Excess fat on the body can be caused by a variety of bad habits such as poor diet and lack of exercise. When fat accumulates on the belly area, it can place you at risk for heart disease, stroke, diabetes and even cancer. However, there are things you can do about excess belly fat to slim down your waistline and improve your health.
Intensify Your Workout
Even if you're currently exercising regularly, it might not be enough. You might need to increase your workout intensity. A good test is to try talking while performing your current routine. If you can talk clearly without sounding out of breath, it's not an intense enough workout. So if you jogged before, try running now. Or, if you typically jog for 30 minutes, increase the duration to 45 minutes or more. And then use the "talking" test.
Use High Intensity Interval Training
High intensity interval training can ramp up the amount of calorie-burning power you get out of your workout. This method of exercise requires that you change your workout pace rapidly. If you start out at a brisk walk, do so for a minute, then increase your pace to a run for 30 seconds. Flipping back and forth between both speeds for your entire workout can help you burn more calories than you would if you walked or ran as normal. Interval training offers a metabolism boost -- you'll lose more weight in a shorter period of time.
Perform Abdominal Exercises
Though strength-building exercises won't burn belly fat, they do help build muscle, which can boost your metabolism and help you burn more calories when at rest. A few abdominally-focused exercises you can perform include crunches, leg lifts, reverse crunches and pelvic lifts. Do at least 15 repetitions of each exercise a few times a week to get your abs strong and slim. As you burn more fat, you'll see those ab muscles coming through.
Eat a Healthy Diet
Eating a healthy and well-balanced diet is tantamount to getting rid of excess belly fat. Eat vegetables, fruits, whole grains and lean protein -- avoid soda, alcohol, refined sugars, processed foods, trans fats and fast food. Count your calorie intake to stay on track.
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