If you want to flatten that mid section, you need to change your eating habits and start moving that body more. If you’re a teenager, you probably are partying every other day, sleeping late, having lots of alcohol. If you’ve a desk bound job, you probably don’t get up from your seat for hours. This is definitely going to have an impact on your body, especially around the waist.
There’s lot of myth floating around, when it comes to getting flat abs. Here, you’ll learn the real truth that most sites don’t tell you.
Is your Belly fat annoying you? Don’t worry, you are not alone!
If you have been exercising for some time, you would know that the belly fat is the most difficult to get rid of.
I’m sure you would have heard these common complaints from most fitness enthusiasts and friends who are trying to get back in shape, but are just not able to deal with their tummy fat.
- I do crunches/sit-ups for half an hour every day but I still can’t see any results
- I have tried numerous ab workouts but am unable to get flat abs
- I do cardio exercises every day but see no results
- I just have salads for lunch now but still can’t see any difference to my waistline
Common grouses!
But then why do you get Belly fat?
It’s not your fault alone if you say you don’t do enough exercise. It’s our lifestyle which is to be blamed as well.
We were always built to move around but unfortunately in today’s fast paced life, too often we get confined within the walls of our office/home.
To add on to that, health experts claim that obesity related problem cannot be attributed just to lack of physical activity, but it is also because of our irregular eating habits, in fact because of eating too much.
Read more on Dangers of Belly Fat here…
Is there any Hope?
Of course, there is!
The fact is that our body is designed to put in much greater physical effort, which we somehow have forgotten or which we refuse to acknowledge for some reason. We just have forgotten that people need to move around!
If you believe in the fact that the human body is capable of much more, and are looking for that push to help you get started, you are in right company.
Exercise Regularly
Once you are determined to lose weight, proceed towards it in a planned fashion. Just thinking about it won’t help. You need to do something about it too.
Regular exercise is a must.
You don’t have to start off with heavy exercises from the day go. Start with small exercises initially and slowly increase the time or change the exercise to give you effective results. Make sure you make it a routine and stop making excuses for not working out.
No Time to Hit the Gym?
You can also stay in shape just by walking! That’s right!
If that’s something that interests you, aim for about 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day.
Most people who are not regular with exercise take about 1,000 to 1,500 steps a day. But that is just not enough for losing fat.
In a study where a group of men were asked to reduce their daily steps from about 10,000 to less than 1,500 (without changing their diet), their visceral (belly) fat increased by 7% after just 2 weeks.
And 8,000 to 10,000 steps is what you need to do to be fit!
So get a pedometer and keep a track of how much you are walking, and gradually try to increase the number of steps you take each day.
- If you have a sedentary job, move away from your desk every 30 minutes (if that’s not possible, then at least every 1 hour) and start walking for a few minutes.
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
- Walk, instead of driving, for shorter distances.
- Park the car further away so that you can walk.
For Those Who are Comparatively Fit
Research have shown that exercising in small bursts can help. This suits those who are comparatively fitter and have
less spare time.
Interval training, or alternating short bursts of energy with brief resting periods, can give better and quicker results compared to traditional exercises.
Here are some ideas:
Go for a quick walk. Get up from your desk and do a 5-minute power walk. Take long strides and keep a brisk pace, or try going up and down a flight of stairs.
Find that embarrassing to do?
- Try sprinting: Run as fast as you can, then slow down to a walk to catch your breath. Repeat for 5 to 10 minutes.
- If you are using a treadmill, elliptical or stationary bike, set it up for interval training, which will significantly increase the difficulty of the exercise for short periods of time.
Abs + Cardio + Strength
In case you are hitting the gym and exercising regularly, its best to have the right mix of exercises and not just stick to abdominal crunches and sit-ups.
Do more of Cardio. Though you can’t “spot-burn” belly fat, it’s usually the first to burn off when you exercise, regardless of your body shape or size.
Add resistance training. Combining cardio (aerobics) with resistance training is more effective than cardiovascular training alone to remove abdominal fat. You may use free weights, exercise machines, or resistance bands to do resistance training.
Other Activities
Best thing to do is to take up an activity you enjoy doing which also helps remove fat from the belly. For e.g. swimming, belly dancing etc. Then your exercise won’t seem like an exercise to you and you will even enjoy your workouts.
The key here is that you need to be active and keep moving about. It is time to get off that couch now and stop being a couch potato. A planned exercise routine will definitely give you the desired results you are striving for.
Look after Your Lifestyle
Many a times, we end up with a belly fat because of our lifestyle. If these small changes are done in our lifestyle along with regular exercise and healthy diet, nothing can stop you from losing your belly fat.
- Too much alcohol consumption
- Erratic eating patterns
- Not drinking enough water
- Not sleeping enough
- Stress
If we can take care on the above factors, belly fat can be easily done away with. Along with a nutritious diet and exercise, it is also of up-most importance to have a lot of water, take enough rest and sleep well and control the stress levels as much as possible.
Drink Lots of Water
It keeps you hydrated, helps your body to flush out toxins, and having water at regular intervals throughout the day can lead to a more active metabolism.
Usually, if your urine runs almost clear, its a sign that you are having sufficient water. If it’s still yellow, you need to drink more.
Chill More Frequently
Studies have shown that there’s a relation between stress and secretion of Cortisol (its a hormone that your body releases when its stressed), and this hormone helps increase your belly fat.
So don’t get unnecessarily stressed! Here are a few things that you should incorporate right away:
Get Enough Sleep
Most adults need at least 7 hours of sleep every night to feel fresh and function properly.
Take time to relax
Find time to detach from your worries everyday, even if its for 15 minutes, close your eyes & breathe deeply.
Keep your sleeping area stress-free. If possible, avoid getting your laptop in the bedroom, put your mobile in the silent mode, and avoid anything stressful in your bedroom. Keep at-least one area of your house for rest and relaxation.
Why Is It So Difficult?
For those who are generally fit and have gained some weight because of – a break from their exercise schedule, or because they were on a long vacation, or because a project had to be finished, can find it easy to come back to their original shape once you go back to your original workout schedule.
However, if the fat is because of other reasons (age, hormones), it can get difficult to deal with. For some, its the internal factors that make the belly fat more difficult to deal with, in-spite of doing regular exercise & having proper diet.
Here are some examples of hormones creating havoc (some of which we discussed above):
- With menopause comes a drop in estrogen, which alters how & where the body stores fat. Here women are more prone to gaining visceral belly fat (the deeper layer of fat).
- Most hormonal imbalances can also leave the body feeling hungry, even after eating.
- The various stresses of life (job, kids, mortgage, etc.) can lead to an increase in cortisol, which also adds to the fat around the middle.
Note that visceral fat surrounds organs, and is different from the subcutaneous fat (that you can grab by your hands).
Be Determined to Improve
Trying for a flat stomach can be quite a frustrating process. It requires a lot of patience and a continuous effort from your side. If you are thinking that it’s a cake walk or there is a quick fix method to this, then you are wrong. There are no magic pills or instant belly losing techniques here. It requires a lot of hard work and perseverance.
Many people do a lot of things to lose the flab but get dejected and give up half way. Think of it as your future to a healthy successful life and you will find it much easier to stay focused on losing fat from your belly.
SUMMARY
There are many exercises available for reducing belly fat. But if you don’t have the determination to follow a strict routine, then the results won’t show on you. Don’t wait for a quick fix method or any magic pill because there aint any. Reducing belly fat takes patience and perseverance.
Just exercise won’t help you either. It is a combination of exercise, nutritious food and disciplined lifestyle that works. So, don’t give up and get rid of that belly fat now, something that you’ve always dreamt of!
Some of you might just be interested in losing a few pounds, which can easily be achieved with just a few lifestyle changes. However, you still need to take action. Most of the time, I have seen that the only person standing in the way of what you want, is YOU.
The moment you realize this, no one can stop you from getting that fabulous body you always desired. So don’t worry about how long it will take for things to improve. Just make a start and you will be happier that you did.
Here, on fitbiz.in, we help you get real results for your abs, using proven techniques and the right mix of workouts and diet.
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