Many people aspire to have a flat stomach like their favorite fit and fab movie stars, but not everyone clearly wants toned abs! But if you belong to the category of people who are vying for the perfect six-pack, let us tell you some ab exercises to help you lose belly fat.
So to flatten your belly fast, befriend these 5 ab exercises to lose belly fat.
ab exercises to get rid of belly fat
Healthshots talks to Sonia Bakshi, Nutritionist and Founder of DTF (Dance to Fitness) about abs exercises for flat belly.
“Exercising the abdominal muscles allows movement while providing stability, support, and balance to the body,” she says. She adds, “Crunching, side bending and twisting won’t let your abdominal muscles reveal if they’re covered with a thick layer of fat. So, to burn belly fat, ab exercises are the clear winner. They’re your best bet. Keeps the heart rate elevated for longer, resulting in more energy being burned and, consequently, fat loss and weight loss.”
While no single exercise can help burn belly fat on its own. As a result, your workout should include a variety of activities such as aerobics, cycling, walking, jogging, skipping and jumping. Also pay attention to these abs exercises and remember to stick to a healthy diet plan.
Here are 5 ab exercises to burn belly fat:
1. Squats
If you squat regularly, you can burn fat and build muscle. “Squats primarily develop strength, but heavy squats increase your lean muscle mass, increasing your ability to burn calories at rest during the day,” says Bakshi. Because of this, it can help reduce fat all over, including the abdomen and thighs.
2. Side Plank
Lie on your forearm, straighten your body and raise your hips and one arm. Rotate your torso towards the floor and bring your hand under your body. Rotate your torso again and straighten your arm. Start with one set of 10 reps. Repeat on the other side.
3. Boat Pose
This exercise builds the core and spinal muscles. From a seated position, lean back and raise your legs in the air to form a V shape. Extend your arms in front so that they are parallel to the floor. Wait for a minute. Repeat again.
4. Toe Reach
This exercise is ideal for beginners who want to strengthen their core.
Here’s how to do it:
- Lie on your back, raise your legs up and keep your feet at a 90 degree angle.
- Engage your lower abs as you lift your upper body off the mat.
- Reach your hands up to your toes and hold for 1-2 seconds at the top.
- Slowly lower it back down.
- Do 1-3 sets of 15 repetitions.
5. Cycle Crunches
It is also an effective exercise to reduce belly fat. Be sure to rotate your core during this exercise. Pull your shoulders away from your ears and root your lower back into the floor.
Here’s how to do it:
- Lie on your back and bend your knees and keep your ankles flat on the floor.
- At the base of your scalp, interlace your fingers.
- Engage your core muscles, lift your upper body off the floor, and lift your knees so they’re directly above your hips to start.
- Exhale as you bend your torso and bring your right elbow and left knee together.
- Straighten and extend your right leg at the same time.
- Hold for 1-2 counts before returning to the starting position.
- Then repeat on the opposite side.
- This is a repetition. Do 2-3 sets of 10 repetitions.
benefits of ab exercises
- If you do ab exercises regularly, your stamina is likely to improve. And endurance helps build a strong, healthy body, boosts your metabolism, helps you lose weight; and enhances your body’s ability to tolerate extensive activity.
- If you want to continue with your workout routine, it is important to keep your back in good shape. And ab exercises bring more strength and stability to your spine and therefore improve your posture, which can result in better health.
- Ab exercises boost core strength and overall performance, which is really essential when it comes to following a weight-loss workout routine.
