Daily Exercises To Lose Belly Fat

Crunches may work your abdominal muscles, but to lose belly fat effectively you'll have to commit to a more comprehensive program. The key to burning fat in any area of your body involves a variety of daily exercises that improve strength and metabolism. Before you begin this new routine, talk to a doctor to make sure the level of exercise is safe for you.

Expert Advice

To lose belly fat, you need to commit yourself to following a comprehensive exercise regimen that includes cardiorespiratory exercise, strength training and core training. Selectively exercising only one problem area, also known as "spot reducing," will not effectively burn off fat. If you want to lose belly fat, you need to do more than just daily sit-ups to lose fat and gain muscle and tone.

Cardio Exercise

To effectively burn fat from your abdomen, engage in moderate to vigorous cardiorespiratory or cardiovascular exercise most days of the week. The American Council on Exercise suggests about an hour of cardio for fat burning, though you don't have to do it all at once. Instead, you can break up your routine into bouts of 10 minutes or more throughout the day. Any physical activity that increases your heart rate will do, such as jogging, bicycle riding, aerobics or kickboxing.

Strength Training

While cardio helps you burn fat, strength training helps tone muscles to preserve and enhance muscle mass. Basic strength training involves using free weights, weight machines, resistance bands or strength exercises like push-ups. When focusing on strength training, work your whole body, not just the spots you want to specifically tone. Since strength training improves your overall metabolic rate, you'll help burn fat from your belly even when you're concentrating on other areas. Do 20 to 30 minutes of strength training two or three times a week. Your doctor can help you choose safe and appropriate exercises for your health and activity level.

Core Training

While spot burning alone won't reduce your belly fat, incorporating core exercises into your comprehensive fitness routine can help tone and strengthen your ab muscles. In addition to your cardio and strength training, include five minutes of abdominal exercises daily to help tone and firm your belly. Try traditional crunches as well as other exercises such as reverse crunches, bicycle maneuvers, pelvic lifts and pelvic tilts.