What’s the first exercise that comes to mind when you think of shrinking or lose belly fat around your middle? Sit-ups, of course! But, hang on a second (and drop that doughnut!) If you mean business—and don’t want to do a million crunches—here are several alternative exercises to flatten that tire forever.
 

Bye-Bye Belly Fat: Don’t Let the Door Hit You on the Way Out!

 
Are you so tired of that roll hanging over the top of your jeans? Ugh! Who isn’t? The people who got rid of their belly fat aren’t complaining anymore…
If you think a few sit-ups will do the trick, then someone sold you a bridge in Brooklyn. Losing belly jelly requires a combination of good eating habits and a collection of exercises. Here’s the best news: it is possible, and participating in a few moves everyday will have others wishing they looked as good!
 

A Longer Waistline May Mean a Shorter Life

 
Aside from how fabulous you will look and feel, losing belly fat may help keep you alive on this planet a bit longer. Research has shown that a larger waist size can be linked to:
– diabetes
– heart disease
– stroke
– some cancers
It’s never too soon to exercise your option to exercise.

Want to Go Belly Up?

 
Doing sit-ups is certainly a way to strengthen your core and tone tummy muscles. But if you want to shed the belly blubber, you’ll have to do other exercises. Your objective is to boost your metabolism, which will help you burn calories and fat and eventually lose belly fat.
Here are some key exercises to lose belly fat:
1) Run. Running in intervals (and on an incline) will maximize your effort. Try moving ahead at full speed for one minute. Then, allow your muscles and breathing to recover for one minute—but do not stop moving. During recovery mode, lower the intensity to a jog or a brisk walking pace. After the minute, go back to high intensity for another minute. Repeat this process for about a half an hour.
TIP: Running with your favorite tunes has shown to improve your workout. A great pair of bluetooth headphones, like the SENSO Wireless Sports Earphones are awesome for gym running. The sweatproof earbuds come in HD stereo and with a battery that lasts 8 hours.
 
2) Row. Rowing increases your heart rate and uses a bunch of different muscles, burning tons of calories. For this exercise, try 20 seconds of high intensity and then 10 seconds of rest. Keep your body in the same position; just stop rowing during the short recovery period. Repeat the process for up to a half an hour.
 
3) Lift Weights. Focus on lifting heavier weight, but take care not to injure yourself. Focus on your technique, earning the optimum results from each repetition. The beauty of weight bearing exercise is that you continue to burn calories long after you’re done with the workout.
Neoprene Body Sculpting Hand Weights get the job done!


 
4) Brisk Walk. Walk purposefully, at a speedy pace, continuously, for up to an hour. This will boost your metabolism and help burn away the fat.
 
5) High intensity interval train. Choose between four and eight different exercises. Examples would be: planks, mountains climbers, crunches, push-ups, squats, etc. Create a rotation going from one movement to another without stopping. Place exercises that work different muscles next to each other so you get an interval “break.” (Perhaps do 10 push-ups, and then immediately after, do 10 crunches, then do lunges, and so on…)
TIP: You can get a full body workout using a Vertical Climber .
These exercises, besides burning calories, help reduce stress. Stress encourages the production of cortisol, which actually holds onto fat, keeping you from losing weight. Stress-reduction and slimming down are a win-win proposal!
 

Gain Muscle, Lose Belly Fat

 
Once you’ve gotten into the good habit of exercising 3-5 days a week, minimum, you’ll be burning through calories like crazy. Then, once you lose your belly fat, you’ll be better able to see your muscles. This is where doing sit-ups will benefit your abs’ appearance.
You don’t have to do 100’s of crunches or bicycles in order to lose the big lump in the middle. You just have to eat nutritionally and moderately, and then add some fat-burning exercises. It won’t be long before you’re imagining yourself in a bikini again!
 
Sources:
https://www.prevention.com/fitness/best-workouts-to-target-belly-fat/slide/1
http://www.stylecraze.com/articles/5-exercises-and-5-foods-to-reduce-belly-fat/#gref
https://getthrive.com/weight-loss-tips-not-for-dummies/