You may hate belly fat because you don't like the way it looks, but your body hates it because belly fat increases your disease risk. Ab exercises like crunches can get your midsection toned and tight, but they won't go the distance, as far as completely losing the extra belly fat is concerned. To get the best results, combine crunches with aerobic exercise and a healthy diet.
What Crunches Do
Crunches work your abdominal muscles, so their main effect is toning and strengthening those muscles. Crunches get you the six-pack, and they help ensure that once you lose your excess belly fat, your abs look toned and tight instead of loose and squishy. Still, no matter how amazing your six-pack looks, you won't be able to see it if you have a layer of fat between your ab muscles and your skin.
What Crunches Can't Do
Crunches aren't an effective way to lose body fat. While doing crunches can get your heart rate up and burn calories, you'll likely fatigue your abdominal muscles before you can get in the amount of aerobic conditioning required to burn fat. You'll likely overwork your abdominal muscles if you try. To get rid of the belly fat that stands between you and your visible abs, you'll have to participate in aerobic exercise.
Effective Fat Reduction
Aerobic exercises, such as walking, running, swimming or cycling, burn the necessary calories required to trim away belly fat fat. An effective program consists of 30 to 60 minutes in your target heart rate zone, three to five days per week. To amplify these results, add muscle-building exercises that target more than just your abs. Work with weights two to three times per week and pick a different muscle group each time. Increased muscle helps you lose fat faster by increasing your metabolism and burning more calories.
Support From Your Diet
Weight loss of any kind happens most effectively and efficiently when you combine aerobic exercise, strength training and a healthy diet. Start by eating more meals at home instead of eating out. Eat fresh, unprocessed foods like vegetables, whole grains and lean meats. Snack on fruits, nuts and low-fat or fat-free dairy. Steer clear of prepackaged, processed meals and snacks. Drink plenty of water to keep hydrated. If you're not losing fat, consult an online calorie counter to make sure you're not eating more calories than you burn.
References
- American Council on Exercise: Why is the Concept of Spot Reductino Considered a Myth?
- MayoClinic.com: Belly Fat in Women: How to Keep It Off
- MayoClinic.com: Belly Fat in Men: Why Weight Loss Matters
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Balancing Calories
- American College of Sports Medicine: Physical Activity and Public Healthy Guidelines
- HelpGuide.org: Healthy Eating
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