Unfortunately, the extra pounds do not settle in some inconspicuous place, but more often on the stomach. On this occasion, they even say: "To see how much you eat too much, the stomach is on the same side as the eyes. "To combat excess body fat at the waist, many zealously undertake the so-called exercises for losing weight on the abdomen. 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.
Indeed, 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 on the belly?
To begin with, I will say that there are no exercises for losing weight on specific parts of the body. When we lose weight, the fat is removed from the whole 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 emphasize the loss of calories in general. Crunches, pushups, and pushups do not reduce abdominal fat for the simple reason that they require very little energy to perform and involve little muscle.
Imagine: You have a huge amount of muscle on your body and are trying to lose weight, loading only your abs, while the rest of your body is inactive. Hence the conclusion: Press workouts taken separately will not remove excess body fat, but will only strengthen the muscles.
To remove belly fat, regular cardio workouts are suitable: walking, running, swimming, cycling, aerobics and dancing. These activities help the body burn fat directly. Long walks are useful.
If you have a lot of excess weight, you need to rely on complex weight loss and do those exercises that burn a lot of calories, for example, squats with raised arms, lunges with turns, etc. Remember, the more muscles you work and the greater the range of exercises, the better.
Another group of useful exercises are balance exercises, such as swinging the leg to the side, when you need to stand on the other leg without additional support. In the absence of contraindications, jumping rope, swimming 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:
- "Bicycle". Lie on your back, put your hands behind your head and lift your body slightly, raise your legs bent at the knees so that your shins are parallel to the floor, press your lower back firmly to the floor and do not tear it during the entire exercise. With an exhalation, stretch the right leg forward, simultaneously rotate the body to the left, trying to reach the left knee with the right elbow, 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 straight, put your feet shoulder-width apart, raise your hands and interlace your fingers. Contract your abs and draw in your stomach. Bend to the right, stretch your arms up and to the side, stretching the lateral muscles. Then, without pause, lean to the right. Perform the exercise slowly, trying to bend as low as possible.
- "Scissors". Lie on your back, stretch your arms along your body and "press" your lower back to the floor. Raise your legs straight. Without bending your knees, begin to spread and bring your legs, crossing your ankles. If you can, as you move, lower your legs closer to the floor, but don't tear off your lower back.
- "Boat". This exercise is for the back. What does this have to do with belly weight loss? - 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 stretches the body and the stomach bends. Together they form life and they need to be strengthened together. Therefore, lie on your stomach, stretch your arms and, straining your back, gently raise your legs and body, in this position, hold for a second and lower yourself. Repeat 10-15 times.
Some important nuances
All of the above does not at all mean that exercises aimed at strengthening the abdominals and oblique abdominal muscles are useless. Strong muscles help support internal organs. So that you understand what I'm talking about, look at the people around them - some have stomachs bulging forward, but there's no excess fat on them. This is especially noticeable in thin women who do not play sports. Due to the weakness of the abdominal press, the internal organs begin to "swell", forming a kind of abdomen. And the developed muscles support all organs in the correct position, preventing them from moving.
Exercise for the press not only solves the problem of aesthetics, but also improves health, as 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 exercises every day for 7-10 minutes to strengthen the abdominal muscles, then a slim figure and excellent health will always be there.