Stress doesn't only add inches to your waistline, it can lead to sleep deprivation, high blood pressure, anxiety and even heart disease if left untreated. Getting rid of your stress gut can be challenging because you not only have to exercise and eat healthy to shed the weight, you also have to find ways to control your stress to prevent the weight gain.
Step 1
Stop stressing. If whatever is causing you stress is not going to change simply because you're upset about it, then it's not worth stressing over. Try to relax through meditation, yoga, Pilates, or tai-chi -- or try to beat it out with kickboxing. If you're still feeling stressed, you may want to consider speaking with a licensed professional. All of the tricks for losing inches off your gut will never work if you're constantly stressed.
Step 2
Perform at least 30 minutes of cardio a minimum of five days a week. One of the best ways to stay stress-free is to sweat it out. Aerobic activity not only releases endorphins that make you feel good and relaxed, it also burns the calories you need to help get rid of your stress gut.
Step 3
Consume your recommended calorie amount. Depending on your stress level, you may have a hard time slowing down long enough to eat so you may eat the wrong foods just to satisfy your hunger. Some stressed individuals may not have an appetite at certain times of the day, while others may overeat all the time. While situations can vary, they can all lead to weight gain. Determine your daily recommended caloric intake, which is based on age, gender and activity level, and consume 500 calories less, which can equate to at least 1 pound of weight loss each week. If you're currently eating less than that due to stress, find healthy foods or snacks to make up the difference.
Step 4
Tone and strengthen your abs with core exercises. While crunches and situps are good exercises, performing 100 of them each day won't rid you of your stress gut. Spot training one area of your body is ineffective and doesn't eliminate fat. Perform total body exercises that require core contraction, spinal stabilization and balance training to execute properly. The rollup, hay bailer, torso twist and V-sit, to name a few, are all dynamic, multi-planar exercises that require you to keep your abs engaged with neutral spinal alignment, while performing other movements to tone your abs. If have trouble with multi-tasking, or just love the simplicity of crunches and situps, increase their effectiveness by performing them over a stability or BOSU ball.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Stress and Weight Gain
- "ACE Personal Trainer Manual”; American Council on Exercise; 2003
- American Council on Exercise: Exercise Can Help Control Stress
- American Council on Exercise: Standing Lift - Hay Bailer
- “You Are Your Own Gym”; Mark Lauren, et al.; 2010
- “Stronger Abs and Back”; Dean Brittenham, et al.; 1997
