How to Flatten Your Belly Incorporating Small Everyday Changes
Talk and walk., Sculpt your core while you walk., Make time for cardio., Clean your house., Sculpt while you sit., Paddle off your belly., Tone up with tennis., Try the roll-up., Try the Spiderman climber., Do a boat pose., Do the windshield wiper...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Talk and walk.
Instead of catching up with friends over food and drinks, suggest a reunion on the move—you're likely to work out if you have an exercise buddy.
Suggest a weekly walk-and-talk session, form a friendly fitness club, or try a new class at the gym together. -
Step 2: Sculpt your core while you walk.
As you go about your day, imagine there's a magnet pulling your belly button back toward your spine.
Practice the tuck until it becomes comfortable, and soon this easy ab-engaging move will become like second nature. , If you want to burn the most belly fat, a Duke University study confirms that aerobic exercise is the most effective in burning that deep, visceral belly fat.In fact, aerobic training burns 67 percent more calories than resistance training or a combination of the two, according to the study. , One more reason to go after those dust bunnies: vacuuming is a great ab workout.
Tighten your abdominal muscles while you push back and forth for a tighter tummy while you clean. , While you're driving, sitting, or just waiting at the doctor's office, imagine there's gum or wet paint on the back of your chair so you have to hold yourself up instead of leaning back.
Keep shoulder blades down and back, abdominals lifted, and picture yourself knitting your rib cage together and in. , Kayaking is an exhilarating, ab-crunching workout.
Constant paddling requires lots of twisting and tightness from your abs for long periods of time. , Swing a few backhands and forehands and you'll feel your abs getting tighter after just a few sets.
You'll strengthen your obliques with every stroke. , Hold a resistance band taut between your hands and lie on the floor face up, with legs extended and arms overhead.
Pull abs in, tuck your chin, lift your arms toward the ceiling, and roll head, shoulders, and torso up and over your legs as far as you can.
Keep heels firmly on the floor and reach hands towards your feet.
Pause, then slowly roll back down.
Do 5 to 8 reps with 30 minutes of cardio 5 to 6 times a week. , Get into plank position with arms and legs extended, hands beneath shoulders, and feet flexed.
Keeping your abs tight, bend your left leg out to the side and bring the knee toward the left elbow.
Pause, then return to start.
Switch sides.
Do 20 reps, alternating sides, with 30 minutes of cardio 5 to 6 times a week. , Target your deepest ab muscles with boat pose:
Lie face up on a mat with arms straight up over chest.
Lift your upper body off the ground by rolling through the spine.
At the same time, raise your legs so that you're balancing on your butt, knees bent and shins parallel to the ground.
Slowly roll back down onto the mat, lowering legs.
That's one rep.
Do 5 reps per set, resting 30 to 60 seconds between sets. , Lie face up with arms out to your sides, palms down, and legs bent at 90 degrees so feet are off the floor.
Keep abs tight and slowly lower legs to the left as far as possible, keeping shoulders on the floor.
Pause, then return to start.
Repeat to the right.
Do 20 reps, alternating sides. , Get into a crunch position—lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor, shoulders and head off the floor with your abs contracted.
Then have someone throw an exercise ball (or basketball) to you—first to your left side so you have to twist and reach to catch it, and then to your right.
Do this as many times as is comfortable, and try to increase the number each week. , Take your workout indoors with boxing.
Aerobic kickboxing is more than just a great belly fat-burning, cardio workout.
All those arm thrusts and high kicks firm abs, too. , Stand as much as possible when doing strength training exercises.
That way your abs will naturally help to balance and stabilize your body.
To add an extra flat belly boost to your weight routine, concentrate on keeping your abs tight and maintaining good posture while you lift, but without holding your breath. , For every 10 grams of fiber you eat daily, your belly will carry almost 4 percent less fat.Enjoyable ways to increase your fiber consumption: two apples, ½ cup of pinto beans, one artichoke, or two cups of broccoli will all give you 10 grams of belly-flattening fibre., Too much salt will make you retain more fluid, which contributes to a puffy appearance and extra water weight. , Just half an avocado contains 10 grams of MUFAs (monounsaturated fatty acids), which halt blood sugar spikes that tell your body to store fat around your belly.Eat these in ¼ cup servings to ward off belly fat without overdoing it. , Salmon and other fatty fish are rich in the same omega-3 fatty acids as many belly-fat-busting foods.Try poaching your fish for a low-calorie way to enjoy this lean protein. , Sunflower seeds are packed with tons of MUFAs and B vitamins, which play an important role in protecting against inflammation.Sprinkle two tablespoons on top of your salad and stir-fries. , One serving of peanut butter has 2 g of fiber and 8 g of protein, on top of belly-busting MUFAs.Try this easy recipe to add a flat belly punch to dinner:
Toss a half-cup of whole grain noodles with 3 ounces cooked shrimp, minced scallions, and ¼ cup sliced red bell pepper.
Dress with a mixture of 2 tablespoons peanut butter, 2 tablespoons warm water, and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. , A recent study showed that a normal-weight woman was more likely to mimic a thin woman's eating habits than an obese woman's.So when you're out for girl’s night, order first. , Forget water weight:
Drinking lots of water helps flush bloat that your body might be holding onto. , Where do you think all those bubbles from carbonated drinks end up? Swap soda, diet soda, and seltzer for water, a natural, zero calorie, lifesaver. , That glass of wine with every meal may be part of the reason your jeans are too tight.
Alcohol intake is known to raise cortisol levels, sending fat straight to your belly., Research from the University of Chicago shows that those who sleep 7 hours or more a night lose twice as much fat and are less hungry than those who get less than 7 hours of shut-eye. -
Step 3: Make time for cardio.
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Step 4: Clean your house.
-
Step 5: Sculpt while you sit.
-
Step 6: Paddle off your belly.
-
Step 7: Tone up with tennis.
-
Step 8: Try the roll-up.
-
Step 9: Try the Spiderman climber.
-
Step 10: Do a boat pose.
-
Step 11: Do the windshield wiper.
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Step 12: Play catch.
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Step 13: Punch your way to a flat stomach.
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Step 14: Stand tall while pumping iron.
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Step 15: Eat more fibre.
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Step 16: Re-think those pretzels.
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Step 17: Add avocado.
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Step 18: Add fresh seafood to your plate.
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Step 19: Sprinkle seeds on your salad.
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Step 20: Keep peanut butter in your diet.
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Step 21: Be the first to place a restaurant order when you are with a group of people.
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Step 22: Guzzle more H2O.
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Step 23: Skip your daily soda habit.
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Step 24: Get on the wagon.
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Step 25: Sleep away belly fat.
Detailed Guide
Instead of catching up with friends over food and drinks, suggest a reunion on the move—you're likely to work out if you have an exercise buddy.
Suggest a weekly walk-and-talk session, form a friendly fitness club, or try a new class at the gym together.
As you go about your day, imagine there's a magnet pulling your belly button back toward your spine.
Practice the tuck until it becomes comfortable, and soon this easy ab-engaging move will become like second nature. , If you want to burn the most belly fat, a Duke University study confirms that aerobic exercise is the most effective in burning that deep, visceral belly fat.In fact, aerobic training burns 67 percent more calories than resistance training or a combination of the two, according to the study. , One more reason to go after those dust bunnies: vacuuming is a great ab workout.
Tighten your abdominal muscles while you push back and forth for a tighter tummy while you clean. , While you're driving, sitting, or just waiting at the doctor's office, imagine there's gum or wet paint on the back of your chair so you have to hold yourself up instead of leaning back.
Keep shoulder blades down and back, abdominals lifted, and picture yourself knitting your rib cage together and in. , Kayaking is an exhilarating, ab-crunching workout.
Constant paddling requires lots of twisting and tightness from your abs for long periods of time. , Swing a few backhands and forehands and you'll feel your abs getting tighter after just a few sets.
You'll strengthen your obliques with every stroke. , Hold a resistance band taut between your hands and lie on the floor face up, with legs extended and arms overhead.
Pull abs in, tuck your chin, lift your arms toward the ceiling, and roll head, shoulders, and torso up and over your legs as far as you can.
Keep heels firmly on the floor and reach hands towards your feet.
Pause, then slowly roll back down.
Do 5 to 8 reps with 30 minutes of cardio 5 to 6 times a week. , Get into plank position with arms and legs extended, hands beneath shoulders, and feet flexed.
Keeping your abs tight, bend your left leg out to the side and bring the knee toward the left elbow.
Pause, then return to start.
Switch sides.
Do 20 reps, alternating sides, with 30 minutes of cardio 5 to 6 times a week. , Target your deepest ab muscles with boat pose:
Lie face up on a mat with arms straight up over chest.
Lift your upper body off the ground by rolling through the spine.
At the same time, raise your legs so that you're balancing on your butt, knees bent and shins parallel to the ground.
Slowly roll back down onto the mat, lowering legs.
That's one rep.
Do 5 reps per set, resting 30 to 60 seconds between sets. , Lie face up with arms out to your sides, palms down, and legs bent at 90 degrees so feet are off the floor.
Keep abs tight and slowly lower legs to the left as far as possible, keeping shoulders on the floor.
Pause, then return to start.
Repeat to the right.
Do 20 reps, alternating sides. , Get into a crunch position—lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor, shoulders and head off the floor with your abs contracted.
Then have someone throw an exercise ball (or basketball) to you—first to your left side so you have to twist and reach to catch it, and then to your right.
Do this as many times as is comfortable, and try to increase the number each week. , Take your workout indoors with boxing.
Aerobic kickboxing is more than just a great belly fat-burning, cardio workout.
All those arm thrusts and high kicks firm abs, too. , Stand as much as possible when doing strength training exercises.
That way your abs will naturally help to balance and stabilize your body.
To add an extra flat belly boost to your weight routine, concentrate on keeping your abs tight and maintaining good posture while you lift, but without holding your breath. , For every 10 grams of fiber you eat daily, your belly will carry almost 4 percent less fat.Enjoyable ways to increase your fiber consumption: two apples, ½ cup of pinto beans, one artichoke, or two cups of broccoli will all give you 10 grams of belly-flattening fibre., Too much salt will make you retain more fluid, which contributes to a puffy appearance and extra water weight. , Just half an avocado contains 10 grams of MUFAs (monounsaturated fatty acids), which halt blood sugar spikes that tell your body to store fat around your belly.Eat these in ¼ cup servings to ward off belly fat without overdoing it. , Salmon and other fatty fish are rich in the same omega-3 fatty acids as many belly-fat-busting foods.Try poaching your fish for a low-calorie way to enjoy this lean protein. , Sunflower seeds are packed with tons of MUFAs and B vitamins, which play an important role in protecting against inflammation.Sprinkle two tablespoons on top of your salad and stir-fries. , One serving of peanut butter has 2 g of fiber and 8 g of protein, on top of belly-busting MUFAs.Try this easy recipe to add a flat belly punch to dinner:
Toss a half-cup of whole grain noodles with 3 ounces cooked shrimp, minced scallions, and ¼ cup sliced red bell pepper.
Dress with a mixture of 2 tablespoons peanut butter, 2 tablespoons warm water, and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. , A recent study showed that a normal-weight woman was more likely to mimic a thin woman's eating habits than an obese woman's.So when you're out for girl’s night, order first. , Forget water weight:
Drinking lots of water helps flush bloat that your body might be holding onto. , Where do you think all those bubbles from carbonated drinks end up? Swap soda, diet soda, and seltzer for water, a natural, zero calorie, lifesaver. , That glass of wine with every meal may be part of the reason your jeans are too tight.
Alcohol intake is known to raise cortisol levels, sending fat straight to your belly., Research from the University of Chicago shows that those who sleep 7 hours or more a night lose twice as much fat and are less hungry than those who get less than 7 hours of shut-eye.
About the Author
Stephanie Ramos
Brings years of experience writing about home improvement and related subjects.
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