37 Inch Waist Size
Health and Fitness Implications
By: Jeremy Fox, CNC, CPT – Published: January 4, 2023
Waist circumference is a universal clothing size measurement. And, like body mass index, it can be used as a health screening metric or to determine if you’re in good shape.
So you may wonder if a 37-inch waist is good or above average for health and fitness. This article will answer all your waist size questions.
What is a 37-Inch Waist?
A 37-inch waist is a circumference measurement around the abdomen. And you can use this number for everything from buying clothing to assessing your risk for health problems like heart disease and diabetes.
But it’s critical to measure your waist correctly to know if it really is 37 inches around.
How to Measure Your Waist
To check your waist size, you will need a flexible tape measure. First, wrap the tape measure around your waist parallel to the floor just above your hip bone.
Now pull the tape snug but not so tight that it indents into your skin. Also, take the reading at the end of a normal exhale but do not suck in your stomach. The number where the end of the tape intersects is your waist size.
Is a 37-Inch Waist Good?
Generally speaking, a 37-inch waist is relatively large. But how large depends on your gender and to whom you compare yourself. So let’s look at some waist size statistics for women and men.
37-Inch Waist for Women
The average waist size for American women is 35.6 inches. That means a 37-inch waist is a little larger than usual for females.
However, it’s important to remember that 3 out of 4 adult women in the US are overweight or obese. So you might not want to compare yourself to the general population.
A survey of women in the US Army, who are generally more fit, shows that their average waist size is 28.2 inches. And a 37-inch waist would put you at the upper limit for being physically fit.
Table 1. 37 Inch Waist for Women
Normal | Fitness | |
---|---|---|
1st | 25.4 | 23.9 |
5th | 27.8 | 25.1 |
10th | 28.9 | 25.7 |
15th | 30.0 | 26.1 |
20th | 30.7 | 26.5 |
25th | 31.6 | 26.8 |
40th | 33.9 | 27.7 |
50th | 35.6 | 28.2 |
60th | 37.2 | 28.9 |
75th | 40.3 | 30.0 |
80th | 41.5 | 30.5 |
85th | 42.8 | 31.1 |
90th | 44.7 | 31.9 |
95th | 47.6 | 33.2 |
99th | 53.8 | 35.8 |
37-Inch Waist for Men
By the same token, the average waist size for an American man is 38.2 inches. And a 37-inch waist would mean you’re slightly slimmer than normal.
Again, this data comes from the general population of adults, which is largely overweight. So it’s better to compare yourself to fit men, like those in the military.
The average waist size bumps down to 32.8 inches from a sample of fit men. And a 37-inch waist is larger than 90% of guys in relatively good shape.
Table 2. 37 Inch Waist for Men
Normal | Fitness | |
---|---|---|
1st | 27.8 | 27.5 |
5th | 30.0 | 28.7 |
10th | 31.6 | 29.5 |
15th | 32.8 | 30.0 |
20th | 33.9 | 30.5 |
25th | 34.8 | 31.0 |
40th | 36.9 | 32.1 |
50th | 38.2 | 32.8 |
60th | 39.6 | 33.6 |
75th | 42.2 | 35.0 |
80th | 43.4 | 35.5 |
85th | 44.8 | 36.2 |
90th | 46.4 | 37.0 |
95th | 49.5 | 38.2 |
99th | 56.2 | 40.5 |
37-Inch Waist to Hip Ratio
Another factor to consider is hip circumference and waist-to-hip ratio. Recent studies suggest that the waist-to-hip ratio may be a better predictor of health problems than waist circumference alone.
One reason is that a lower waist-to-hip ratio is associated with less abdominal fat, which is always good. But it also indicates more hip/gluteus fat and muscle development, another indicator of overall health.
To find your waist-to-hip ratio, take your waist circumference and divide it by your hip circumference. So if you have a 37-inch waist and 40-inch hips, your WHR ratio is 0.925.
For men, a WHR of less than 1.0 is considered healthy for most populations. In comparison, most women should aim for a WHR below 0.90 to be considered healthy.
37-Inch Waist FAQ
Now you know how big a 37-inch waist is for men and women. But you might have more questions about this topic. So here are some quick answers to common queries.
What size is a 37-inch waist?
A 37-inch waist typically corresponds to a US dress size of 19-21. Additionally, this waist circumference should put you in a size XL for other women’s clothing.
Men with a 37-inch waist would likely fall into the L to XL size range for clothing.
What pants size is a 37-inch waist?
A waist size of 37 inches generally corresponds to a pant size of 36-37 for women and 35-36 for men. So your jeans size doesn’t always reflect your actual waist size.
One reason for this is how you wear your pants. For example, women’s pants tend to sit higher on the waist, close to the measurement site. In contrast, men wear their pants lower on their hips, where their waists might be smaller.
In addition, your actual waist size may not reflect your pant size due to your body proportions. For instance, you may need to size up if you have thicker thighs or a bigger butt.
Is a 37-inch waist good for a woman?
For women, a 37-inch waist is roughly 1.5″ larger than the average female. So it probably isn’t a good target if you’re trying to improve your overall health and wellness.
In addition, a 37-inch is excessively large among women who exercise regularly. That means if your goal is to be in excellent shape, you should aim smaller.
In addition, your ideal waist size depends on your body type and height. For instance, a 37-inch waist would be okay for a taller woman but not as good for a shorter one.
Is a 37-inch waist good for a man?
For men, a 37-inch waist is about an inch smaller than the average male’s. However, among active guys, a 37” waist is very large. Therefore, it might not be a good target for some men.
Again, whether this waist size is good depends on your body type and overall size. To illustrate, a 37-inch waist could be expected if you’re a bigger, taller guy. But it would look disproportionately large on an active young man with a small frame.
Waist Size and Body Type
Your waist circumference can be affected by your body type. For example, the ectomorph body type has straighter lines and a naturally smaller waist. By comparison, the endomorph body type has more curves and a thicker waist.
As a result, it’s vital to use specific diet and workout strategies to reduce your waist size based on your body type.
Next Step: Take My Free Body Type Quiz
More Body Measurements
If you found this waist size information useful, you’ll definitely be interested in these related body measurement articles.
Average Wrist Size for Men & Women
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References
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2) Feller, Silke, Heiner Boeing, and Tobias Pischon. “Body mass index, waist circumference, and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus: implications for routine clinical practice.” Deutsches Ärzteblatt international 107.26 (2010): 470.
3) World Health Organization. “Waist circumference and waist-hip ratio: report of a WHO expert consultation, Geneva, 8-11 December 2008.” (2011).
4) Ford, Earl S., Ali H. Mokdad, and Wayne H. Giles. “Trends in waist circumference among US adults.” Obesity research 11.10 (2003): 1223-1231.
5) National Health Statistics Reports, & Stierman, B., National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2017–March 2020 Prepandemic Data Files—Development of Files and Prevalence Estimates for Selected Health Outcomes (n.d.).
6) United States, Congress, Research, Development, and Engineering Center, et al. 1988 ANTHROPOMETRIC SURVEY OF U.S. ARMY PERSONNEL: METHODS AND SUMMARY STATISTICS, 1988, pp. 298-299.
7) De Koning, Lawrence, et al. “Waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio as predictors of cardiovascular events: meta-regression analysis of prospective studies.” European heart journal 28.7 (2007): 850-856.