Start Exercising!
Healthy dieting alone will not get you to the finish line of attaining a toned tummy. You need to get your body moving!
- Be sure to consult with your doctor first before you start any rigorous change of lifestyle that includes an increased physical activity. This will help you determine the status of your health and thus the level at which to begin.
- To whittle your middle, combine abdominal exercises (which tones) with cardiovascular activities (such as walking, jogging or bicycling which burn body fat in your belly) and strength-training exercises (such as weight-lifting which builds muscle tissue that burn calories more efficiently). And because muscle tissue is needed to burn more calories, these exercises should be regularly done (it's time to get that nice workout outfit you saw on sale at the mall!).
- Studies found that doing aerobics for four or more hours per week reduces the risk of putting on pounds on the waistline by 72 percent. Jogging or running for one to three hours per week lowers the odds for this by about 40 percent.
- Do ab exercises at home. Check out fitness articles that suggest simple exercises that only take you 15-20 minutes a day, three times a week without having to do those usual tiring and boring crunches.
- For those who need equipment to get motivated to exercise, there are a variety of tummy machines which can help flatten your midsection. But these ab machines alone, like the ab exercises, can't transform a tubby middle into your dream tummy unless you consume fewer calories than you burn.
- To see more results, increase the length of your workout every time.
- Listen to music while doing your workout. Research shows that those who work out listening to music, work out for an average of 30% longer and work harder without even noticing it.
- Exercise with a partner to make your workout a fun activity (and right, it can be a great date with a different twist).
- Do your exercises with slow but precise movements to get the results you desire much faster. If you run through them as quickly as possible, inertia will be helping you complete your reps. But if you slow down and move with deliberate movements, each part of the muscle surely gets targeted.
- Do not hydrate with drinks that have sugar, caffeine or alcohol. Sugar will decrease the emptying time of the stomach and thus, cause stomach cramping. Caffeine and alcohol, which are diuretics that cause water to be drawn from the blood and intestines and then filtered out through the kidneys, can cause you to become dehydrated even more quickly.
- You can also join aerobics classes.But if you don't have the time, increasing your activity everyday will make a difference. Incorporate aerobic exercises into your routine three to four times a day on a regular basis. Walk instead of driving, take the stairs instead of the elevator, park at a distance so you can walk the rest of the way, clean the car, go bicycling, have fun with the jumping rope, go ballroom dancing and play sports.
- Listen to your body when it needs rest but push yourself at the same time to achieve your goals.
- While waiting on the traffic jam inside the car, talking on the phone or waiting on line at the supermarket, contract and hold your ab muscles for about ten seconds (this is as good as doing a crunch!).
- Get a taut midsection anytime, anywhere with good posture. When standing, practice correct form with your shoulders back and down. This will automatically engage your abdominal muscles. Then when seated, never slouch. Sit all the way back in your chair to support your spine to prevent your belly from protruding.
- Much like in dieting, be flexible and ensure variety in your exercises. You can change your exercises every month to keep you motivated and on the move. This will prevent you from getting bored and losing energy physically and mentally.
