9 Simple Exercise You Can Do To Help Burn Off Your Belly Fat

Introduction

Belly fat is often part of the issue of self-image that envelops the minds of many, especially young people. Many are fooled by the tricks of marketing about products that promise quick results and give you an instant flat belly.

Yet, the reality is that a lot of effort needs to be poured into the process to achieve this goal. By understanding the correct way to get toned abs and understanding the causes of belly fat you can get your dream body.

Let's explore the ways that can be done to get a nice flat belly in addition to a healthy body.

Effective Ways To Flatten Your Belly

Flat Stomach Workout

• Cycling

This exercise is a low impact cardio activity that can stimulate fat burning in the body. You can get a static bike machine indoors or buy a real bike and ride in the park while enjoying the fresh air.

• Jogging

Jogging allows you to burn fat all over your body as this exercise does not only target fat burning in the abdomen. It is important to increase the activity of the muscles to burn fat as a source of energy. 

• Bicycle crunches

The movement of this exercise is like you are riding a bike but in a supine position. How to do this exercise is simple.

1. Lie down on your yoga mat.

2. Put your hands behind your head.

3. Start by bringing your right knee up to touch your left elbow.

4. Tighten your abdominal muscles for a more robust result.

5. Repeat by touching the left knee with the right elbow.

• Fast walking

This is an option if you are not used to jogging or running. The mechanism is the same as jogging. However, there are studies that show that brisk walking can maintain the heart rate in the fat-burning phase. Excessive jogging can put the body in a muscle-burning phase. You are advised to do brisk walking activities for 20-30 minutes in the early morning while your body is still fasting.;

• Squats

If done correctly, squats can flatten the abdomen, tone the buttocks and even the thighs. The method is very simple.

1. Keep your legs shoulder-width apart and lower your body to a squatting position.

2. Make sure your knees do not pass over the tips of your toes when you’re in this position.

3. You can stabilize yourself by stretching your arms forward.

4. Stand up, then repeat.

Repeat this movement as much as you can. Remind yourself to tense the abdominal muscles so that you protect your spine. To add to the challenge, you can lift weights while doing this exercise. Start with low weight and increase it slowly.

• Push-ups

This exercise is very popular as an exercise to strengthen muscles. Position yourself in a high plank (straight hands) at the start. Then, lower your body in this position while tensing your abdomen. Keep your elbows parallel to your body when bent. Push your body to the high plank position again. Repeat this movement as much as you can.

• Crunch/sit-ups

This exercise targets the muscles in the abdomen. There are many variations of crunch that can be done. For example, 'vertical leg crunch', 'long arm crunch', 'side-to-side crunch' and so on. The basic movement is to lie on a yoga mat with legs bent/straight up then tense the abdominal muscles until your upper body is lifted off the floor to meet your bent knees.

• Plank

Like push-ups, plank targets multiple muscles at one time. Although it looks easy, this exercise is actually difficult because it requires muscle strength to hold your body in a horizontal position.

You can do plank by lying down on your tummy and then lift your body off the floor using your elbows or straightening your arms ('high plank'). Hold this position for a few seconds or up to a few minutes if you can.

• ‘Burpees’

This exercise works not only for the abdomen, but also the chest, shoulders, and legs. This exercise will also increase your heart rate. To do burpees, stand up and spread your legs as far as your shoulders. Then, lower your hips back until you reach a low squat position. 

Place your hands outside the soles of your feet and jump your soles backwards while lowering your chest to the floor. You should be in a prone position now. Then, use your hands to push your body off the floor and into the plank position. Jump back into a low squat position then push your body up as high as you can using your heels.

The Right Food Choices

To get a flat tummy, you should also be wise in your food choices. Try diet consist of food that help burn fat or prevent the accumulation of fat in the abdomen. Studies show that a low carbohydrate diet is more effective at reducing body fat than a low-fat diet.

This is because the fructose that is formed more than what is used by our body thus will be channelled to the liver and then converted into fat. Avoid eating processed, sugary and fatty foods. You should choose lean meats like chicken breast, vegetables and complex carbohydrates like beans and sweet potatoes. 

Drink plenty of water so that your kidneys can work to get rid of waste toxins in your body more efficiently. You can also stimulate fat burning by drinking green tea water or black coffee alone without adding sugar especially if combined with fasting.

Cooking also plays an important role. Reduce frying, instead use low-fat cooking methods such as boiling and baking in the oven. When it is necessary to use oil, use olive oil and avocado oil to replace butter, margarine and peanut oil. 

Causes of Belly Fat

You are already determined to deflate the stomach but oftentimes we hear that there are some people who have tried but are disappointed because they did not get the desired change. There are various factors that can cause you to fail to deflate the stomach such as exercise techniques or an unbalanced diet.

For your information, understanding why you get a fat belly can also help you get rid of it. Diet and exercise will not work if the causes are still present.

There are 2 types of fat that can be found in our body, namely visceral fat and subcutaneous fat. Subcutaneous fat is located in the limbs such as in the arms, legs and thighs. Visceral fat is located in the abdominal cavity.

These fats can be found near organs such as the liver, stomach and intestines. Visceral fat can also accumulate in the arteries. You will have a fat belly when you have too much visceral fat and subcutaneous fat in the abdomen. Below are the contributing factors:

1. Unhealthy Diet

A common habit that causes obesity is a diet that contains more calories than the calories burned or used in daily life. Studies show that excessive visceral fat along with lipid breakdown problems and lack of sensitivity of pancreatic cells to insulin can lead to increased fructose consumption. 

Consumption of a lot of meat even in the recommended calories can increase the potential for weight gain, especially fat in the abdomen. Fat in the abdomen will release metabolites which are then channelled to the liver. Thus, metabolites in the form of triglycerides and fatty acids will accumulate here until they reach toxic levels.

2. Alcohol

Excessive alcohol intake is associated with a large waist circumference and an increased risk for obesity in the abdomen in men.

3. Other Factors

Factors such as pregnant mothers who smoke, estrogen compounds in the diet, and chemicals that disrupt the endocrine system also play a role in the formation of bloating. In addition, diseases such as Cushing’s syndrome or drugs that have steroids can cause abdominal obesity.

By understanding why the belly becomes fat, efforts to flatten the stomach such as nutrition and exercise care will be more effective.

Conclusion

You need more than exercise to get a flat tummy. The exercises to get a flat belly in a week that you watch on Youtube may not be fruitful because a healthy diet and lifestyle are also important to maintain a fit and slim body. So don’t give up if you still haven’t reached your goal. Keep trying!