet is full of great information (if you know where to look). But it’s also full of gossip, which, while entertaining in many cases, is also sometimes factually incorrect.
That said, there are certain celebrities who likely have a 25 inch waist. Two examples of these women are media personality Amanda Holden and Australian singer Kylie Minogue. [2]
While I couldn’t find any footage of them actually measuring their waistlines, these two ladies keep in great shape, and I certainly don’t doubt that their waists are around the 25-inch mark.
Of course, like any of us, celebrities have their ups and downs. Just because they have a 25 inch waist some of the time doesn’t mean that they always have a 25 inch stomach.
Your menstrual cycle, which makes you retain water, and the fullness of your stomach, for example, can both affect the size of your waist without actually making you gain body fat.
What hip size should you have for a 25 inch waist?
While there’s no hard consensus on the ideal waist-to-hip ratio in terms of attractiveness, there are certainly some ranges that are good to be in. Some research, for example, shows that a waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) of 0.7 is considered the most feminine and attractive proportion. [3]
25 inch waist 35 inch hips
If you have a 25 inch waist and 35 inch hips, then you have a 0.71 waist-to-hip ratio, which, as mentioned, is ideal in the opinion of some researchers.
Most women don’t have such a ratio, and you shouldn’t feel that you’re in any way undesirable if your proportions don’t line up with supposed gold standards.
25 inch waist 36 inch hips
Having a 25 inch waist and 36 inch hips gives you a waist-to-hip ratio of 0.7, which is the ideal ratio in the opinion of some people.
Of course, some people prefer a lower WHR while others prefer a higher one. It differs based on the people involved in the research, [4] but, in general, if your ratio is somewhere in the vicinity of 0.7, then you have nothing to be self-conscious about.
25 inch waist 37 inch hips
If you have a 25 inch waist and 37 inch hips, then you have a 0.68 WHR. This value is calculated by dividing your waist size by your hip size.
To work out your body type, you’d also need to factor in your bust measurement. But it certainly seems that someone with the above proportions would have an hourglass figure.
The verdict: Is it good to have a 25 inch waist as a woman?
Having a 25 inch waist size is only bad if it’s indicative of health problems, such as you being underweight or lacking in nutrition.
As we’ve seen, the average woman isn’t anywhere near as slim as certain people might have you believe.
Yet, at the same time, there are obviously women who have genetically slim waists, and that’s not a characteristic that they should feel bad about. Indeed, some women work really hard to maintain a 25 inch waistline and remain perfectly healthy while doing so.
References
- Johns Hopkins Medicine. (2022). 8 Ways to Lose Belly Fat and Live a Healthier Life. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/8-ways-to-lose-belly-fat-and-live-a-healthier-life
- Smellie, A. (2018, October 19). How your waist can reveal your fertility, wealth and availability. Mail Online. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-6292439/Princess-Eugenie-28-5ft-5-28-inch-waist.html
- Singh, D., & Young, R. K. (1995). Body weight, waist-to-hip ratio, breasts, and hips: Role in judgments of female attractiveness and desirability for relationships. Ethology and Sociobiology, 16(6), 483–507. https://doi.org/10.1016/0162-3095(95)00074-7
- Freedman, R. E., Carter, M. M., Sbrocco, T., & Gray, J. J. (2004). Ethnic differences in preferences for female weight and waist-to-hip ratio: A comparison of African–American and White American college and community samples. Eating Behaviors, 5(3), 191–198. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eatbeh.2004.01.002
