Unfortunately, extra pounds are not deposited in an inconspicuous place, but more often on the stomach. On this occasion, they even say: "To see how much you eat in excess, the stomach is on the same side as the eyes. "To combat excess body fat around the waist, many enthusiastically take up so-called abdominal weight loss exercises. But the load on the press does not give a positive result, and it begins to seem that fitness is useless in solving this problem.
In fact, this is not the case. It's just that many make mistakes, both in the choice of exercises and in the preparation of the training program itself.
What exercises to do to lose weight in the stomach?
To begin with, I will say that there are no exercises to lose weight in specific parts of the body. When we lose weight, fat is removed from the entire body at the same time. It is possible to remove it "piecemeal" only with the help of liposuction. It is physiologically impossible to force the body to burn fat in a particular place. Therefore, it is necessary to highlight the loss of calories in general. Sit-ups, push-ups, and push-ups do not reduce abdominal fat for the simple reason that they require very little energy to function and involve few muscles.
Imagine: you have a large number of muscles in your body and you are trying to lose weight, giving a load only to the abs, while the rest of the body is inactive. Hence the conclusion: press workouts taken separately will not remove excess body fat, but will only strengthen muscles.
To eliminate belly fat, regular cardiovascular workouts are suitable: walking, running, swimming, cycling, aerobics and dancing. These activities help the body to burn fat directly. Long walks are helpful.
If you are very overweight then you have to rely on complex weight loss and do those calorie burning exercises for example squats with arms raised, lunges with twists etc. Remember, the more muscles you work and the greater the exercise range, the better.
Another useful group of exercises are balance exercises, such as swinging your leg to one side, when you need to support the other leg without additional support. In the absence of contraindications, jump rope, swim in the pool.
Exercises to strengthen the abdomen and lose weight
There is a group of exercises that are useful for the whole body as a whole and perfectly strengthen the abdominals:
- "Bike". Lie on your back, put your hands behind your head and slightly raise your body, lift your legs bent at the knees so that your shins are parallel to the floor, press your lower back firmly against the floor and do not break it during the full exercise. With an exhale, stretch the right leg forward, at the same time turn the body to the left, trying to get with the right elbow to the left knee, return to the starting position. Repeat the exercise on the other side. Continue until you are tired, trying to move at a good pace.
- Stand up straight, spread your feet shoulder-width apart, raise your hands, and interlock your fingers. Squeeze your abs and draw your stomach. Lean to the right, stretch your arms up and to the sides, stretching your side muscles. Then, without pause, lean to the right. Do the exercise slowly, trying to bend as low as possible.
- "Pair of scissors". Lying on your back, stretch your arms across your body and "press" your lower back against the floor. Raise your legs straight. Without bending your knees, start to spread and bring your legs, crossing your ankles. If you can, while moving, lower your legs closer to the floor, but don't break your lower back.
- "Boat". This exercise is for the back. What does abdominal weight loss have to do with it? - you ask. My answer is that the muscles of the back and abdomen are antagonistic, that is, they work in a different direction: the back bends the body and the stomach bends. Together they form the waist and need to be strengthened together. Therefore, lie on your stomach, stretch your arms up and, stretching your back, gently lift your legs and body up, in this position, hold for a second and lower yourself. Repeat 10-15 times.
Some important nuances
Everything said above does not at all mean that exercises aimed at strengthening the abs and oblique abdominal muscles are useless. Strong muscles help support internal organs. So you understand what I'm talking about, look at the people around you - some have their stomachs forward, but they don't have excess fat. This is especially noticeable in slim women who do not play sports. Due to the weakness of the abdominal press, the internal organs begin to "bulge", forming a kind of abdomen. And the developed muscles hold all the organs in the correct position, preventing them from moving.
Exercise for the press not only solves the problem of aesthetics, but also improves health, since it helps the proper functioning of the intestines, stomach, liver and other organs. Try to pay attention to your abs at least 3-4 times a week, or you can do daily exercises for 7-10 minutes to strengthen your abdominal muscles, then a slim figure and excellent health will always be there.