Belly fat is a problem area for many people and can be caused by several things, including poor diet, lack of exercise, bad habits, stress, and not enough sleep. It is not just a cosmetic concern either, as belly fat can negatively impact your health, and evidence suggests that it can be linked to heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Even if you are not overweight, you can have visceral fat found deep within your abdomen and around the organs. This is particularly harmful and can cause several health issues. Thus it is essential to lose belly fat, and this can be done with the right changes to diet and a regular exercise routine. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know to transform your body and your life today.
What is Belly Fat?
Abdominal fat, or belly fat, can be either subcutaneous fat or visceral fat; the first form can be seen, and the second is found deep within your abdomen and around the organs. Even if you are not overweight, you can have visceral fat. It is important to lose belly fat because of the risk it poses to your health. This includes an increased chance of diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. If the circumference around your waist measures more than 102 cm in men and 88 cm in women, this is considered abdominal obesity. Losing weight will help to improve blood vessel function, lower cholesterol levels, and increase overall well-being.
Best Workout for Belly Fat
Trying to lose belly fat is a common problem for both men and women. It is a particularly harmful fat, leading to an increased risk of diseases and adversely affecting your health. The good news is that this can be achieved with hard work, dedication, and a mixture of good diet and exercise. The 10 minute fat-burning morning workout by fitness guru and YouTube vlogger Rowan Row will help you transform your body. The routine involves several steps, which are bound to make you sweat but will do the trick; they can also be adapted depending on your fitness level.
Routine:
If you don’t regularly work out, there is no better time to start than today, but you need to build up your fitness level and strength first. You do not want to overdo it on day one, as this can make you hate your workout and cause injury. You can do a third of the exercises that Rowan Ro demonstrates in the video for the first five days for beginners. The following five days, you can increase this to half of what it did, and the five days after that, increase it to two-thirds of the workout. This will help build up endurance and keep you motivated. Several exercises are featured in the video, but the basics of the workout are as follows:
45-sec high knees (15-sec rest)
45-sec low to high plank (15-sec rest)
45-sec half burpees (15-sec rest)
45-sec toe touch (15-sec rest)
45-sec squat jumps (15-sec rest)
20-20 sec side plank each side (15-sec rest)
45-sec alternate lunges (15-sec rest)
45-sec jumping jacks (15-sec rest)
45-sec hip thrust (15-sec rest)
45 sec but kicks (15-sec rest)
Best Exercises for Losing Belly Fat
For many people, their waist is their problem area, and although there is no one routine that will work for everyone, there are important steps that you can take to help you lose weight and tone your midsection. Some exercises can help you achieve your goals, including burpees and jumping jacks. Keep reading for a breakdown of what each of these entails.
1. High Knees
High knees are fantastic for burning calories, strengthening your abdominal muscles, and improving your cardiovascular endurance. To do these exercises, you need to stand with your feet hip-width apart and bring your knees to your chest, one leg at a time. Continue alternating between legs.
2. Low Plank to High Plank
The low plank to high plank workout is an exercise that is bound to get all the muscles in your body working. Planks work your core but can also help to strengthen your abdominal muscles and spine, which in turn benefits posture. Start on all fours, and move into a low plank position, alternating between low and high for an effective workout.
3. Half Burpee
A half-burpee does not require you to do push-ups, making it an excellent choice for even beginners who are still building strength and endurance. Burpees are great for burning calories and increasing your metabolism and can help to build strong muscles.
4. Toe Touches
Toe touches can help with flexibility in the lower half of your body. You can also do them lying down and reaching upwards by keeping your legs at a 90-degree angle. It is an important way to stretch, even if you are not able to touch your toes. Toe touches can help prevent cramps and muscle spasms.
5. Squat Jump
Squat jumps are an important workout that requires a lot of power. These explosive movements help to improve strength and burn calories. They can also make you move faster and facilitate your take-off speed and movement when playing sports.
6. Side Plank
Side planks are a fantastic core exercise, helping strengthen your muscles and tone your shoulders, legs, and obliques. In addition to helping you burn calories and shrink your waist circumference, it can also help with lower back pain.
7. Alternate Lunges
Alternating lunges require you to bring different legs forward, hence the name, so you are swapping between left and right. It is a fantastic lower body exercise to help strengthen your leg muscles and glutes. It will also help to burn calories.
8. Jumping Jacks
Jumping jacks are plyometric exercises and extremely popular because they can be done anywhere and require no equipment. They work on stretching and then shortening your muscles in rapid movements, giving you a full-body workout. The action requires you to stand in a position with your legs spread wide and your hands overhead; you then return to the position with your hands on either side of your body. You can adjust the speed and power. Learn how to do a proper one in the video below.
9. Hip Thrust
A hip thrust is a straightforward exercise that focuses on strengthening the glutes and the hip and quadriceps muscles. It can help the knee joints, promote better balance, and improve movement. It is an excellent way to work the core too.
10. Butt Kicks
Butt kicks are an explosive activity that helps improve your overall speed and will work to strengthen your glutes and hamstring muscles. The exercise will bring your heart rate up and give you an intense workout.
How to Lose Belly Fat
If you want to lose belly fat, there are several ways to do so. This includes a mixture of dietary changes and a good exercise routine. You should avoid certain foods, such as those high in sugar and trans fats, and others that you should eat more of; soluble fiber and protein. It is also essential to ensure that you are getting enough rest and exercise. Some workouts help target the belly area better, and you can focus on these while also increasing your heart rate and burning calories. Losing abdominal fat is not something that will happen overnight, so stay focused and informed.
Eat Plenty of Soluble Fibre
It is important to include soluble fiber, or dietary fiber, in your diet. What this does is provide roughage and helps to keep your bowel movements regular. Research has found that this fiber can produce weight loss by helping you to feel full for longer and thus eating less. It can also reduce calorie absorption and fight belly fat. Examples of foods that are a fantastic source of soluble fiber include beans, flax seeds, oats, and psyllium.
Eat High Protein Diet
A high protein diet can facilitate weight loss by helping you lose more fat. Research has indicated that this is especially true for the belly area, and those who eat more protein have less abdominal fat. Other benefits of a high protein diet include reduced cravings, lower blood pressure, reduced appetite, and increased muscle mass and strength.
Avoids Trans Fat
Trans fats, or trans-fatty acids, can be harmful to your health and raise your bad cholesterol levels and lower your good cholesterol. It can also increase your risk of diseases, such as heart disease. It is best to avoid vegetable oils and margarine. Eating less trans fats and opting for other cooking fats such as olive oil or coconut oil can help reduce your risk of a heart attack.
Don’t Drink too Much Alcohol.
Drinking too much alcohol is incredibly bad for your health and can weaken your immune system, and increase your risk for several cancers. Over many years you can also develop chronic conditions, including high blood pressure and digestive issues. In addition, it can also make you put on weight as many of these drinks are high in calories and sugar. Extra calories are stored as fat, and this often accumulates around the abdomen.
Avoid Sugary Foods
Foods that are high in sugar should be avoided if you wish to maintain a healthy lifestyle. This is because they can lead to the consumption of too many calories and therefore weight gain. Sugar increases belly fat, and It is advisable to cut back on products with added sugar, desserts, and sugar-laden beverages; this includes juice and soda.
Do Aerobic Exercises (HIIT or Cardio)
A regular exercise routine is important, but there are some workouts that are designed to help burn calories and initiate weight loss. Aerobic exercises can improve cardiovascular conditioning. HIIT is effective in reducing body fat but also helping combat visceral fat loss.
Cut Back on Carbs
Reducing the number of carbs you eat can be beneficial for weight loss because eating too many carbs can result in your body burning sugars rather than the fat stored around your abdominal area. Eating fewer carbs can help with the loss of deep belly fat and reduce your appetite and cravings. If you are following a low-carb diet, it is best to avoid starchy vegetables, pasta, cereal, and bread and grains.
Get Plenty of Sleep
Sleep is essential. You cannot lose weight without a good night’s sleep, between seven to nine hours per night for an adult. When you do not get enough sleep, your body produces less leptin and more ghrelin; this makes you eat more because you feel hungry. Getting enough sleep can also boost your immune system, strengthen your heart and improve memory, as well as leaving you in a better mood, and allowing you to be more productive.
Drink Plenty
You cannot successfully lose weight if you do not drink enough water. Not only will drinking water prevent dehydration, but it will also aid digestion, help to flush out waste from the body and bacteria from the bladder. It can protect organs and tissues. Water is also a natural appetite suppressant and can help with calorie burning and boosting metabolism. It is best to drink a glass of warm water in the morning to help aid weight loss and help with belly fat.
Use Good Fats When Cooking
When cooking, you need to pay attention to the products you use and focus on good fats. Cooking oils that can withstand higher temperatures include olive oil, avocado oil, and coconut oil. These oils can include unsaturated fatty acids. Healthy fats can improve overall health by reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Try Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting can be incredibly beneficial for weight loss and can help to reduce your risk of serious health conditions such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. The way it works is that you need to not eat for a period of 16 hours, and then there’s a window of eight hours where you can eat. This cycle can be done as often as you want; for example, every day, or only once or twice a week. Remember to stay hydrated throughout the day.
Add Fatty Fish to Your Diet
Adding fatty fish to your diet provides you with a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for heart and brain health. Our bodies do not produce omega-3 fatty acids, so we need to consume foods containing them, including salmon, mackerel, sardines, and herring. For the best effect, you should eat fatty fish two times a week.
How to Lose Belly Fat FAQs
Which exercise burns the most belly fat?
Regularly working out will help you burn calories and lead to weight loss, but there are some exercises that can help target the belly area. One of the best exercises is high-intensity interval training (HIIT) which helps lose stomach fat and improve cardiovascular conditioning.
How can I lose tummy fat fast?
In addition to working out and doing aerobic exercises, you also need to create healthy habits and eat well to help lose tummy fat. This includes getting enough sleep, drinking water, eating soluble fiber, protein, and fatty fish. You also want to avoid trans fats and food with too much sugar.
How can I reduce my tummy in one week?
Your journey to transform your body and your lifestyle should be a long-term goal, but one that you can start today. You should set realistic and achievable goals for yourself without worrying about seeing results too soon. The right diet and aerobic exercise will help you to decrease your total body fat percentage and achieve a flatter stomach.
Cailyn Cox holds a degree in journalism and has been working with The Trend Spotter as a writer for over ten years. She has worked with some of the most prestigious women’s and men's lifestyle publications. For her, writing is not just a job; it’s a passion, which is why each article she writes is approached with such enthusiasm and dedication. She has extensive knowledge of hairstyles, tattoos, and beauty and has made a career out of creating informative articles that appeal to women and men of all ages.
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
Subscribe to our mailing list and get interesting stuff and updates to your email inbox.