How to lose belly fat: less inches, more health

Even if the extra kilos hide or disguise them, the abdominal muscles are there. We all have them. It may sound like an obvious statement, but remembering it is a great starting point to advance a healthy and optimistic crusade: having a flat stomach is possible if we learn a few secrets to achieving a flat tummy. We tell you how to lose abdominal fat , a goal that can be very beneficial for your health, beyond the aesthetic advantages.

Thinning the waist is not only possible but it is within reach of everything. And it’s not just about training like crazy: there are habits that allow you to reduce belly fat and lose inches to gain health.

How to lose belly fat

Is it just a matter of doing sit-ups? Do not believe it. The abdomen is one of the parts of the body that tends to accumulate the most fat. The reasons: poor posture, poor diet and sedentary lifestyle are the main causes. In other words, there are different factors on which we can operate.

Our weight is determined mainly by the balance between the calories we eat and the energy we burn. If we eat a lot and move little, we will have excess weight and, of course, more fat in the abdomen.

That is precisely why reducing abdominal fat is not just a matter of aesthetics, because, the more centimeters, the greater the risk of cardiovascular diseases, among other ills.

How to lower the tummy

Reducing the amount of fat that accumulates in the belly is not achieved by doing long series of crunches. It is clear one of the exercises that helps, but experts maintain that the effective thing is to do a more comprehensive physical activity and carry out a diet focused on burning fat.

The question immediately arises: what to do first: tone or lose fat? Ideally, it is best to work on both goals at the same time, improving abdominal strength and performing, in a complementary way, an exercise routine to mark the abdomen and tone other areas of the body.

Exercises to have for a flat tummy

For those who are not used to doing this type of routine, it is advisable to start gradually, with sets of 10 of each exercise and gradually increase the amount, as the body gets used to it and improves its response.

We share some of the recommended exercises to fully work the abdomen and start losing fat:

• Planks: help to tone the abdomen and activate the transverse abdominal muscle, without causing damage to the back.
• Sprints: these are the classic HIIT ( High Intensity Interval Training) exercises , whose axis is to make a maximum effort of speed and intensity in a short time. Generally, “runs” last 30 seconds, with breaks in between. They can be done on the treadmill, on a stationary bike, on an elliptical, among others. It is advisable to do a series of 8 sprints per training session.

• Sit-ups with abductors: lying on the floor, on the left side of the body, the right arm is stretched out and the right leg is hardly bent. The left arm is bending under the head and the left leg is straight. The exercise consists of lifting the trunk without the right arm leaving the ground. At the same time, you have to raise your left leg without touching the ground when you lower it.
• Isometric crunches on four legs: with hands, knees and feet resting on the floor, we put our navel inwards and raise our knees a few centimeters. We hold the posture for a few seconds and return to the resting position.
• March in place: a very simple way is to do a few minutes of steady and steady walking, at a good pace, in place.

Beyond the localized and specific exercises for the belly, to smooth the abdomen we should combine strength training with a cardiovascular requirement, and always accompanying with a balanced diet. And it’s not about lifting weights: yoga and Pilates are two very useful disciplines to strengthen toning.

Exercises for lower abdomen

The lower part of the belly is the most difficult challenge, because it is the one that tends to accumulate the most centimeters. Coaches and healthcare professionals agree that the lower abdomen is the hardest part to reduce. Some exercises to achieve it:

• Sit with your knees bent and go up and down slowly, with your back straight. The arms will support the legs and act as guides for the movement to be correct.
• Lie on your back, with your knees bent and your arms stretched above your head, raise and lower them until they are level with your buttocks.
• In the same position as the previous exercise, when the arms reach chest level, lift the head and shoulders.

Diet to lower the belly

As much as we train, if our diet is not adequate, the fat will still be there. The ideal is to have the advice of a nutritionist doctor, but we can anticipate that it is very important to restrict some foods so that the result arrives effectively.

• Reduce processed foods rich in sugars and saturated fats.
• Restrict or completely eliminate the consumption of alcoholic beverages.
• Increase the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Increase your intake of proteins and unsaturated fats.
• Choose low glycemic carbohydrates.
• Drinking water.
• Eat foods rich in vitamins and minerals.
• Yes to lean fish, white meat, eggs, vegetables, foods rich in fiber and nuts.

To accelerate the results, we add other useful tips that experts give when starting a battle against abdominal fat:

• Don’t skip breakfast. This causes the metabolism to slow down, making it difficult to eliminate fats.
• Avoid spending more than three hours without eating. Eating small meals throughout the day, always choosing healthy foods, helps speed up metabolism and reduce fat accumulation.
• Avoid stress. Cortisol, the stress hormone, causes anxiety and hunger to increase.

Are you ready to start? It is not that difficult: with exercise and a healthy diet, plus a bit of perseverance and patience, it is possible to refine the waist, lower the pants some sizes and, above all, improve the values ​​of your medical analyzes.