Spot-reduction exercises do not target excess body fat, so stop doing crunches if you want to burn belly fat. Losing weight and flattening your belly require creating a calorie deficit, which you can achieve through dietary changes and vigorous exercise. You should also add a strength-training component to replace excess body fat with lean tissue. As you lose weight, make your fitness routine more challenging to spike your heart rate and burn body fat more quickly. You will gradually change your body composition to include more lean body mass rather than excess fat. Speak with your doctor about any injuries or health conditions before starting a weight-loss plan.
Step 1
Cut your intake of processed foods high in trans fat, saturated fat, syrup and sugar. These foods add empty calories and also slow down your digestive process, increasing belly bloat.
Step 2
Eat several small meals of high-fiber foods throughout the day. You stave off hunger, binge-eating and snacking on unhealthy foods by filling up with dietary fiber in fresh produce, whole grains and legumes. The fiber and water content aids in digestion, reducing intestinal gas and stomach bloating. Cutting 500 daily calories can result in your losing 1 pound per week.
Step 3
Exercise vigorously daily. Spend at least one hour doing cardiovascular exercise at an intense enough rate to burn body fat. Workouts that burn at least 500 calories per hour include jogging, brisk walking uphill, boot camp, martial arts, tennis, swimming laps, high-impact dance, climbing stairs and skipping rope. Do these types of workouts daily and you will lose another 1 pound of body fat per week.
Step 4
Perform calisthenics or other exercises that use your body weight as resistance. Doing plyometrics, sun salutations, power yoga, lunges, squats, burpees and Pilates add muscle density. Your body burns more calories to sustain denser muscle mass, raising your basal metabolic rate, or the rate at which your body burns calories when at rest.
Step 5
Incorporate bursts of speed or intensity into your workouts. Doing 30-second sprints or several deep squats every few minutes during your aerobic routine spikes your heart rate and as such, you burn more calories for the duration of your workout than if you exercised at a consistent pace.
Tips and Warnings
- Cut calories and stay hydrated by drinking water instead of juice drinks or soda.
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