How To Lose A Beer Belly With Exercises

Abdominal fat is composed of mostly visceral fat. This type of fat is stored deep in the body's tissues and is harder to burn than subcutaneous fat. A large belly is tough to get rid of, but not impossible. With some basic cardiovascular exercise and a little strength-training, you can shed the pounds quickly. The term "beer belly" isn't just semantics though, as alcohol increases your body's visceral fat storage. If your beer belly is the result of alcohol or fatty foods, dietary changes can help keep the weight off after you exercise it away.

Step 1

Jog about 20 miles each week. In a six-month study by Duke University, researchers saw decreases in visceral belly fat in participants jogging 20 miles each week, even without additional dieting or exercise. Jogging is an efficient fat burner for pesky beer bellies.

Step 2

Sprint periodically during your weekly jogs. To get the most out of your cardiovascular exercise, you want to add occasional bursts of speed to the mix. This is called "interval training," and it burns calories more effectively than moderate jogging alone.

Step 3

Walk or jog for at least a mile each day. If you have a busy work schedule, you can complete most of your 20-mile jog on weekends, but find time for some light cardio each day. Daily exercise keeps your metabolism active for better belly fat burning during your next long jog.

Step 4

Lift weights biweekly for an hour at a time. Cardio is the best type of exercise for getting rid of a beer belly, but don't overlook the effectiveness of strength-training. When combined with cardiovascular exercise, weight lifting promotes visceral fat loss.