Most people are aware that exercise alone won’t magically transform the body. Spot reduction, or working out a specific part of the body to lose fat, just isn’t effective. But don’t lose hope! You can still get the results you want. To get you started, here are four steps you can take to address stubborn belly fat, with exercise, diet and supplements all playing a part.
1. Abs are made in the kitchen
You can do crunches all day long, but you’ll never see the results under a layer of body fat. When I’m eating a clean, healthy diet, I see a significant difference in the appearance of my stomach. It’s flatter and tighter. I focus on foods such as lean protein (like fish, chicken or turkey), fibrous carbohydrates (such as oatmeal, broccoli, whole-grain breads and whole-grain pasta) and higher fiber fruit such as apples and pears. I keep sugar consumption to a minimum and drink plenty of water throughout the day.
2. Cardio, cardio, cardio!
It’s time to get moving! After diet, cardio is the next important step. Four to five days a week of cardio exercise is ideal. When trying to trim my tummy, I increase my normal cardio activity by 10 minutes, and I’ll often alternate cardio sessions with high-intensity interval training (HITT). HITT involves alternating low- to moderate-intensity intervals with high-intensity intervals. For example, warm up for five minutes, jog for 30 seconds, sprint for 30 seconds, then repeat 10 times and cool down.
3. Focus on your core
Along with cardio, abdominal exercises should be included to strengthen ab muscles, making them tighter and giving them more definition. I like to train abs every other day, and I typically concentrate on performing bodyweight exercises rather than using weights. There are three areas to focus on when doing abdominal exercises: upper, lower and obliques. Crunches address your upper abs. Hanging leg lifts are great for lower abs (if you’re working out at home, try leg lifts on the floor, raising your legs 90 degrees and keeping hips down to keep pressure off your lower back). Oblique twists will help to bring in your waist melting the dreaded muffin top.
4. Find a supplement that’s right for you
Finally, it may help to try a supplement such as Re-Body SafSlim. SafSlim , which contains expeller-pressed high-linoleic safflower oil, is a clinically researched solution for reducing belly fat. It’s made from non-GMO and gluten-free ingredients and can be taken by the spoonful or mixed into smoothies or yogurt.