A large stomach can also pose serious health risks. According to the Mayo Clinic, excess belly fat can enhance your possibility of developing a chronic illness such as heart disease, diabetes or certain cancers. The only way to combat this is to use good old-fashioned techniques such as diet and exercise. If you combine a well-balanced diet with cardio and strengthening exercises, you can reduce the size your belly and improve overall health.
Step 1
Eat breakfast daily. Many people skip this meal in an effort to lose fat, but the opposite effect can occur. This meal helps suppress your appetite and fight cravings later in the day, as well as regulate glucose levels and boost your metabolism.
Step 2
Eliminate foods rich in fat, sugar and empty calories. Cookies, doughnuts, candy bars, soda and fruit juices have little nutrient value but contribute to a larger waistline. Replace them with lean meats, low fat dairy, fresh plant foods and whole grains.
Step 3
Tone up your stomach with abdominal exercises. You can work all of your major ab muscles to lean out your belly and develop sleek muscles. Work your upper abs with basic crunches and lower abs with reverse crunches. Your obliques, or the muscles on the sides of your belly, can be tightened with torso twists and side bends. Aim for three sets of 10 to 12 reps per exercise, at least three times a week.
Step 4
Melt the belly blubber with cardio and interval training. The aforementioned strengthening exercises help build lean muscle mass, but cardio is what gets rid of the fat covering up the muscles. Try jumping rope, running, elliptical training, swimming or cycling. You can also incorporate intervals with any cardio routine by increasing the intensity for a couple of minutes, then drastically reducing the intensity for the same amount of time. Aim for at least 20 to 45 minutes of intense cardio, five days a week.
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