The key to shrinking your stomach is to complement aerobic and anaerobic exercise with a balanced nutritional plan customized to decrease the prominence of fatty tissue in your abdominal region. It’s important to realize that spot reduction is a myth, which means that fat cannot be reduced in one area of the body; rather, you must decrease overall body fat in order to shrink your stomach. Some gut-busting exercises are more effective than others, although increasing your inherent level of physical activity will ultimately help you achieve your weight loss goal.
Circuit Training
High-intensity exercise is the fastest method of working off excess belly fat and shrinking your stomach. WebMD recommends participating in an advanced circuit training program, designed by certified personal trainer Michael Banks, in order to maximize your body’s natural ability to torch calories. Banks’ fat-busting training regimen consists of a seven-minute power walk, followed by a 30-second sprint on the treadmill. While this type of activity might seem daunting, high-octane exercise is necessary in order to flatten your stomach. A three-minute cool down period ensues after each sprint, followed by two sets of squats and overhead presses. Consult a personal trainer if you’re unsure how to perform these exercises. Banks recommends performing at least 15 repetitions of each exercise before finishing your workout with an additional 30-second sprint and subsequent cool down period.
Multi-Joint Exercises
The foundation of fat-shredding exercise is complex movement. This means you must incorporate weightlifting exercises that utilize two or more joints into your workout program. Squats are a solid example of explosive multi-joint activity because the act of performing a squat requires use of the joints in the ankles, hips and knees. The overhead press, as recommended by Banks, is also effective because it concentrates weight strain on the elbow and shoulder joints. To compare, a standard dumbbell curl simply utilizes the elbow joint. Multi-joint exercises force the body to consume more energy, which is why these types of activities are effective strategies for overall weight loss. Other explosive fat-busting exercises that can help you shrink your stomach include throwing medicine balls and swinging kettle bells.
Jogging
Jogging is perhaps the most popular form of aerobic activity because it burns excess calories without forcing the body to complete exhaustion. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, jogging exercises more muscle mass than most other types of cardiovascular activity. In essence, jogging requires several muscle groups to function in unison, which causes the body to use stored energy, commonly referred to as fat, for fuel. This enables working muscles to perform at a high level. Jogging will help shrink your stomach by stabilizing your midsection, assuming proper form is used. Do not hunch or slouch your body when jogging in order to gain maximum benefit. Jogging for 30 to 45 minutes at least four times per week will flatten your stomach over time and increase your overall well-being.
Plyometric Jumps
Jumping is an endurance-driven action that accelerates the body’s heart rate while simultaneously exercising various muscles throughout the body. Plyometric training is an efficient fat-busting strategy for weight loss. It’s a primary component of several highly reputed stomach-shrinking workout programs, such as the P90X. The two most popular forms of plyometric training are the vertical jump and broad jump. The act of engaging in frequent jumping motion while allowing minimal rest time increases the body’s natural ability to burn fat while also strengthening fast-twitch muscle fibers, which are partially responsible for burning calories.
Physiological Factors
It’s important to eat a healthy diet when trying to shrink your stomach and reach your fat-busting goal, specifically because certain physiological factors, such as age, body type and physical fitness level, can make it difficult to achieve weight loss at an accelerated rate. Your chances of achieving your desired level of fitness are enhanced when remaining committed to a goal. According to WebMD, most doctors recommend consuming foods that are low in calories but rich in fiber and protein for sustainable weight loss over time. It’s also important to note that light physical activity, such as walking around the block, will not help you burn extra fat calories and shrink your stomach. You need to challenge yourself and actively participate in workouts that include circuit training, multi-joint exercises, jogging and plyometric training.
