In the human body, the main "deposits" of fat are concentrated in the subcutaneous tissue and in the abdominal cavity and its wall, ie in the abdomen. In the normal state, fat accumulates in an adult by increasing the size of existing fat cells (adipocytes). But with an excessive amount of fat in the cell, the process of their reproduction begins, which leads to a multiple increase in the number of fat cells. They begin to accumulate, including between the organs of the abdominal cavity (visceral fat), as well as in the lower and upper parts of the body. At the same time, the layer of fat on the abdomen of overweight people can reach a thickness of 10, 15 or even 20 cm (for comparison: in walruses and seals the thickness of subcutaneous fat is 5-10 cm). Will Abdominal Weight Loss Exercises Help "Shake Up" Excess Fat?
Effective Abdominal Weight Loss Exercises
In principle, exercises for fast weight loss belly - without a system of proper balanced diet - will not give the desired effect. Because adipose tissue is not just a "storehouse" of extra pounds. It actively maintains its presence in the body with the specially produced peptide hormone leptin, which in the system of energy metabolism performs the function of "control and revision".
But not everything is so hopeless. Triglycerides are synthesized in fat cells, which mainly consist of adipose tissue. When triglycerides are broken down, the body receives energy and the more energy is expended, the more triglycerides are broken down. That is, weight loss exercises in the abdomen are a very enhanced physical activity in which there is an increase in fat consumption. The main thing is that the morning exercises for losing weight belly are not accompanied by breakfasts, lunches and dinners, which in their caloric content would exceed the energy spent on their implementation. . .
So, home exercises for losing weight on the abdomen, according to weight loss experts, should be done at least three times a week. From the beginning of classes, each exercise is performed 8-10 times, and after a person gets involved in this work, all exercises for weight loss on the abdomen at home must be performed at least 20-25 times.
The standard set of exercises for weight loss in the abdomen includes performing exercises in different positions - standing, sitting and lying down. The following exercises are performed in a supine position:
- Lying on your back, legs and arms upright, arms outstretched to the body. Without bringing your shoulders forward as you inhale, lift your back off the floor, raise your straight arms along your legs, sit up, and lean forward, trying to reach your toes with your hands. When exhaling, return smoothly to the original position.
- Lying on your back, your legs are bent at the knees, while your feet are almost shoulder-width apart. The hands are placed behind the head, the fingers are "locked", the elbows are on the side. Inhale - head, shoulders and shoulders go off the floor (chin should not be pressed to the chest), abdominal muscles tense. Hold this position for 5-10 seconds. Exhale - take a supine position again.
- Lying on your back, legs and arms straight, arms outstretched to the body. The straight legs on the inhale are raised by 30 degrees in relation to the flat floor, this position is held for five seconds, the starting position is taken at the exit.
- The starting position is the same as in the previous exercise. While inhaling, bend your knees and perform a movement that mimics cycling (30 seconds, three times, with 5-second breaks).
- Lying on his back, legs bent at the knees, arms straight out along the body. While inhaling, lift your pelvis off the floor (focusing on the shoulder blade area) so that your abdomen is level with your knees. The position is maintained for 5-10 seconds, and the starting position is slowly taken at the exit.
- Lying on his back, legs bent at the knees, arms behind his head, elbows to the side. Inhale - the elbow of the left hand is extended towards the right knee. Exhale - starting position. Inhale - the elbow of the right hand extends to the left knee. Exhale - starting position.
Standing abdominal weight loss exercises
Simple but effective weight loss exercises in a standing position - traditional squats and bends.
- Stand upright, feet together, arms at waist. Keeping your back and shoulders as upright as possible, squat without lifting your heel off the floor. The lower the squat, the tighter the abdominal muscles are during stretching. If you have difficulty, you can do this exercise while holding your hand, for example, on the back of a chair.
- Stand upright, feet shoulder-width apart, arms at waist or behind head. Inhale - bend forward, exhale - straighten, inhale - bend backwards, exhale - straighten.
- Stand up straight, feet shoulder-width apart, raise your arms. Inhale (to the detriment of 1-2-3) - stretched forward bending your toes touching your feet or floor. On account 4 (exhale) - take the starting position.
- Stand upright, feet shoulder-width apart, arms at waist. Tighten your abdominal muscles tightly, then (without holding your breath) relax your muscles. The exercise is repeated 10-15 times.
Sit-down weight loss exercises
When doing weight loss exercises while sitting, you need to make sure your back and shoulders stay upright. This increases the load on the abdominal muscles.
- Sit on the floor, stand up straight, place your hands lightly in a support position. Keep your legs straight together, lift them off the floor and with both feet “draw” circles in the air - three times to the left and the same amount to the right. Repeat the exercise 3-4 times with short breaks.
- Sit on the floor, legs straight, arms outstretched forward. Alternately lifting your buttocks and tensing your abdominal muscles, move back and forth (one meter). Repeat the exercise 5-6 times.
- Sit on the floor, stand up straight, place your hands lightly in a support position. Keep your legs straight together, leaning back slightly, lifting them off the floor alternately. The exercise is repeated in three sets of 10 times.
Abdominal Weight Loss Exercises for Men
All of the above abdominal weight loss exercises men can do with the same success as women, but the number of repetitions should be increased (up to 20-25 times). But exercises with increased load:
- Lie on the floor, legs straight, arms straight next to your body. While inhaling, lift your straight legs up (do not lift your head and shoulders! ) And hold them in this position for 10 seconds. On the exhale - take the original position. As you exercise, the holding time of the raised legs should be gradually increased.
- Sit on the floor, stand up straight, place your hands lightly in a support position. Keep your legs straight together; leaning back slightly, lift your legs off the floor, bend at the knees and press on your chest. Then straighten your legs and lower them to the floor.
- The starting position is similar to the previous exercise, but the legs are alternately raised, bent and pressed against the chest - separately to the right and left.
Abdominal weight loss exercises for men include the active use of a horizontal bar. The simplest of these is this: hang yourself on your straight arms, then, inhaling, bend your knees and slowly straighten them, lifting them parallel to the floor (or ground). On the exhale - return to the starting position smoothly.
Bodyflex exercises for weight loss on the abdomen
A popular complex of breathing exercises for losing weight - bodyflex, which was developed more than 20 years ago by the American Greer Childers.
Bodyflex exercises for weight loss are considered to be aimed at “saturating the body with oxygen”, which is achieved by temporarily holding the breath. In this case, breathing exercises are combined with isotonic and isometric exercises, or static and energetic muscle tension without moving the parts of the body that participate in the exercise.
Breathing exercises for weight loss belly bodyflex
According to the bodyflex technique, you first need to exhale all the air from your lungs - through your mouth, making your lips a “tube”. Then inhale quickly, intensely through the nose (the breath should be noisy) - to fill the lungs to the brim. After that, raising your head, you need to exhale all the air with all your strength - but this time through your mouth wide open. But now you should hold your breath completely, tilt your head towards your chest and retract your abdomen as much as possible (8-10 seconds). The last step is to relax the abdominal muscles and inhale normally. All bodyflex exercises for losing weight in the abdomen are performed in the phase of holding your breath (and pulling in your abdomen).
Starting position: kneel, bend down and rest on the floor with palms straight. The back is straight, the head raised. A breathing exercise is performed (as described above) and while holding your breath and drawing your abdomen, you need to tilt your head and bend your back as much as possible. This pose is held for 8-10 seconds. This is followed by exhalation and relaxation of the back and abdomen. The exercise is repeated three times at intervals of 15-20 seconds.
Here is another exercise, for which you need to lie on your back, spread your legs slightly less than shoulder width and bend them at the knees (feet completely on the floor), arms outstretched along the body. Then perform a breathing exercise (as described above) and retract the abdomen. When holding your breath, you should: raise your arms and tear your head off the floor (throwing it back), shoulders and back, raising them as high as possible; return to the supine position and, touching the nape of the neck with the floor, repeat the movement. After the second lift, return smoothly to the original position and inhale, relaxing the abdomen. This exercise is repeated three times at half-minute intervals.
Finally, an exercise to lose weight in the lower abdomen. Lie on your back on the floor, legs straight together, arms bent at the elbows (palms down) placed under the buttocks. After completing the breathing exercise - holding your breath and retracting your abdomen - the straight legs are slightly raised above the floor (toes are extended, the head and shoulders remain motionless) and quick wide swing "scissors" are made, changing the position of the legs (above or below the other). The movements are performed in eight to ten counts. The legs are lowered and the breath is taken. Repetition - 3-4 times with breaks of 20 seconds.
Despite the fact that most breathing exercises, including breathing exercises for weight loss belly, are believed to be a potentially unsafe bodyflex system, as holding your breath leads to high blood pressure and heart rhythm disturbances.
There is another system of breathing exercises (again combined with physical activity) to reduce fat deposits on the hips and abdomen - oxidation. True, one should not hold one's breath here. In general, oxisism is a modified version of the American body flexion, supplemented by abdominal breathing. There is nothing new here, because diaphragmatic breathing (eastern, lower or abdominal breathing) has long been practiced by yoga, which has special pranayama techniques.
Yoga exercises for weight loss belly
Abdominal breathing is used both to increase the supply of oxygen to the bloodstream and to strengthen the muscles in the lower abdomen. Here is the svadhisthana chakra, which in Ayurveda is considered responsible for human immunity and general vitality.
The most affordable technique for performing yoga breathing exercises to lose weight is as follows: you need to place one palm on your chest and the other on your stomach, inhale deeply through your nose, inflating your abdomen so that your palm rises (along with your abdominal wall). In this case, the palm lying on the chest must remain motionless. Exhalation is also done through the nose, and should be longer and quieter than inhalation. On exhalation, the abdominal wall should be "pressed" against the spine, as a result of which the palm on the abdomen is lowered to its original position.
Now let's focus on the simplest yoga exercises for losing weight on the abdomen.
Bhujangasaga - cobra pose
Lie on the floor, stomach, straighten your legs, squeeze your knees and feet, stretch your toes; arms bent at the elbows, lying against the chest, palms forward. As you inhale - emphasize with your palms, slowly and gradually raise your body to the height of your arms straightened in the support. In this case, the back is bent, the sternum is pulled forward and up, the shoulders are pulled back and down, the elbows are pressed against the lateral surfaces of the chest and the head is tilted back. Fix the pose for half a minute (holding your breath for 5 seconds), then bend your arms at the elbows and, as you exhale, gently lower yourself to the starting position. Repeat the exercise three times.
Ardha Navasana - half boat position
Sit on the floor, knees bent, arms lowered to your chest. Round your back, press your lower back firmly to the floor, your shoulders and the rest of your back remain in weight. Then straighten your legs and raise them 25-30 cm above the floor. Extend your arms toward your feet. The legs, abdomen and lower back are tense, breathing is even. Hold this position for 15-20 seconds.
Dhanurasana - onion occasion
Effective exercise for weight loss in the lower abdomen, as well as for strengthening the spine (reminiscent of the exercise "frog" known from childhood).
Lie on the floor on your stomach, bend your legs at the knees, lift them and grab your ankles with your hands. While inhaling, bend your back and lift both legs by pulling them with your hands on your back. Hold your breath for 5 seconds as you exhale, release your arms and gently lower your legs to the floor. The number of repetitions of the asana is three to four times.
Halasana - plow pose (simplified version)
Lie on your back - head leaning against the wall (at a distance of about half a meter), straight legs, straight arms outstretched to the body. When inhaling, lift your straight legs up, bend your arms, and place your hands on your hips while holding your body. On the exhale - throw straight legs behind your head, touch your feet to the wall. Stay in the asana for 10 seconds, breathe deeply. On the exhale - bend slowly, with your back firmly on the floor - lower your legs slightly. This yoga exercise for weight loss belly is good not only for belly fat but also for thighs.
The body is the "burden" that a person constantly "carries" with him. And it takes effort and perseverance to ease this burden. Only they will help to systematically perform weight loss exercises in the abdomen and thus part with that extra pounds.