Losing belly fat is a popular goal for both men and women. Various factors contribute to the accumulation of belly fat, including age, hormones, caloric intake and level of physical activity. This makes losing belly fat difficult. An approach combining diet, exercise and toning will have the best results. Losing belly fat offers several health benefits, including lowering your risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer and sleep apnea.
Exercise
Increasing your physical activity can help you lose weight. MayoClinic.com recommends men get a minimum 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic activity. This should be increased in men seeking to lose weight. Daily moderate exercise is recommended for women as well. As you lose weight, your stomach should begin to get smaller.
Diet
Having a balanced diet and avoiding unhealthy eating habits is crucial to losing weight. Try to eliminate saturated fats from your diet, increase your intake of complex carbohydrates like vegetables and fruit and reduce your intake of simple carbohydrates like refined pasta. Reducing your portion sizes can also help you shed pounds.
Tone Your Stomach
Firming your abdominal muscles can help your stomach get a flatter shape. Good exercises include getting down on all fours and sucking in your tummy as you exhale, hold for 10 seconds and release as you inhale and repeat. Pelvic lifts and pelvic tilts can also help. Lie on your back with your knees bent, flatten your back against the floor, tighten your abdominal muscles and bend your pelvis up slightly. Hold for five to 10 seconds.
Benefits
Having a large amount of belly fat increases your risk of several health problems. People with excess belly fat are at higher risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, certain types of cancer, type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea. Losing visceral abdominal fat is known to lower these risks.
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