If you want to lose weight off your abdomen the best three you things you can do are cardio, cardio and cardio. Even a 1000 crunches won't remove the weight around your middle. Lots of walking, dancing, running or aerobic exercise will burn fat, increase your metabolism, and tone your abs if you exercise with good form. Making some small changes to your eating habits can also make a big difference.
Step 1
Start exercising every day, even if it's only for 10 minutes. Work up to 30 minutes. The American Heart Association recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity five days a week for general health. Do more if necessary to get you to your weight loss goal, if approved by your physician.
Step 2
Maintain good posture when working out by keeping your back straight and squeezing your abs. Your stomach muscles will become toned if used during exercise, which will contribute to a flat tummy.
Step 3
Change up your mode of activity on different days or at least every few weeks. This is called cross training and it is more effective for weight loss than sticking with one type of physical activity because the human body is designed to adapt to movements and make them easier to save calories.
Step 4
Break up your meals so that you are eating five small meals a day and reduce the number of calories you eat every day by between 500 and 1000 calories.
Step 5
Stay motivated by adding some variety to your workouts and following a few tips. Sign up for a new aerobic or kick boxing class at your gym or try something like Zumba classes if dancing is more your style. The newness of the class will make going interesting and you never know who you might meet. You can also use a friend or even a stranger to motivate yourself by hopping on a machine next to them and having a friendly competition, though sometime it is best to keep the competition part to yourself. Go for a walk on days that you just aren't feeling like doing an intense workout. The light exercise might be a nice change and motivate you to try something more intense. Plus, you'll already be dressed.
Tips and Warnings
- When compared head to head 40 minutes a day of moderate intensity running and strength training burned 522 calories versus only 136. This was for 150 lb. person. Strength training burned so many fewer calories because exercisers have to rest between sets. Cardio calls for consistent movement whereas weight lifting often has periods of non-movement. To counteract this, don't simply sit down between sets. Hop on a treadmill or bounce on an exercise ball to keep your heart rate elevated and the calories burning.
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