Decrease Your Belly to Increase Your Life

Achieving a tighter middle will do more than increase your self-esteem and confidence, shedding excess belly fat will improve your health! Reducing the size of your weight will decrease your risk for premature death from heart disease, hypertension, stroke and cancer.

Many factors go into attaining a flatter tummy - genetics plays a key role, along with 2 other biggies - diet and exercise. And while we cannot control our genetics (in other words where our bodies decide to store and lose fat or hormonal changes) we can take charge of what we put into our mouths and how much we move - which in turn will help us shrink our bellies!

If you are on a quest for a tight, toned stomach, start moving now! Exercise has been proven to be the most effective way to burn abdominal fat, helping you to reduce the size of your fat cells - including those in your middle. Cardio is super important because it will help you burn lots of calories and fat. Aim for about 30 minutes daily. Also regular strength training 2-3 times a week is crucial because it will help you build lean muscle, which will in turn increase your metabolism as muscle tissue burns more calories at rest than fat. And remember, while we cannot spot train our way to a flatter tummy, we still need to do exercises to keep our abdominal muscles toned and our core and back strong. So don't forget the bicycle - for your abs that is ;-) A recent study found that the bicycle abdominal move is the best exercise for toning abs!


To do the bicycle:

• on a mat with your lower back pressed down firmly


• support your head in your hands, try to keep your elbows bent and out to the sides


• bring your legs up to about a 45 degree angle


• using a pedal motion, try to touch your left elbow to your right knee and switch sides bringing the right elbow to the left knee
  

How we nourish ourselves also plays a big role in how our middles look, how we feel, and how healthy we are. While many trendy "miracle foods and diets" promise flatter abs, there is no research to back up their magical claims - so please don't waste your time and money! Just stick to the basics - a balanced diet made up of fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean protein, healthy fats in moderation, and low in sugar.

Go get that tummy you've always dreamed of! I know you can do it - keep me posted on your progress!