Moving your pelvis back and forth repeatedly and regularly will help you burn belly fat and lose weight. This exercise, popular on TikTok, is called the belly loss dance. But does it really make you lose your love handles as the many videos dedicated to it suggest?
On TikTok, there are a multitude of videos showing young women dynamically moving their pelvises back and forth. Called the “chinese belly loss dance” or “chinese belly fat burn”, this practice was popularized in March 2021 by a sports coach called wanyomori4515, followed by nearly ten million subscribers on TikTok. According to the instigator, repeating these movements would burn belly fat and promote slimming. His account is entirely dedicated to this activity. She shows before/after videos such as that of a young teenager, viewed eight million times, going from 57 to 36 kilos by performing this pelvic movement, or that of a woman who lost more than fifty kilos thanks to this technique.
@wanyomori4515 It’s okay to be fat, you always get slim when you exercise! Effort doesn’t betray you!#coach #workout #diet #china ♬ Kiat Jud Dai – DJMuchY
Since then, Internet users from other countries have reproduced this movement, and claim to lose weight quickly thanks to this exercise, as shown in the Adaoras_space video.
Videos that sell dreams
While it is tempting to try this exercise to lose belly fat and weight, it may not be nearly as effective as you think. Juliana Massamba, a dietitian-nutritionist and sports coach based in Paris, warns against these supposed physical transformations which, according to her, sell “dreams”. Contacted by ETX Majelan, she explains: “We cannot target weight loss only on the stomach“. As for the supposed kilos burned, the sports coach would like to point out that various factors must be taken into account: “To lose weight, it all happens on the plate. These people must surely follow a diet and practice other physical activities”.
Another important point: this dance should be banned for people who are overweight or have back problems. Indeed, this movement could cause physical damage to their already fragile spine, according to the sports coach. She specifies on this subject: “By repetitively bending their spine which is already fragile, we perform a sudden movement on the discs of the back”. She continues: “The back discs are small cushions present in the spine which prevent our bones from rubbing against each other. When frequently flexed, these discs tighten and produce compression throughout the spine.”. However, the expert emphasizes that it is crucial for the body to have good spinal alignment to be able to practice physical activity.
Varied diet and physical activity: the winning duo for losing weight
If you want to lose weight and at the same time lose your stomach, a varied and balanced diet combined with regular physical activity are more suitable. And this does not necessarily require practicing intensive sports like running. “I recommend fairly regular walking to my patients, which is as effective as running.”, declares Juliana Massamba. In fact, walking at least 30 minutes a day can affect your weight. Sports like rucking, or even yogi walkie which includes walking may possibly be suitable.
Massamba also points out that stress is also an important factor in weight loss. “When you want to lose weight, stress becomes increased, which increases cortisol levels (the stress hormone, editor's note), which can often lead to weight gain.“. She concludes: “Everyone goes at their own pace. You have to make sure you have a healthy lifestyle and listen to your body above all. You should also not rely on this type of exercise to lose weight.“.
