Many people want to lose weight, but very few manage to work consistently towards this body goal. When we see toned and well-groomed celebrities, we feel sporadic energy to hit the gym or perhaps perform an intense workout, only to give up after a day or two. Sore muscles and injuries are the added reasons that often make working out an unpreferred activity for many.
But a sad reality of life is that, as we grow older, muscle mass keeps decreasing and body fat increases. Weight gain then becomes imminent, especially around particular areas of the body such as the belly, hips, and thighs. Belly fat is perhaps the most prominent form of unwanted body fat that is also linked to several health risks like Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, breathing problems, etc. People might talk about spot reduction techniques, but research suggests that such methods aren’t practically possible. Hence, having a regular and consistent workout routine that engages the entire body and promotes calorie burn is the key to fat loss and belly fat reduction. If you are on the lookout for an exercise to burn belly fat, here are seven tried and tested workouts that are known to show results for belly fat reduction.
Here are seven workouts to get rid of your belly fat
1. Russian twists
One of the most popular belly fat exercises, the Russian twist, works on your obliques and abdominal muscles. It also works on your lower back, traps, and glutes. The key is to sit on the ground with bent knees and feet off the floor while leaning back slightly, twisting the torso from side to side, and tapping the ground with your hand on either side. To make this exercise to burn belly fat more intense, you can do it with dumbbells or kettlebells.
2. Planks
Planks are perhaps the most effective exercise in getting rid of belly fat because they help strengthen your core and tone your abdominal muscles. Go slow first and try to hold the plank position for 30 seconds; you can increase the duration as you get stronger. You can try different plank variations, such as the reverse plank, plank jack, and plank with shoulder taps to keep it interesting. This is one of the seemingly simple exercises to lose belly fat that truly tests your strength and perseverance but is extremely effective in dealing with belly fat.
3. Bicycle crunches
Another exercise to burn belly fat that engages the entire core, obliques and rectus abdominis is the bicycle crunch. To do bicycle crunches, lie on your back, lift your shoulders off the ground, and bring your right elbow towards your left knee while extending your right leg. Try to touch your elbow to your knees to feel the impact. Do 3-5 sets of the same on both sides, depending on whether you are just beginning.
4. Leg raises
One of the popular exercises to lose belly fat is leg raises targeting your lower abdominal muscles and helping tone the stomach. It involves upward movement of the legs while keeping the upper body pinned to the ground. You need to lie on your back and gently lift your legs while keeping them straight. Then you need to slowly lower your legs but without letting them touch the ground. This is one of the belly fat exercises that helps create resistance in the lower rectus abdominis.
5. Weight and resistance training
If your goal is getting rid of belly fat, then weight and resistance training is your most reliable workout option. It is a known fact that muscles burn off more calories than fat when the body is at rest; therefore, having more muscle tone can help you burn off more fat. Research has also shown that resistance training increases lean weight and decreases fat while boosting metabolism at the same time. Some of the effective weight training exercises to lose belly fat that you can include in your workout regime are lunges, bicep curls, squats, and tricep kickbacks. Try to aim for 12 repetitions of each with lighter weights first, and gradually shift to heavier weights with fewer repetitions rest time and you’re sure to see prominent results!
6. Mountain climbers
One of the simple exercises to lose belly fat that engages your entire body and core is the mountain climber. Mountain climbers can also be considered a form of cardio because they increase your heart rate. To do this exercise, place yourself in a plank position and keep your body straight and your pelvis tucked in slightly. Keep your arms apart, at shoulder-width distance, and your palms on the floor. Now extend your legs behind you with your feet kept together. Once you’ve got this position right, slowly move your right knee towards your chest and back again. Now repeat this with your left knee, this is considered as one repetition (rep). Gradually increase your pace and do at least 15-20 reps on each side if you’re just beginning.
7. Cardio
Cardio is an often recommended exercise to burn belly fat that increases your heart rate and burns calories. Choose what works best for you, be it running, swimming, or perhaps doing jumping jacks, and get at it. Not only will a heated cardio session leave you feeling pumped for the day, but it will also help get rid of stubborn belly fat.