One of the most frequently asked questions we get as fitness professionals is “How do I get rid of my belly fat?” Before we give you the tools to get a flat stomach, let’s shed some light on the topic:
- Good news! we all have abdominal muscles. Yes, we all do, some of them are just hidden behind excess fat.
- The core is a group of many muscles (trunk and pelvic muscles) that surround the spine, having a weak core/abs can lead to bad posture and back pain.
- You cannot spot reduce FAT, in other words, doing tons of sit-ups and ab exercises won’t turn your belly fat into muscle or reduce the fat around your midsection. What ab exercises will do is strengthen your core and build nice abdominal muscles to show off once you reduce your body fat.
Now that we got that out of the way, let’s get started. There are different factors that determine your midsection such as genetics, sex, age and health. Lifestyle also has a huge impact, so here is what you can do:
1- Nutrition: Reducing your calorie intake can change the game! Eliminate sugary foods, reduce alcohol intake, reduce portions, and eat more vegetables. Eat complex carbs such as sweet potatoes, whole grains and oatmeal. Stop eating carbs 2 hours before going to bed.
2- Exercise: Having an exercise routine composed of cardio and strength training is extremely important. Strength exercises such as squats, bench press, shoulder press and many others use your core for balance and stabilization.
3- HIIT: This type of workout is a series of high intensity intervals (80-90% of you max heart rate) followed by recovery periods (40-50% of max heart rate). HIIT can be more efficient in burning calories in shorter periods of time compared to long steady cardio. You can modify according to your fitness level.
4- Relax: High stress and anxiety produce cortisol, this hormone is associated with weight gain particularly in the midsection, high blood pressure, heart disease and many other conditions. Practice proper breathing and find healthy ways to deal with stress, exercise, laugh and be kind to yourself.
Start making these lifestyle changes and watch the magic happen!
Love, ChicaBoom Team
Recent Comments