Exercises to Help You Lose Belly Fat

Exercises to Help You Lose Belly Fat Losing belly fat is probably one of the most frustrating problems many of us face. While excess belly fat can have a negative effect on our confidence, it can be even more harmful to our wellbeing. Excess belly fat is not only limited to the way you look. You may also end up with a plethora of health issues due to it, mostly related to the heart, liver, high blood glucose level, and hypertension. Hence, no matter the reason behind your belly fat accumulation, it’s highly crucial to lose belly fat to lead a healthy and fit life. While making some adaptations to your diet can help to burn fat, regular exercise is also a practical and effective way of burning calories and losing belly fat fast.This article will cover everything from the types of abdominal fat and reasons behind belly fat storage to the most useful exercises to melt down fat around the stomach. So, let’s get to it! What Causes Belly Fat? Having fat around the abdominal area is not an issue as we all, even the ones with flat tummies, have it. The problem arises when we store extra layers of fats around our waistlines. If you’re noticing excess fat building up around your stomach, knowing about the reason behind it can help you solve the problem. Some of the commonly known causes of belly fat include: Poor nutrition A diet deficient in essential micronutrients (especially protein and soluble fiber) that maintain a steady metabolic function and keep the hormonal level in balance can cause bell fat. Also, food filled with unhealthy fats, carbohydrates, and sugar can cause excessive growth of fat in the abdominal region. Lack of Physical Activity If your daily routine involves sitting down for long periods of time, you’re more susceptible to have extra belly fat. An inactive lifestyle has become one of the leading causes of obesity and belly fat gain. Sleep Deprivation There’s no denying the fact that ample sleep keeps all the systems in your body in check. Studies suggest that getting at least 7 to 8 hours of good-quality sleep every night reduces the chances of storing excess visceral or deep fat as opposed to those who have 5 less than 5 hours of sleep. Stress Most of us have stressful lives due to the fast-pacing world and hectic routines. What matters the most is how we handle this stress. Many people tend to eat more as a result of a spike in their stress hormones, which, in turn, promotes weight gain and storage of belly fat. Menopause Menopause is the natural process that begins as we reach a certain age. This process leads to a drop in the production of estrogen, a hormone that may lead to the buildup of belly fat n some women. Genetics Your genetic makeup also plays role in the way your body stores fat. Unfortunately, you can’t prevent it but making some changes to your lifestyle can help to cope with the issue. Types of Belly Fat Belly fat is generally of two types. One type is found right beneath your skin and is known as subcutaneous fat. The other type of belly fat lies deeper inside your body, covering your internal organs, like the liver, lungs, and heart. This deeper layer of fat is known as visceral fat, which is considered to be more harmful, even in skinny people. Putting on too much of this fat in the body allows the body to store this fat in unusual areas, making you more prone to certain health conditions, such as type-II diabetes, cardiovascular problems, hypertension, and some types of cancers. People with sedentary lifestyles tend to store more visceral fat even if they follow healthy diets. Therefore, it’s highly imperative that you adopt an active lifestyle and follow a regular workout routine. Although subcutaneous fat is not as hazardous to health as deeper fat, people strive to get rid of it because they believe that it makes them look less attractive. Fast Ways to Lose Belly Fat Whether you want to lose belly fat because you don’t feel satisfied with your appearance or are worried about your health, here are two of the fastest and most commonly used ways to lose belly fat are: Diet Diet is one of the most influential ways of cutting down belly fat. You need to reduce your calorie consumption or only ingest the amount you can easily burn every day in order to lose belly fat. Keeping a check on how many calories you take on a daily basis can make the process of burning excess fats smoother. Your diet should comprise more of foods with fiber, proteins, vitamins, and antioxidants and fewer carbohydrates, trans fat, sugar, and additives, etc. Workout Staying physically active is known to be the most useful method of melting down subcutaneous as well as deeper belly fat. You can hire a personal trainer or find plenty of exercises on the internet specifically targeted at reducing fat deposits around the stomach. Exercise can break down fat cells, reduce inflammation, and boost metabolic rate. Aerobic workouts are most helpful when it comes to losing belly fat. Best Exercises to Lose Belly fat If you’re unable to find the most practical and beneficial exercises that can help you lose extra pounds on your tummy, don’t fret. We’ve pulled together a list of some of the most endorsed exercises aimed at reducing belly fat that trainers and enthusiasts swear by. Let’s have a look at them! Crunches Crunches are undoubtedly one of the top-ranked exercises that can help you tackle those extra layers of fat on the tummy. Doing crunches is super-easy. You just have to lie down on your back and bend the knees. Keep your feet hip-width apart and place them horizontally on the floor. Now lift your hands and place them underneath your head, with your head resting on the palms of your hands. Inhale deeply and start the crunches slowly lifting your upper body. Exhale in this position. After lifting your upper torso as much as possible, go back to the starting position while inhaling deeply again. Start with two or three sets of 10 crunches and then increase the number with time. So, don’t forget to add this classic to your set of fat-burning exercises if you’re working toward getting a toned and slim belly. Cycling and Bicycle Exercise Spending 20 to 25 minutes on a bicycle every day is great for reducing weight and belly fat. But if you don’t own a bicycle or an exercise cycle, don’t worry. You can do a similar exercise without the help of any machine or bicycle. Start by lying down flat on the floor with your hands behind your head or on your sides. Now lift your legs above the ground, bending them at your knees.Replicate the movement of riding a bicycle, bringing your left knee closer to the chest and straightening out the right leg. Switch the legs and repeat, bringing the right leg toward the chest and moving the left leg in a straight position. Repeat at least three to four sets of 10-12 cycles. Lunge Twist Lunge twist is particularly for those who want an easy workout to get rid of belly fat fast. It promotes blood circulation, making it a great warm-up exercise. It also works well for toning and strengthening the muscles of the lower body. To do lunge twists, stand straight with your feet placed at hips-width distance and knees a little bent. Bring both your hands in front, aligning them with your shoulders. Keep your hands parallel to the floor. Now take a lunge position by taking your right foot forward and twisting your upper body to the right side. Try to reach your arms to the right side and then move your arms to the center. Now bring your other foot forward and twist the upper torso to the opposite side. Two to three sets with 10 steps are recommended if you’re a beginner. Zumba Who would have thought workouts could be so much fun? Well, Zumba is a high-energy, fat-busting, and high-intensity workout that basically requires you to practice different dance steps on your favorite music. However, it’s usually performed on Latin or Salsa music. You can watch online video tutorials or join a Zumba class to pick up the right workout according to your desired outcome and fitness level before following it regularly at home. Other than helping you lose the flab around your belly, Zumba is also good for reducing blood sugar levels, cholesterol, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular problems. Twist Crunch This is a variation of crunch exercise to take your regular crunches to the next level. This modification is designed to reduce belly fat quickly. You can start off with basic crunches and then move to this. For doing twist crunches, lie down with your back flat on the ground. Now bend your knees, keeping your feet flat against the floor. Place your hand under your head, just like regular crunches. Instead of raising your upper body, lift your left shoulder, pointing it toward your left shoulder. Make sure your left shoulder doesn’t move. Repeat the same movement with your right shoulder, twisting it toward your left to complete one cycle. Yu can modify the exercise by bringing the opposite knee toward your chest. Again, two to three sets with 10 repetitions are enough for beginners. Don’t forget to exhale when you’re moving your shoulder up and toward the other side and inhale when lowering it down to the original position. Running and Walking Walking and running are probably the simplest forms of cardio exercises that can help you stay fit and lose extra pounds. You don’t need any special equipment or follow specific steps to lose belly fat with this exercise. Just get a pair of comfy shoes and head outside in the fresh air. As you walk or run, your body starts burning calories, helping you burn extra fat and lose weight. A brisk walk or run for at least 30 minutes is good enough to keep your metabolism going faster. Vertical Leg Exercises Vertical leg workouts are an effective way of strengthening and working up the muscles around the stomach. Leg raises target the rectus abdominis muscle in the tummy, which melts down fat around it and tones it, making your belly flatter. There are various ways of doing it. Here’s a super-easy exercise for you. Just lie down with your hands under your hips and slowly raise your legs to a 90-degree angle. Stay in this position for a few seconds and then bring your legs down. Keep inhaling and exhaling as you raise and lower your legs. Make sure your feet are pointed toward the ceiling and your knees are not bent. Another way of doing leg raises is vertical leg crunches. In this exercise, you have to raise your upper body after lifting your legs to a 90-degree angle. There should be a distance of few inches between your chin and chest as you do follow this step. Carry out 2-3 sets with 10-12 repetitions every day. Sprawls Sprawls are basically a variant of the traditional burpee, which comprises the full-body workout. This exercise is effective in working almost all the muscles in the body, helping to enhance the contours of the upper and lower body, especially slimming down the stomach. All you have to do is stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Then get into a squat position and put your hands in front of you on the floor. Now jump into a plank with your feet backward. Lower your body to touch the floor and jump back into a plank. Again go back into a squat position and stand back up. This is one round of the exercise. Initially, repeating two sets of 10 rounds is enough and then you can move to three or four sets. Strength Training Strength or weight training is among the most result-oriented and vigorous workouts that can render visible results in no time. The key to losing belly fat faster is to find the right exercise that targets the abdominal area and give your body enough recovery time. Not allowing your body the time to recover after a heavy exercise may result in injury or tissue damage. Tyler Spraul, a professional strength trainer, believes that you’ll be able to burn belly fat faster if you lift heavier weights and reduce the rest time between each rep. 10-15 minutes of workout is ideal when you’re new to strength training. Yoga The right yoga poses can fortify your core, build your endurance, and bust calories to provide a tighter and firmer belly. Some of the asanas or postures of yoga that can assist in toning and slimming down the abdomen are the cobra pose, boat pose, seated forward bend, camel pose, raised foot pose, and bow pose. Other than improving your physical health and appearance, yoga is also beneficial in calming your nerves and enhancing your mental wellbeing. Yoga is a lot more than just a workout. It revives and restores your health in a holistic way. Subscribe Author of the blog Yana NesterovaYana is the writer behind the Guam Beauty blog who firmly believes in the concept that beauty begins in a person’s head, not in the mirror. Therefore, she strives to encourage her readers, who are beauty and skincare enthusiasts, to bring mindfulness into their skincare rituals by making more conscious choices. Her philosophy is to enable her readers to salvage mental peace and optimal health by living more mindfully and achieving their skin and body goals throughhealthier choices.