We all yearn to have a toned, flat tummy, but a stubborn fat bulge around the tummy is a common woe, even for ladies who are generally slim. When it comes to losing belly fat, many would turn to abdominal exercises as they believe that targeted training is the best way to burn those belly fats away. Is that the right way to get rid of a bulging tummy? Do abdominal exercises really work?
Exercising your stomach will NOT make it smaller.
Exercises that target the abdomen can only help you to tone and strengthen the muscles near the belly. They do not help you lose belly fats. What does work is a holistic fitness plan, consisting of intense fat-burning cardio workouts combined with toning exercises at the end of it. This will work all major muscle groups, helping you to lose fat all over and appear more toned and less flabby.
Crunching is not the most effective abs workout
Contrary to popular belief, crunches are not the most effective way to lose belly fats. Crunches work only the muscles on the front and sides of your abdomen, but it’s just as important to target other core muscles such as those on the hips, lower back and upper thighs, to achieve defined abs.
For instance, if you are extremely determined to lose those belly fats and force yourself through hundreds of crunches a day, you may strengthen your abs and they might firm up a little, but ultimately you will still have lots of fat covering those muscles. The result? You won’t look any slimmer. This is because 50% of our body fat is located directly beneath the skin. The rest of the fats are inside the muscles and doing crunches will not get rid of these fats. What gets rid of fats, is still cardio exercises.
Fat cannot be reduced in only certain areas of your body
Abdominal exercises are not the key to losing belly fat because it is impossible to lose fats only on certain areas of your body. To lose belly fat, you need to reduce your overall body fat. To achieve this, you need to burn more calories than you eat, and engage in fat-burning cardiovascular exercises.