Belly Fat Is Hard To Eliminate
Reducing belly fat is often more challenging than dropping inches from other parts of the body because doing so relies heavily on diet, says Caley Crawford, NASM CPT, and Director of Education for Row House.
“We often think if we do enough sit-ups, then we’ll get a flatter stomach however, abs also happen in the kitchen,” says Crawford. “So, if you’re looking to lose belly fat, it’s crucial that you partner a strong and healthy diet with your exercise routine,” she says.
You’ll also need to consider your age and genes. According to the Mayo Clinic, they can play a small role in where you store fat. That’s why adhering to a healthy, balanced diet along with your exercise program is critical to get rid of stubborn belly fat.
Day : Side Plank With Reach Through
- Start in a forearm side plank on your right side. Stack or stagger your feet.
- Reach your left arm to the sky. Thread your left arm under your waist, rotating your torso.
- Bring your left arm back to the starting position. Repeat 50 times on the left side. Switch to the right for another 50.
Day 24: Rest and Recover!
Reduce Your Intake Of Inflammatory Foods
The foods we consume can cause inflammation within our bodies, which can then contribute to lower belly fat. Some foods that promote inflammation include the saturated fats found in meat and dairy products, processed food, fast food, fried food, palm oil, and more.
Saturated and trans fats damage blood vessel walls, which triggers the immune response associated with inflammation and encourages blood fats, like cholesterol, to stick and become imbedded in the artery wall leading to atherosclerosis, the underlying cause of heart disease, stroke, and even some forms of dementia, explains Elizabeth Somer, a registered dietitian and Medical Advisory Board Member at Persona Nutrition.
But we have some good newsthere are many foods that can help inhibit inflammation, like the fats in fish oils, nuts and flaxseed , olive oil, many fruits and vegetables, mushrooms, nuts, soy, whole grains, tea, and spices like turmeric and ginger.
Cutting back on calories and increasing exercise will shrink your waistline, including the dangerous visceral fat around the middle, especially if youre overweight, Somer says. To lower inflammation and reduce belly fat, focus on unprocessed foods, such as colorful fruits and vegetables, 100% whole grains, nuts and seeds, legumes, fatty fish such as salmon, and low-fat milk products. Then watch portions and exercise daily.
Don’t Miss: What Causes Bloating Belching And Stomach Pain
Best Flat Stomach Exercises
Our Top Pick: Flat-Back
When it comes to good ab workouts for women, few exercises can compare to flat-back. This is one of the most challenging moves The Bar Method has to offer, which is why its also one of the most effective. Typically performed immediately before curl work in order to jumpstart your heart rate, flat-back involves sitting back against the wall beneath the barre facing away from the mirror below the barre while exhaling and lifting your feet to target your abdominals.
As Instructor Julie Bolanos explains in our article How Flat-Back Gives Us the Abs of Our Dreams, this movement engages the entire midsection as well as the anterior upper extremity muscles, posterior muscles, hip flexors, quads, and intrinsic foot muscles. In doing so, it can create better alignment of the knees and shoulders. Plus, it can burn fat while increasing your endurance and stamina thanks to its cardio bursts, which mimic interval training.
We actually include flat-back in the second half of many of our classes, which is when students are already working aerobically. This placement allows you to maximize its fat-burning effect. Plus, we provide modifications if you have trouble lifting your legs during the flat-back portion of class. Using one to three risers can raise you a few inches off the floor and make lifting your legs easier while still providing the full benefits flat-back has to offer.
The Top 15 Exercises To Tone And Strengthen Your Abs
Westend61 / Getty Images
There are few people who wouldnt prefer to have more chiseled abs. And while obtaining a toned physique is certainly a worthy and motivating fitness goal, the truth is that the value of exercises that target the abs far exceeds just aesthetics. The abdominal muscles are a major component of the core, which includes the muscles of the torso and hips . And having a strong core improves posture, functional strength, movement efficiency, and physical performance. In fact, fitness experts say that core strength is at the foundation of most movement patterns.
So it should come as no surprise that there are countless exercises for the abs. But which ones actually work? Should we be doing crunches? Full sit-ups? Using ab machines at the gym? Planking for minutes on end? The options can feel bewildering. So, to make sense of all the ab exercises out there, we tapped two fitness pros to help us form a routine that will actually tone, sculpt, and strengthen our abs. With these moves, you can feel confident that your ab workouts are worth your time and will help develop functional and balanced strength in your core muscles.
Meet the Expert
- Megan Martin is an ACE-certified personal trainer and the owner of Live Empowered Fitness.
Also Check: How Much Is Smart Lipo For Stomach
Best Ab Exercises To Get A Six
Our Top Picks: Low Curl & High Curl With a Ball
The Bar Method is packed with exercises to get a flat stomach, but low curl is one of the most effective at targeting your entire abdominal wall. Lie back resting your weight on your elbows, hold onto the back of your thighs, and lift your legs into a tabletop position. Use your arms to anchor yourself as you curl your abs forward. You can simply hold the position while focusing on your breathing, or you can add pulses of isometric curls to really target your core. You can also kick things up a notch by letting go of your legs to increase the work in your abs.
Much like low curl, high curl works your entire abdomen for a stronger midsection. Sit down on your mat with knees bent in front of you and your feet hip-width apart. Lift your arms and roll your upper body forward to grab the back of your thighs. For an even bigger challenger, try placing a ball behind your backthat will put the emphasis on your rectus adominis.
Pro Tip: It can take months to let go of your legs in low curl and thats okay! Its important to focus on improving your form and really targeting your ab muscles before challenging yourself further. Just keep going!
Tricks To Flatten Your Stomach
Is a tight, toned stomach near the top of your wish list? With these 10 exercises from fitness professionals like Denise Austin, youll flatten your stomach and say goodbye to those Spanx once and for all
1. Denise Austins Lower Tummy FirmerCheck out fitness maven Denise Austins favorite belly-busting exercise. This core exercise comes straight from her book, Tone Your Tummy Type .
2. Minna Lessigs Side PlankFitness guru and former Ms. Fitness USA Minna Lessig recommends the side plank for a challenging workout that targets your core, plus your shoulders and arms.1.Start from push-up position. Tighten abs.2.Bring your right hand to the center, halfway between its starting position and your left hand.3.Turn your body to the left. Shift weight from toes to the outer side of your right foot, stacking your left foot on top of your right.4.Lift your left arm off floor. 5.Extend your left arm toward ceiling in line with your shoulders. Your body should form one, straight line from head to feet, sideways. 6.Look straight. Hold position for 10-30 seconds. Repeat 2-3 times. 7.Repeat on other side.Want to learn more? Get a copy of Minna Lessigs Tank Top Arms, Bikini Belly and Boy Shorts Bottom .
You May Like: Can Nexium Cause Stomach Cancer
Forget About Doing Crunches
Most people will tell you that crunches are the best way to tone your abs, but there are more effective exercises you can do!
Forget about ab killer routines. Crunches are uncomfortable exercises that work out a very specific area of your body. They arent particularly effective for weight loss. The same goes for most machines youll find in a gym.
The best way is to do full-body, compound movements thatll work out your whole body while hitting your abs as a part of it.
Mountain Climbers 15 Times
The Mountain Climber is an advanced, high-intensity exercise that will get your heart rate up. Its perfect to incorporate into your daily routine for some cardio.
Exercise technique:
- Get into a plank position, on your hands and toes.
- Position your hands at about shoulder-width apart from each other.
- Then, pull the right knee into your chest as far as you can.
- Switch and do the same thing with your other knee and remember to keep your hips down.
These exercises are ideal for a home workout. You do not need any special equipment to perform them, just your own body and your own will. Please feel free to share with us in the comments which exercise is your favorite and which one you think has helped you the most.
Have a happy workout!
Recommended Reading: Why Is My Stomach Hurting And Burning
Knee Tucks With Sliders
Place the balls of your feet on towels or sliders, and hold a high plank position. Keep your hands right underneath your shoulders and pull both knees in towards your chest, trying to avoid pushing with the hips and focusing on contracting your abs. Slowly extend back out into the high plank position and repeat for repetitions.
Tone Your Tummy With These Simple Exercises
July 20, 2021, 6:24 am4k Views
If youve felt your waistline extending these days, then you might think its time to scrap the junk food and hit the gym. While dieting and exercising will help you lose weight and tone your entire body, you may have some areas that need more attention than others. In all honesty, we know your belly area can be a tough place to lose weight. So, make sure youre living an active, healthy lifestyle to avoid accumulating excess fat in this area, then get to toning. Ahead, we have some exercises for your abs that will strengthen and tone the entirety of your abdominal wall. Try any of these seven simple moves for amazing results.
You May Like: How To Stop Severe Stomach Cramps
Extended Leg Hip Thruster
This exercise helps protect the back and spine from injury. It also targets the core muscles and strengthens them.
How to do it?
Start off by assuming the glute bridge position with your knees bent at 90 degrees, upper back and feet flat on the ground. Raise one leg towards the ceiling with pointed toes and arms stretched at shoulder height. Bring your hips towards the ground, and lift them off again. Change sides, and repeat.
How Does An Exercise Bike Tone Your Stomach
Generally, fat is useful in the human body as it functions as a source of energy. But excess body fat can cause serious health consequences, like clogged arteries that can lead to more serious conditions.
If you have excess fat around your belly, youll be relieved to know that it can be easily dealt with regular indoor cycling sessions. Owning an exercise bike brings comfort to anyone wanting to create a leaner and well-sculpted muscular appearance. As much as it burns belly fat and tones that area, it also tones the legs, thighs, and bum.
Does an exercise bike tone your stomach? And how does cycling affect your stomach muscles exactly?
It will make you sweat. As you may know, sweating is required for toning your stomach, including other fat issues.
Assuming you weigh 200 lbs, you can reduce 190 calories by riding your exercise bike for 30 minutes, whereas if youre around 180 lbs, you can burn up to 280 calories within the same time. Hence, an exercise bike helps a lot in burning extra fat, which, in turn, leads to a toned stomach.
Another excellent way that proves cycling tones your stomach is that it works your abdominal muscles. Because youre leaning forward when you ride your bike, you are prompted to suck in these muscles.
Recommended Reading: How To Lessen Stomach Acid
Read Also: Do Tomatoes Cause Inflammation Of The Stomach
Ive Just Had A Baby Can I Do These Exercises
As we all know, a womans body changes a lot in her lifetime, and most significantly during pregnancy. To that end, stomach exercises that worked for you before, might not work now. Youll likely have lost a lot of core strength, and getting back into exercise post-pregnancy is something that requires hyper-attention to the safety of you and your postpartum body. Before you try anything, you must get permission from your doctor. Thats a non-negosh, OK?
Once youve got the doctor all-clear, PT and postpartum specialist Charlie Launder suggests keeping the following five things front of mind as you jump back in:
For more of Launders expertise as well as a plethora of post-natal workout wisdom, check out our full post-pregnancy workout guide.
Dont Miss: How To Fix Stomach Pain
Exercises To Tone Your Stomach Arms Hips Thighs And Butt
Stop burning through your workout time by only working one muscle group at a time. Instead, make the most of your exercise session by using moves that hit multiple muscle groups â including exercises for arms, legs and stomach â all at once.
Video of the Day
An added bonus? Taxing more muscles in one move burns more calories, as explained by the American Council on Exercise . Transform your body, especially your stomach, hips, thighs, arms and butt, with these multi-purpose moves.
Don’t Miss: How To Reduce Stomach Size
The Anatomy Of Your Abs
When it comes to ab work, its important to understand the basic anatomy of your abdominals. The following muscle groups primarily contribute to having strong abs: the transversus abdominis, rectus abdominis, and both the internal and external obliques.
- Transversus Abdominis: The transversus abdominis is the deepest muscle in the abdominal wall, wrapping around your internal organs and stabilizing your spine. While this large muscle is hidden behind the rectus abdominis, it plays a critical role in your abdominal strength and is contracted every time you move your arms and legs. Because its attached to the diaphragm, you actually have to breathe to engage it!
- Rectus Abdominis: Better known as the six-pack, the rectus abdominis lies front and center on your midsection. Its actually comprised of eight muscle sections and is superficial enough to be seen with low levels of body fat. This muscle group helps with your posture and lumbar spine movement.
- Internal and External Obliques: Finally, your obliques are found on the sides of the abdomen with the external obliques on top of the internal obliques. These muscles help with bending, twists and trunk rotation, and they also play a role in the respiration process.
Dont Miss: How To Get Rid Of Stomach Fat Workout
Great App Great Value
I have used several lolo apps for several years. My favorite is Tabata Kettlebells. They keep improving each app. They are extreming good at designing progressions which can trully train a beginner yet still tax an advanced athlete. Each app is well worth the price, but I would encourage you to get one of the bundles. There is not much fluff here, just sensible hard work. Kudos to lolo for the best fitness apps available. Just do it.
Don’t Miss: How To Burn Side Stomach Fat
Start With Some Fiber
Naturally sweet oatmeal recipes in Zero Belly Diet were the key to panelist Isabel Fioleks dramatic 13-pound weight loss. I happen to have a big sugar addiction, says Fiolek. But the recipes have been surprisingly satisfying for my sweet tooth. Fiolek also made dramatic health strides: A checkup after her six weeks on Zero Belly Diet revealed shed dropped her total cholesterol by 25 percent and her blood glucose level by 10 percent.
So cook up some oatmeal and top it with some fruit. Whats so special about this combination? Each provides soluble fiber that helps reduce blood cholesterol and feeds the healthy bacteria in your gut. By doing so, you trigger your gut to produce butyrate, a fatty acid that reduces fat-causing inflammation throughout your body.
A Dumbbell Swing Substitute
No matter your age, shape or size, most women have the same trouble areas mainly the stomach, arms, hips and of course the thighs and butt. Working a full-time job with other commitments, its hard to get to the gym and work every area that gives you a hard time. But if youre willing to put a little bit of time aside everyday, there are several different exercises you can do to target all of your trouble areas in one shot.
Read Also: What Could Be Wrong With My Stomach
Recommended Reading: How To Lose Stomach Fat For Abs
Barre Approved: Top Ab Exercises For Women
Lets face it: Flattening and strengthening your abs is not an easy task. For starters, having visible ab muscles requires very low body fat levels. Furthermore, pregnancy and conditions like diastasis recti can make ab work more challenging. No matter where you are in your fitness journey, The Bar Method is the perfect way to start building your core strength thanks to targeted moves and personalized modifications.
As Carrie Konosky, an instructor from The Bar Method Wexford explains, The Bar Method is so effective when it comes to targeting ab muscles because you have opportunities to engage this muscle group in nearly every exercise that we do. Youre asked to focus on your breathing throughout each class, which is a great reminder from start to finish to be mindful of your abdominals.
Another reason barre is one of the best ab workouts for women? We focus a lot on the core as a whole , and most of our exercises will cue you to draw your abdominals in to activate your core, meaning more work for your abs, Konosky adds. This work can help to stabilize your body during some of our seat exercises, keeping you in better alignment during thigh movements and keeping the work in the primary muscle group.