Abdominal fat is not only unsightly, it can be harmful to your health. While most fat on your body only lies just beneath the skin, abdominal fat often hides a layer of visceral fat that threatens the health and function of vital organs. To rid yourself of unattractive and unhealthy fat around your core, implement a regimen of consistent strength training abdominal exercises coupled with regular aerobic activity.
Burning Calories
If you consume more calories than you burn, your body will store these extra calories as fat on your body, including around your abdomen. If you do not change your diet and continue consuming the same amount of calories, you must change your activity level to burn excess calories and ultimately lose belly fat. However, you cannot control which areas of your body lose fat. The good news is that if you are losing weight all over your body, your abdomen should ultimately shed fat as well.
Get Moving
The most efficient method of burning calories is through aerobic exercise. Walking, jogging, running, swimming, hiking, bicycling and many sports burn large amounts of calories. A person weighing 160 lbs. who walks 3.5 mph for one hour will burn approximately 277 calories. A person of the same weight who runs 8 mph for an hour will burn 986 calories, according to MayoClinic.com. An hour-long tennis match can burn up to 584 calories. Whatever physical activity you enjoy, get moving to burn calories and fat, and ultimately to shrink your abdominal area.
Balance Ball Strength Training
Toning exercises can help tighten and strengthen the muscles in your abdomen, and a balance ball is ideal for toning your abs. To do a balance ball walkout exercise, lie with your tummy on the ball and your palms on the floor with your arms straight. Walk forward with your hands as the ball rolls until your thighs are resting on the ball, then walk your hands back to the original position until your abdomen is resting on the ball again. Traditional crunches along with twisted crunches, which tone and tighten the obliques, are also beneficial strength training exercises to be performed on a balance ball.
Toning Without Equipment
Vertical crunches help tone the lower abdominal muscles, which are notoriously difficult to strengthen for many people. Lie with your back on the floor and your legs straight in the air, perpendicular to the floor. Push the heels of your feet toward the ceiling for three sets of 15 repetitions.
Reverse crunches strengthen both the lower and middle abdominal muscles. Lie on your back with your knees bent, lift your buttocks, and rotate your hips so that your knees are directly above your chest. Lift your buttocks further off the floor so that your knees are above your head. Return to the original position. Perform three sets of 15 repetitions of this exercise as well.
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