According to Dr.Mirkin.com, fat accumulates in the abdominal area as a result of high insulin levels. This excess fat is stored in the liver and impedes the liver's ability to remove insulin from the bloodstream. As insulin levels continue to rise, the individual's risk of heart attack and diabetes is greatly increased. In addition to adopting a healthy diet, the Mayo Clinic recommends exercises such as pelvic tilts, pelvic lifts and abdominal hollowing to strengthen your abdominal muscles and lose belly fat.
Cardiovascular Exercise
Fat accumulation in the stomach is usually accompanied by excess fat in different parts of the body. It is virtually impossible to reduce fat in the abdominal area without reducing fat in other parts of the body. Cardiovascular exercises such as running, swimming, kickboxing and cycling are great workouts in losing belly fat and overall weight. Cardiovascular exercise increases your basal metabolism, blood circulation, calorie expenditure and weight loss. According to Mayo Clinic, a 160 lb. individual can burn 292 calories by cycling for one hour, 511 calories by swimming for an hour and 982 calories by running for an hour. Implementing any of these cardiovascular exercises five days a week for 30 to 90 minutes will improve your health.
Weight Training
While cardio workouts are effective at losing overall weight, weight training is an excellent way to build lean muscle and tone your body. Similar to cardiovascular exercises, weight training increases your metabolism, burns calories and helps you lose belly fat. According to "Fitness" Magazine, 45 to 50 minutes of weight training three times per week on nonconsecutive days can increase your metabolic rate by 15 percent and burn fat for a longer time period. Best-abs-exercises.com recommends lifting heavy weights to lose belly fat. Lifting heavy weights will recruit more muscle fibers, increase your metabolism and help you build muscle. Incorporate bench presses, dumbbell flies, pull-ups, lateral pull-downs, squats and lunges because they target multiple muscle groups.
Abdominal Training
Abdominal exercises such as crunches, reverse curls, bicycle curls and cable pulldowns strengthen your abdominal muscles and increase your basal metabolic rate and caloric expenditure. These workouts target the three major abdominal muscles for buildup. Implement different types of abdominal workouts and frequently change the sequence and number of repetitions. This prevents your body from becoming desensitized to the workout and will optimize your results.
Consideration
As previously noted, excess belly fat is usually accompanied by fat accumulation in different parts of the body. There is no quick-fix exercise to eliminate abdominal fat, so dedication and consistency are pivotal. Furthermore, abdominal fat increases your risk for certain diseases, so instead of focusing on simply losing your belly fat, change your lifestyle. This includes a healthy diet, workout plan and consistency.
References
- Dr.Mirkin.com: Belly Fat Causes Diabetes, Heart Attacks
- Mayo Clinic: Belly Fat Exercises
- Mayo Clinic: Exercise for weight loss -- Calories burned in 1 hour
- American College of Sports Medicine: Physical Activity and Public Health Guidelines
- "Fitness" Magazine: Waist Management -- How to Lose Belly Fat for Good
- Best-abs-exercises.com: Learn How to Lose Belly Fat Fast
Member Comments