Excess fat around your abdomen not only makes it challenging to perform daily activities, it is dangerous to your health. Belly fat increases your risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, type II diabetes, some types of cancer, triglycerides and high cholesterol -- as well as contributes to sleep apnea, according to the Mayo Clinic. Reducing your midsection can improve your function and health. A combination of cardio exercise, abdominal training and dietary changes will make your gut smaller.
Cardiovascular Exercise
Step 1
Perform cardio exercise three to five days per week for moderate fat loss around your midsection. If you have significant fat to lose, build up to five to seven days each week. Exercise for 30 to 60 minutes per session. Build up your duration slowly if you are new to exercise -- start with as little as 10 to 15 minutes and add three to five minutes each week. Choose any activity that you enjoy, such as walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, elliptical, stair climber or a group fitness class. All of these exercises will have a significant impact on your gut if done regularly.
Step 2
Incorporate high-intensity interval training into your cardio workouts to burn more calories and make your gut smaller. For example, if you want to alternate running and walking, begin with a five minute brisk walk to warm up. Increase your pace so that you are running for 30 to 90 seconds. Slow down to a fast walk for one to three minutes. Alternate running and walking for the duration of your workout, ending with a five minute cooldown.
Step 3
Keep your intensity moderate to high for the entire session. Exercise should be challenging and slightly uncomfortable to burn more calories and lose fat from your gut. Your heart rate increases, breathing gets heavier and your body sweats. This is normal, so push yourself a little bit for big results.
Step 4
Record all of your cardio sessions in your notebook. Detail activity, frequency, duration, intensity and how it felt. If the workout was too easy, you can increase your intensity or exercise longer at your next session. Decrease intensity if it was too hard and you could not finish your workout.
Abdominal Training
Step 1
Train your abs a minimum of three to five days per week. The abdominal muscles are resistant to fatigue so you can exercise them every day if you choose to. Start with every other day and gradually increase frequency of your workouts.
Step 2
Choose between five and 10 different exercises to perform at each session. Combine spinal flexion, extension, rotation and side bending movements. Your spine moves in different ways and your abs move your spine. Exercise the muscles in different directions for the best results. A reverse crunch works spinal flexion and works your rectus abdominus and oblique muscles. Lie on the floor with knees bent and arms at your sides. Exhale and draw your knees toward your chest, tightening your abs. Release your feet back to the floor for one complete repetition.
Step 3
Perform eight to 20 repetitions of one exercise then move on to the next exercise. Start with one set of eight to 20 reps for each exercise and build up to two or three sets per exercise over time. Focus on quality of each rep versus quantity to make your gut smaller.
Step 4
Record your workouts in your notebook. Detail the exercises you perform, sets, reps and how challenging the workout. Increase the amount of reps/sets you perform as your session gets easier. If you find that the session is too difficult, decrease the sets/reps you perform.
Dietary Changes
Step 1
Reduce your total caloric intake by 15 to 20 percent to see changes in body fat, according to the American College of Sports Medicine. This moderate amount of calories will allow you to see changes without feeling deprived.
Step 2
Eat a balanced diet that includes fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean sources of protein and heart-healthy, unsaturated fats. Eat small meals spread throughout the day instead of two or three large meals.
Step 3
Aim for a variety of foods to prevent boredom and get the necessary nutrients for your health. Try to avoid processed and canned foods as they have higher sugar and sodium contents.
Step 4
Drink a minimum of 64 oz. of water each day. Your body is comprised of mostly water and will hold it if you don't drink enough. This can leave you bloated as well as derail your fat loss.
Step 5
Monitor your food intake in your notebook. Note down what you ate, what time it was and portion sizes. This will help you monitor your intake to avoid overeating.
Tips and Warnings
- Try new forms of exercise to stimulate fat loss. Change your workouts every four weeks for continual fat loss in your gut. Stay consistent with your workouts for changes to your body. Make gradual changes to your diet so that you can stick with them. Measure your midsection every four weeks to check your progress. Hire a dietitian or fitness trainer to guide you in reaching your goals.
- Do not begin with the maximum amounts of exercise. Do not push yourself so hard during cardio that you are breathless. Stop exercising if you feel pain, light-headed, dizzy or nauseous. Do not use excessive range of motion on abdominal exercises. Avoid cutting a drastic amount of calories. Do not expect fast results if you have a lot of body fat in your gut.
Things You'll Need
- Cardiovascular exercise equipment
- Exercise mat
- Notebook
- Pen or pencil
References
- "ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription"; American College of Sports Medicine; 2010
- Mayo Clinic: Belly Fat in Women: Taking - and Keeping - It Off
- Mayo Clinic: Belly Fat in Men: Why Weight Loss Matters
- American Council on Exercise: Why is the Concept of Spot Reduction Considered a Myth?
- University of New Mexico: SuperAbs Resource Manual
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