Effective weight loss requires that you participate in some kind of cardiovascular exercise. When you want to get rid of fat around your midsection, as well as the rest of your body, running is an excellent option. Losing belly fat is important for your health and reduces your risk of diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.
Cardio
As an excellent cardio exercise, running is effective because it raises your heart rate. You need to run for at least 30 minutes for five days a week for optimum benefits. However, if you can run more frequently, you'll burn more calories and thus lead to even more weight loss. Because stomach fat is often difficult to get rid of, increased running sessions can have a positive effect.
Targeted Exercises
While exercises for the abs alone are not enough to help you lose weight, when combined with cardio exercise, tummy exercises can help strengthen and tone your abdominal muscles. Do exercises such as crunches, situps, side oblique stretches and reverse crunches. Exercises such as Pilates can help you strengthen these core muscles as well.
Eat the Right Diet
Running may be a great form of exercise, but it's not enough to make up for poor diet habits. That's why when you want to lose weight and shrink your tummy, you also need a good diet. Cut 500 to 1,000 calories every day to lose up to 2 lbs. a week, but make sure you don't fall below a total intake of 1,200 daily calories. Eat healthy foods that will also provide fuel for your running workouts, such as complex carbohydrates, fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy and lean meat and poultry.
Drink More Water
Plan to drink more water after running to rehydrate yourself, but increasing your water intake the rest of the time will help you lose more weight, including belly fat. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, drinking at least 8 to 10 glasses of water every day helps flush out your kidneys, reducing water retention and bloating. You may mistake hunger for thirst, so drinking water can also help by making you feel less hungry.
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