The trick to tightening up belly fat is not to be fooled by the spot-reduction myth. This means you cannot lose weight in one area. In actuality, you also cannot "tighten up" fat. What you can do is burn fat and tighten the muscles that are underneath it. To tighten up your belly, make changes to your diet while doing exercises that involve more than just your stomach.
Step 1
Reduce your intake of calories and eat healthier foods. Track your food and liquid calorie intake for five days, add the totals together and divide by five to get an average. Reduce this by 500 to 1,000 calories to create a deficit. This causes your body to use stored fat for energy.
Step 2
Perform cardiovascular exercise three days a week to burn the fat on your belly. Do any type of cardio that you like at a moderate to high intensity, such as power walking, swimming, biking, stair climbing, elliptical training, rowing or kickboxing. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 60 to 90 minutes of cardio to lose weight or maintain weight loss.
Step 3
Lift weights to build metabolically active muscle. This will promote faster weight loss when you are sitting still. Do exercises that target as much of your body as possible like chest presses, lateral raises, bent-over rows, triceps dips, curls and lunges. Work out three days a week on the alternating days or your cardio. Do 10 to 12 reps and three to four sets and take short rest breaks to keep your heart rate elevated.
Step 4
Execute a set of leg pull-ins on a bench to work your lower abdomen. Sit in the center of the bench, lean backward and grasp the edges behind your butt. Extend your legs straight out and then draw your knees into your chest as you lean forward. Hold for a full second, move back to the starting point and repeat 15 to 20 times.
Step 5
Lie on your back with your head, shoulders and legs raised to do criss-crosses. Place your hands on the sides of your head, bend your knees 90 degrees and level your shins to the floor. Move your left elbow and right knee toward each other while extending your left leg. Hold for a second, do the same movement with your other side and repeat moving back and forth for a set of 15 to 20 repetitions.
Step 6
Align your body on top of a stability ball to do sit-ups. Place your back on the ball, feet on the floor and slightly lift your head and shoulders. Position your hands on the sides of your head and lift your torso forward. Squeeze your abs forcefully, lower yourself back down and repeat for 15 to 20 repetitions.
Step 7
Balance on your butt to do a full boat pose. Start out lying on your back with your legs straight and arms down at your sides. Lift your torso and legs simultaneously and straighten your arms by the sides of your legs so they parallel the floor. Keep your back straight and hold your body in a "V" shape for 30 to 45 seconds.
Tips and Warnings
- Do three to four sets of your ab exercises and perform them after your weight training sessions.
- Do not start this or any exercise regimen without first consulting your doctor.
Things You'll Need
- Bench
- Stability ball
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