Belly fat is a popular fitness concern for both men and women. A certain amount of fat is absolutely necessary for protection and energy reserves, but excess abdominal fat, particularly visceral fat that surrounds your internal organs, can lead to greater susceptibility for serious health complications, including heart disease, diabetes, and various cancers. There can also be confidence, posture, and performance consequences linked to excess belly fat.
The good news? You don't need an expensive gym membership, heavy weights, or complex workout plans to start burning belly fat. You can burn belly fat simply by performing exercises that can tone your core, utilize or increase energy expenditure, and slim your waist through simple and effective workouts you can do at home.
In this article you will learn the following:
1. Why we store belly fat
2. The role of exercise and diet in fat loss
3. Simple and effective exercises you can do at home
4. Lifestyle tips to kickstart results
Why Do We Gain Belly Fat?
Before we get into exercises planned to help you lose belly fat, we will go over the main reasons that you gain belly fat.
1. Diet
Processed foods and soft drinks, fried food and refined carbohydrates all help to store fat.
Excess sugar is mostly set aside for being stored as fat in the belly.
2. Sedentary Behavior
Staying seated for excessive amounts of time without movement slows your metabolism.
When you’re less active, your body burns fewer calories and stores more fat.
3. Stress & Hormones
High cortisol (the stress hormone) will cause the body to store fat around the stomach area.
4. Sleep
Poor sleep will interfere with hormones that regulate hunger, and you will eat more.
5. Age and Genetics
Metabolism naturally slows as you age.
Genetics may have a role where the body stores fat.
Can You “Spot Reduce” Belly Fat?
It is a common myth that doing hundreds of crunches will burn belly fat. The reality is that you can't "choose" where your body loses fat, it loses it throughout your entire body while combining calorie-burning exercises, a balanced diet, and specific core- strengthening exercises.
However, targeted core exercises will help to tone the muscles underneath so when fat begins to decrease, your abs will look more defined.
Simple Exercises to Lose Belly Fat
Here you will find some effective home-friendly exercises, you could do these starting today.
1. Walking or Jogging
One of the easiest and most underrated forms of exercise.
Brisk walking for 30–45 minutes each day will help burn calories and decrease fat in your body.
Jogging may help accelerate the process even more because it will increase your heart rate.
In addition, the best plan is consistency—and your goal is to try to make it happen 5 days a week.Tip: If you’re a beginner start with walking for 15 minutes, and build up to 20, 30 or more.
2. Crunches
The tried and true exercise to work your abs, specifically your core.
Lay flat on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
Keep your hands behind your head, raise your shoulders slightly off the floor and squeeze your abs.
When you finish, return to starting position slowly.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 15-20.
Use 3 sets of repetition based on your fitness level.
Benefits: Upper abdominal strength and toning midsection.
3. Plank
Biggest bang for your buck, one of the top exercises to help strengthen your core.
Get into the starting position of a push up, but instead of your hands on the floor, rest on your forearms.
Your body should be straight from head to heels and your core engaged.
Time: 20-30 seconds to start, build to one to two minutes.
Benefits: Core stability, ab strengthening, back strengthening, shoulder strengthening.
4. Leg Raises
Targets lower abdominal muscle.
Lay flat on your back, with legs straight.
Lift both legs up slowly till the legs are at a 90 degree angle to your torso.
Lower legs slowly but don’t touch the ground.
Sets and Reps: Either 3 sets of 10-15 on a time limit or build to 3 sets of 10-15 at a time.
5. Bicycle Crunches
One of the best exercises for working all abs, upper and lower.
Lay on your back with hands behind your head.
Lift up shoulders, and alternate elbow to opposite knee, simulating pedaling a bicycle.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 15-20.
Benefits: Core strength and coordination improvement in the abs.
6. Mountain Climbers
A fast-paced, fat-burning exercise that also builds endurance.
Begin in a plank position.
As if you are running in place, bring one knee up towards your chest, alternating legs quickly.
Duration: 30 - 60 seconds of work per round of exercise.
Benefits: Quick calorie burner alongside toning your abs and thighs.
7. Russian Twists
Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet on the floor.
Hold both hands (or a weight) together in front of you and twist your torso side to side.
Repetitions: 3 sets of 15 twists per side.
Benefits: Strengthens your oblique muscles and burns and reduces side belly fat ("love handles").
8. Jumping Rope
Great full-body exercise that is a fast calorie burner.
In fact, 15 minutes of jumping rope could burn more calories than a jog.
Tip: Start with 100 jumps and gradually increase.
Lifestyle Changes to See Results Faster
Exercising alone will not help you melt belly fat on its own and should be supported with healthy lifestyle habits.
1. Eat a Balanced Diet
Replace refined carbs with whole grains.
Eat more lean proteins like chicken, fish, and beans.
And eat more veggies and high fiber foods.
2. Stay Hydrated
Drink at least 2 - 3 liters of water.
This will not only help to keep your metabolism smooth but ingesting enough water can also soothe bloating.
3. Sleep Well
Get 7 - 8 hours of sleep at night.
Lack of sleep will increase your cravings for unhealthy food.
4. Manage Your Stress
Yoga, meditation, or deep breathing helps.
Stress causes cortisol levels to rise.
5. Stay Committed
Serious results do not happen immediately.
Working out regularly + following a dietary plan = more likely to succeed.
Last Thoughts
Shedding belly fat takes a few simple exercises, healthy eating and some changes to your lifestyle. Walking, plank, crunch, leg raise and mountain climber are all great home exercises that you can do without any equipment to burn fat.
And as you know; consistency is way more important in the beginning than intensity. Take small steps, remain committed, and not only will you shed some belly fat, but you will be stronger, more self-assured and healthier overall.
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