Combine weight training, aerobics to combat belly fat

 

This is an article from Citizen Times by Brian Lawler which gives a good perspective of losing fat.

Question: What is the best way to tackle belly fat? Is it doing abdominal crunches, Pilates or following a particular diet?

 

Answer: Excess belly fat is a common problem that can effectively be tackled by taking a sensible approach to exercise and by making important changes in your diet.

Forget about doing hundreds of crunches, sit-ups or all the different types of abdominal exercises that you have seen on late-night infomercials.

Strengthening your core is helpful for your overall health, especially for protecting your back, but abdominal exercises will not help you in reducing unwanted belly fat. It is impossible to get rid of flab from just one specific area in your body. When fat is used for energy, it is drawn from all areas of your body. Unfortunately, the first place that you tend to put it on will also be the last place that it will come off.

Your best way to tackle belly fat is by participating in an exercise program that includes weight training and aerobic exercise. A recent research study found that this combination of training resulted in almost three times greater losses in subcutaneous abdominal fat than aerobic exercise alone, even though both groups exercised for the same number of minutes.

To get better and faster results, choose weight training exercises that utilize multiple muscle groups such as squats, dead lifts, chest presses, rows, military presses and lat pull downs. Aerobic activities such as walking, jogging, bicycling, elliptical training and stair climbing are also excellent ways to burn fat.

You will also need to eat the right foods. Ultimately, losing weight and belly fat requires that you take in fewer calories than you burn. Eat foods that are natural and that are also low in fat, sugar and calories. Try to eat smaller portions and eat frequently throughout the day. This will help to increase your metabolism and subsequently help you burn more calories.

Protein requirements will also increase while you are restricting your calories, so it will be important to include a lean protein source — chicken, turkey, fish, skim milk, etc. — with each meal. Protein will help make you feel less hungry and more satisfied.

Although losing fat can be difficult, do not give up hope — it can be done. To effectively lose fat and to keep it off permanently, make exercise and eating right a normal part of your life and not just something that you do only occasionally.

The Pain & Gain from Exercising

“Rrrrring”…
Open eyes- look around for the offending noise.
Focus on the alarm clock and “BANG”.. switch it off…
6am- and who wants to leave the warmth of the bed- and go for heaven forbid – Exercising.
Nevertheless, with eyes closed, you think “I want to look slim and smart”.. but this is painful.

Sounds familiar?

All said and done, exercising is still the oldest and the best way to burn fat. Most of us (at least I do) gain weight easily and usually without much effort. To lose weight gained is the biggest challenge and exercise is the best way. Appearance matters a lot to majority of the people, slim look is in and all of us want to look the best. To be fit, slim and look great is now a pre-requisite to success sin life- be it work, getting accepted in groups etc.  Exercising burns fats spontaneously makes us feel healthy while giving the person a beautiful physique. There are many medical studies that have also shown that exercising also releases hormones that make you more happy!  Here are some great exercises for burning fat -

Running: Running is considered to be one of the best exercise for burning fat present in the body. The person should set a target to run with specific kilometers a day and gradually increase this distance. Early morning or evening running is equally good and has a similar effect to the body and the mind. The difference is seen within few days. Running not only reduces the excess flab but also makes the legs strong. Regular running improves body metabolism & makes one look healthy and fit.

Push ups: The persons having extraordinary amounts of fats on their body won’t be able to lose fats only through running. They need to supplement their running schedule with push up’s. This exercise not only helps to reduce the body fat but also decreases belly fat. The legs become strong and give body a perfect shape.

“Pumping Iron”: aka Bodybuilding , aka visit to the Gym, can be termed as next best mode for burning fat. The benefits of bodybuilding include burning excess fat and giving body a muscular yet stylish look. A visit to the local gym could be a great way to start off. It also offers a variety of training machines that can suit your own pace and needs. There are those who wan to reduce their weight, and there are those who we look at with envy, who have well chiseled bodies and want to build more!  A trainer is highly recommended as a newbie could cause more harm than good to themselves.  The trainer can guide you to do different types of exercises depending on the body types and goals.

Swimming: Swimming is another great exercise to burn fat and helps to lose excess fat from all parts of the body. This exercise builds stamina, gives the body a perfect shape and makes the legs, shoulders and lungs stronger. 

All these exercises can be done either independently or in combination with each other. For example running and swimming can be combined. The body should get a minimum of 45 minutes daily to stay healthy. 

Not many people take the time off from their busy schedules (yours truly included) but this is usually one of the most popular new year resolutions.  Keep at it- and your life will never be the same again (literally).

For easier ways to reach the same end results..