Trimming abdominal fat includes a few tricks, both in nutrition, exercise and lifestyle. Changing the way collects fat has a great deal to do with belly fat. An overall lifestyle program that includes a sound nutrition plan, an exercise program and a stress-reducing strategy all contribute to reducing stomach fat. The changes involved, however, might not be what you expect.
Avoid Alcohol Intake
Step 1
Change lifestyle habits to lose the extra inches in your middle. Binge drinkers and those that consume more than four drinks per day have been found to have significantly more belly fat than moderate or non-drinkers. Sugars in alcohol, in addition to carbohydrate calories, such as barley, malt and grains, give the beer drinker the familiar "beer belly."
Step 2
Avoid sugarless gum. The two major causes of intestinal gas and bloating are swallowing air when you eat or drink, and artificial sweeteners. Sugarless gum guarantees both conditions, making the tummy bloated, uncomfortable and extended from the rest of the body.
Step 3
Stress is another major cause of belly fat, as it induces the release of the hormone cortisol. Cortisol has been directly linked to abdominal fat. A walk with a friend, a movie, a favorite hobby or listening to music can be effective to de-stress yourself. Meditation practice seems to work very well, along with a consistent exercise program.
Step 4
Too vigorous a work out can actually stimulate the appetite, rather than reducing it with a moderate work out, according to a University of Ottawa study. A temperate but thorough exercise program will boost any aspect of your health, but particularly in reducing appetite.
Step 5
Some exercise methods can make a significant difference in reducing your waistline. Walk in the cold, in 50 degrees or under, as this can double the amount of calories burned. After a cardiovascular work out based on your target heart rate (220-your age= 80 percent), a percentage of 40 percent seems to burn the most fat. Exercise form also intensifies an ab work out.
"The way most people do crunches doesn't work the abdominus rectus [front abdominal muscle] effectively", says Gilbert M. Willett, a physical therapist at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. "That's why you can do thousands of crunches and not see much benefit."
A study conducted by Willett found that participants that sucked in their breath to "prepare" their abdominals for a crunch actually had 25 percent more muscle activity.
"They not only worked their front abdominal muscles but also the oblique muscles on the sides, which help you look trimmer through the waist," says Willett.
Tips and Warnings
- Always inhale to prepare your stomach for any exercise, as it will trigger more muscle fiber action, avoid injury, and allow the muscle to contract fully. Strengthening the back will help support abdominal areas and improve musculature. Although it is not possible to completely isolate the upper abs (the 6-pack), using the lower abdominal muscles by doing leg raises while crunching increases the loss of fat, the development of muscle and stabilize the lower back.
- Make sure your lower back is supported, putting your hands underneath the lower back as you crunch up if necessary. It is not the quantity of abdominal exercise, but the quality. Stretch before and after ab exercises, as stretching makes exercise 20 percent more effective.
Things You'll Need
- Exercise mat for ab exercise
- Comfortable, weather-appropriate work out apparel
- A flexible, but supportive pair of sneakers
References
- "Prevention" Magazine, Rodale Press, 2009
- Gilbert M. Willet, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 2009
Member Comments