SIMPLE WAYS TO REDUCE BELLY FAT

Are you finding it difficult to fit into your little black number? Is belly fat giving you sleepless nights? If your answer is yes, you need to make some lifestyle changes to get the figure of your dreams. No doubt, belly fat looks aesthetically displeasing. It can assume serious proportions and affect long term health, if not curbed at the right time.

Dieting and exercise go hand in hand. If you thought that only dieting will burn your belly fat, you are wrong. If you really want to lose weight, you need to include an hour of exercise in your daily routine for targeting and reducing belly fat. Here, we have compiled a list of 16 exercises that can help you reduce belly fat faster than you thought it would take

1. Crunches:

Nothing burns belly fat faster than crunches, which occupy the number one position in fat-burning exercises. Now, it’s time that you start performing this exercise.

How to do

1.     Lie down flat on a mat with your knees bent and feet on the ground. Alternatively, you can also lift your legs off the floor at a 90-degree angle. (See picture).

2.     Lift your hands and place them behind your head, or keep them crossed on your chest.

3.     Inhale deeply, and as you lift your upper torso off the floor, exhale.

4.     Inhale again as you get back down, and exhale as you come up.

5.     Do this for 10 times as a beginner.

6.     Repeat another two to three sets.

While performing crunches, instead of entering the full sit-up position, just raise your back a few inches from the ground. This ensures you don’t hurt your back.

Also, don’t jerk your head forward while doing crunches. This will put pressure on your neck and result in pain. Just hold your hands above your head and perform the exercise.

2. Twist Crunches:

Once you get used to the regular crunches, modify the basic crunch to get an even more effective tummy exercise.

How to Do

1.     Lie down on the floor with your hands behind your head.

2.     Bend your knees as you would do in crunches, keeping your feet on the floor.

3.     You have to lift your upper torso while performing crunches. But, in twist crunches, you have to lift just your right shoulder towards the left, keeping the left side of your torso on the ground.

4.     Again alternately, lift your left shoulder towards the right, keeping the right side of your torso on the ground.

5.     Repeat 10 times.

3. Side Crunch:

How to Do

This is same as the twist crunch exercise. The only difference is that you need to tilt your legs to the same side simultaneously with your shoulders. The side crunch focuses on the muscles on your sides.

Precautions

Make sure you keep your movements steady and slow. The midsection, being a complex area, could hurt if you perform the twists in a hurried fashion.

4. Vertical Leg Crunch:

How To Do 

1.     Lie flat on the floor, or on the mat, with your legs extended upwards (towards the ceiling) and one knee crossed over the other.

2.     Now that you have positioned your body perfectly, do the same as you would have done in the case of crunches. That is, breathe in and lift your upper body from the floor towards the pelvis.

3.     Breathe out slowly. As you bring yourself down, breathe in again, and exhale as you go up.

4.     Do 12 to 15 reps and up to three sets.

5. Bicycle Exercise:

No, you don’t need a bicycle for this. Thinking how you can do this? We’ll tell you.

How to Do

1.     Lie on the floor and keep your hands either by your sides or behind your head as you do in crunches.

2.     Lift both your legs off the ground and bend them at the knees.

3.     Bring your right knee close to your chest, keeping your left leg away.

4.     Now take your right leg away and bring your left leg close to your chest.

5.     Keep doing this as if you are paddling a bicycle.

6. Bending Side To Side:

This is yet another perfect exercise for reducing belly fat.

How to Do

1.     Stand erect with your feet together and keep your hands to the sides.

2.     Keeping your legs grounded, bend your body to the right as much as possible till you feel a strain on your left waist. As you do so, ensure your right hand is on the right hip, and the left hand is raised upwards. Stay in the position for 15 seconds.

3.     Return to the original position.

4.     Now bend to the left, and retain the position for another 15 seconds.

Slowly, you may increase the holding time to 30 seconds.