Losing fat and toning the muscles around your waist and butt improves your appearance and your health. Too much fat, particularly around your waist, increases your risk of heart disease and diabetes, according to the Harvard Health Publication. A lean, tone waistline and backside lowers this risk, as well as improves balance and coordination in everyday activities. Spot exercising such as performing ab crunches or squats will sculpt firm muscles, but not eliminate fat from a particular part of the body. Getting rid of belly and butt fat requires a lean diet and exercise.
Step 1
Consume fewer calories. Exercise burns fat, but if you continue to eat more calories than your body burns, you won't lose weight. You need to cut or burn 3,500 calories below your normal, needed amount to lose 1 lb. of fat. Easy ways to reduce your calories is to eliminate junk food and monitor portion sizes. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests that women eat 1,600 to 2,400 calories a day. Men should eat 2,000 to 3,000 calories.
Step 2
Do 150 minutes of aerobic activity a week, suggests the American Heart Association. Exercise that increases your heart rate for 30 to 60 minutes burns belly and butt fat. Choose activities you enjoy such as walking, bicycling, dance aerobics or recreational sports.
Step 3
Perform abdominal exercises to strengthen and tone the waistline. The American Council on Exercise ranks the bicycle exercise No. 1 for the rectus abdominus and No. 2 for obliques. Lie on your back on the floor. Lift your knees and feet off the floor and pedal your legs, pulling one knee in as you extend the other leg parallel to the floor. With hands supporting your head, twist your upper body reaching your elbow toward the opposite knee as you draw it in.
Step 4
Perform squats and lunges. The American Council on Exercise reports that squats and lunges are the most effective at building strong butt muscles. To perform squats, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend the knees as you push your hips back as if you are sitting down. Straighten your legs to return to the start position. Do lunges by standing with your feet hip-width apart and taking a large step forward. Bend the forward knee while keeping the back leg straight. Push back on the forward leg to return to the start position. Keep the knees behind the toes when performing squats and lunges. Increase the work load by adding more repetitions or by holding dumbbells.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Belly Fat in Women -- Taking and Keeping It Off; April 2011
- MedlinePlus: Tips for Losing Weight
- U.S. Department of Agriculture; 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans; December 2010
- American Heart Association:American Heart Association Guidelines
- American Council on Exercise; A New Study Puts the Crunch on Ineffective Ab Exercises; March Anders; May/June 2011
- American Council on Exercise: American Council on Exercise (ACE) Certified Professionals Say Do More Squats, Lunges
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