How many times have you wished that you could get those washboard abs that models or celebrities have? A countless number of times, right? Well, dreaming about those six-packs is fine, but if you want to get them you need to follow a regimented exercise plan which would include the right diet, the right exercises as well as proper sleep.
It will not happen overnight. You have to be really patient as results take time to appear. You will have to get yourself examined by a licensed practitioner to find out if you have any medical ailments before you embark on an exercise program to lose belly fat.
The biggest challenge while losing belly fat or any other exercise goal would be changing your present lifestyle. There will be resistance from some of your family as well as friends. You have got to stay focused and ignore them.
The right diet will ensure that you don't add extra calories or fat. There will be a combination of exercises which will include specific belly fat reduction exercises as well as aerobic exercises that will target the body fat all over. Your diet chart should be designed by a nutritionist who will be aware of your current allergies and other medical problems.
While exercising, you need to take precautions, like performing under the supervision of a trainer to ensure that you don't cause some serious damage to yourself when your technique is wrong. You are unique as far as your capabilities are concerned, so, keep these in mind when going in for any exercise program. The results of all exercise programs vary from individual to individual and you might not reach your goal at the same time as others. Self-acceptance is your starting point. There might be a lack of motivation along the way, but if you are able to stick to your plan, the benefits are fabulous abs which will make others go green with envy!. Health insurance is as important as exercises.
There are numerous ways to reduce belly fat.
While there are some aerobic exercises like walking or running that result in the reduction of fat overall and hence the belly fat as well, there are other exercises like crunches which target the belly and are specific exercises.
There are multiple benefits of reducing belly fat apart from the way your abdomen looks! You are protected from the risk of life-threatening exercises like diabetes and other ailments like gastritis.
With a flat belly, you are looking at a new and improved life. Apart from the aforementioned, here are a few benefits of losing belly fat.
When belly fat is reduced, all the toxins in your body are flushed out. Your body is rid of all the excess water as well as toxins through the urine. One of the reasons of bloating is that there is water retention by the body due to either poor lifestyle choices or premenstrual syndrome. When bloating is eradicated with the use of a diuretic like water or cucumber, it leads to stronger stomach muscles.
Constipation is a result of low fibre and fluid intake and lack of physical activity. A remedy for constipation is a high fibre diet which contains whole grains, seeds, nuts, legumes, vegetables, and fruits. Along with the diet, you need to keep yourself well hydrated with 6 to 8 glasses of water. The gut bacteria stay healthy with a fibre-rich diet and there is belly fat loss due to a reduction in appetite. When your appetite is suppressed, your calorie intake comes down leading to weight loss. Since belly fat reduction is achieved through the cleansing of toxins as well as suppression of appetite, you are less likely to have problems with constipation.
Stomach irritation is caused to due to chronic gastritis where the inner lining of the stomach is inflamed. There is wear and tear in the lining of the stomach. You might feel a burning sensation in the middle of the abdomen as well as the chest caused by stomach acid. If you don't consult your doctor in time you might have stomach ulcers.
One of the solutions for reducing belly fat is increasing the intake of water or having vegetables like cucumber which has a high water content to keep yourself hydrated. This helps in providing relief from gastritis.
Belly fat is also reduced when you increase the intake of food rich in fibres like whole grains, nuts, cucumbers, and so on. These foods not only help in the reduction of belly fat but also effectively lower inflammation as well as ease the irritation of the lining of the stomach.
Vegetables like cucumbers, which contain flavonoids, are also helpful in the reduction of belly fat. These are also effective anti-oxidants and help in the treatment of gastritis thereby soothing stomach irritation.
When there is a craving for something filling after having the main meal, you tend to snack on some type of comfort food like a cafe latte and so on that results in higher fat as well as calorie intake. This can make you feel extremely tired.
When you choose a snack like a cucumber which is low in fat as well as calories. You not only reduce belly fat but also get rid of the craving without feeling tired or exhausted.
The presence of belly fat increases the risks of chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes. Since organs like the liver as well as pancreas are close to the belly, fat cells deliver fatty acids into the liver which are not designed to store fat.
The result is organ dysfunction with insulin, cholesterol as well as blood sugar going out of control. Under normal circumstances, the greater the insulin produced, the more will be the amount of glucose absorbed by the liver for use in the future. Unfortunately, as there is fatty tissue covering the liver it cannot respond fast enough to the insulin. The result is blood sugar remaining in the bloodstream which normally should have been processed by the liver. This is how type 2 diabetes occurs.
When you switch to a fibre-rich diet, it helps in the reduction of weight as well as the waist circumference. There are vegetables like cucumber which help reduce belly fat and contain saponins and flavonoids that have anti-hyperglycemia (which lowers blood glucose) and cholesterol-lowering properties.
These exercises target the abs in particular and should be done under supervision to prevent any form of injury.
The best exercises for reducing belly fat are:
Lie down on your back and keep your knees bent. Your hands should be underneath the head or kept over the chest. If keeping the hands on your chest exerts a strain on your neck, then keep them behind your head.
The hands when kept behind the head, should cradle the head. This will help support your neck. The belly button should be pulled towards the spine to begin the exercise. While contracting your abdomen, raise the shoulder blades an inch or two above the floor. Your neck should be straight, your chin up, and you should be exhaling while coming up. This position should be maintained for a couple of seconds and you should keep breathing continuously while doing it. The back should be lowered gently taking care not to relax when going down.
Perform 15 to 20 repetitions.
You should lie on your back with a mat underneath it. Your hands should be close to your ears and elbows held out wide. Elevate your feet so that both the knees as well as the hips are at 90 degrees. The thigh should be in a vertical position and the shins in a parallel position to the floor.
Bring your chin to your chest with the belly button being drawn downwards and abdominals contracted to bring your upper spine above the floor. Your upper body should be twisted to the left simultaneously so that the right shoulder, as well as elbow, move towards the left knee. Now you need to get back to the starting position by lowering your spine to the floor and the right elbow back to the original position.
Perform the same action with the left shoulder as well as elbow moving towards the right knee. Both the right and left motion comprise one repetition.
You need to lie down on the mat on your left side. Your body should be in a straight line and your knees should be bent and pressed together. Your left arm should be extended out in line with your shoulder and you should be facing that arm. Raise your right arm to your head with the tips of your finger touching the area behind the right ear. Then with your core strength raise the upper body off the floor and try to bring the elbow as close as possible to the hip. Lower yourself back to the floor and repeat. Next, do the same with your right side and try to bring the left elbow near the hip. Get back to starting position and repeat the process.
You need to lie in a position similar to a traditional crunch with your feet touching the floor and hands behind your head. With the lower back pressing the floor and the belly button pulled in, your feet should be lifted off the floor. The knees should be kept together at a 90-degree angle. With the core strength, bring your knees to the chest keeping the tailbone above the ground and raise your shoulder blades above the floor simultaneously. Use your abs to raise your shoulders. Get back to the starting position by slowly lowering your hips, shoulders, and legs. You must stop before the feet touch the ground.
Lie down on the floor on something comfortable like a mat. Your hands should be folded behind your neck. The legs should be perpendicular to the ground and the abs should be contracted.
Keeping the legs firm and straight, slowly curl up your body and raise your shoulder blades above the floor. You should be using the core muscles for this duration. This position should be held for a short while. Get back to the starting position slowly, ensuring that your legs are steady and stay that way.
Do 12 to 16 repetitions.
You need to lie down on the floor with your knees at a 90-degree angle. The elbows should be opened wide and fingers placed gently under your head. The chest should be lifted so that the shoulder blades are just about touching the floor. The chin shouldn't be near the chest and you should be looking forward.
Now, you need to twist. Start with an inhale and slowly twist the torso so that the left underarm moves toward the right knee. The left leg will be extended. Repeat the motion with the right underarm moving towards the left knee. This is one repetition.
Start in the standing position with your feet apart and parallel to your shoulders. Lunge forward with the left leg. Your knee should be directly over your foot.
The upper body should be twisted to the left side at the level of the torso. With your outstretched arms reaching over to the left side, come back to the lunge position slowly bringing the arms to the centre.
Repeat the same with the right leg.
Your hands should be directly beneath your shoulders with the high plank position with fingers pointing forward. Bring the left knee to the ground rotating the hips in a counter-clockwise direction so that the right hip is over your left hip. Keeping the shoulders in a straight line, raise the right arm in a straight position making the shape of a T.
The right leg, in an extended position, should be over the bent left leg.
Your side body, from the shoulders to the extended right leg, should be in a straight line. Slowly bring your right arm to the ground and lift the left knee to get back to the full plank position.
Repeat the same with the other leg.
You should lie down on your back, legs being straight and the arms kept by your side. Exhale removing all the air from the diaphragm as well as your lungs. Squeeze your abs as you tighten them as if trying to draw them under the rib cage. Stay in this position for a minute or less depending on what you can tolerate.
The captain's chair does not have a seat but has a backrest. Your legs should be hanging straight down. Pull your abs to your spine as you exhale. Bend your knees pulling them towards your chest. Lower the knees to return to the original position.
Do 10 to 12 reps.
Stand straight and ensure your feet are in line with your shoulders. Shoulders should be kept back and chest should be up. Your hands should be by your side. Your abs should be contracted pulling your navel towards your spine while inhaling.
Keeping your hips straight, bend at the level of the waist and reach downwards with your right hand to as far as possible.
Exhale while squeezing your abs. The hands must be kept close to the body.
Repeat the same with the left hand.
Cardiovascular exercises target the fat located across the whole body and as a consequence also target the fat around the area of the belly.
The best cardio exercises for a slim stomach are:
Walking is a low-impact exercise and a moderately intense cardiovascular activity. Your heart rate is increased gently and there is not much pressure exerted on your joints. It is ideal if you are new to exercising or in the advanced age category.
You should walk briskly for 30 minutes for 5 days a week.
Running helps you lose fat from all over the body, so the fat around the belly is targeted as well. It will keep your fat to the minimum levels.
The amount of belly fat lost will depend on the energy expended. When the number of calories burnt exceed the number of calories consumed, you will lose fat.
The amount of fat lost by jogging will depend on the time spent doing it. Activities like jogging boost your heart rate which results in loss of fat. The more effort you put in, the greater will be the amount of fat you burn.
Again, it is important to combine it with the right diet and consume fewer calories than what is spent. That is when the fat loss occurs.
Cycling, like most of the other cardio exercises, results in the reduction of your body's overall fat but does not target the belly fat in particular. There is no spot reduction. Your heart rate will be elevated and you will also burn a high number of calories. If you cycle for an hour at a moderate pace, you will have burnt between 470 and 745 calories. It will, of course, depend on your size. If the intensity of the cycling is increased, you could lose between 590 and 930 calories in an hour. When you have the right diet, this will result in body fat loss and your belly fat will go down as well.
Again, it is important to mention that swimming is also not a spot reduction exercise. But, being an aerobic exercise there is an overall impact on the body fat.
You can lose fat even if you are an average swimmer. You need to swim for at least 30 minutes or find out how much you can tolerate.
Cucumber juice helps in the reduction of belly fat. It has a high water (95%) as well as fibre content which helps in cleansing toxins from your body and boosting your metabolism.
Problems like bloating, constipation as well as water retention are also reduced. Bad cholesterol is significantly reduced by 86% and so is triglycerides by 72% due to flavonoids present in cucumber.
You can have a cucumber in the raw form as a snack. Half a cup of cucumber slices has no fat and add up to just 8 calories. You could also make a smoothie along with aloe vera, ginger or lemon.
To reduce belly fat, you need something which has low calorie as well as fat content. The magic food is cucumber which meets both parameters!
Cucumber is loaded with fibre, minerals as well as vitamins A, C and K. The high water content makes it filling.
To benefit from cucumber juice, mix it up with ingredients like lemon, ginger, cilantro, aloe vera and water.
Take 1 chopped cucumber along with the juice of 1 lemon. Add grated ginger, 1 tablespoon as well as a cilantro (about a handful). To this, add 2 tablespoons of aloe vera juice and finally water. Blend these with a hand blender and drink it once during the day. This combination is very effective as lemon is known to increase the metabolic rate of the body and help in losing fat.
Ginger is also an effective weight loss remedy. It improves metabolism as well. Its antioxidant properties help combat digestive tract inflammation keeping it functioning smoothly.
Aloe vera is helpful in the reduction of lipid levels as well as aids in weight loss. It prevents clogging of arteries as there is lower fat in the blood. There is improved metabolism and this helps in higher energy consumption.
You need to set yourself a goal to reduce the fat around your belly. There are numerous health benefits that you can expect, not to mention a new lease of life. So, consult your medical practitioner and start your exercise program for fabulous abs.
*Disclaimer: The tips & exercises suggested are the personal opinions of the writer. Kindly consult a licensed physician/dietitian/practitioner before implementing the same.
