Are you someone trying to lose extra fat from the abdominal area? If yes, here are some cardio exercises to help you get rid of stubborn belly fat.
Don’t we all want to get rid of our mid-riff fat bulging over our jeans? Wear slim-fit shirts and dresses with confidence? Show off a set of perfectly toned abs in a crop top or sports bra? Celebrity Fitness Expert Bhavna Harchandrai says, “I’m sure you have heard the adage ‘Your six-pack is made in the kitchen and not in the gymnasium’. A low-carb diet, including fibre-rich fruits and vegetables, adequate protein intake, and eliminating simple sugars will help you in your endeavour.”
According to the expert, mindlessly doing endless crunches or sit-ups without incorporating the correct full-body exercise program will only put a strain on your back and hardly get off any of that stored midsection fat. So what is the secret to achieving the coveted ‘Washboard Abs’?
Workout To Lose Belly Fat
The answer lies in High-Low workouts or Interval Training, i.e. alternating High-Intensity, high impact or interval training with low intensity, low impact or short breaks. It’s no wonder that HIIT and TABATA have become a worldwide rage. Smart trainers term this as working out SMART instead of just working out hard. A few examples are:
- An old school Aerobics or Step class with high intensity moves carefully calibrated into the choreography,
- Alternating between a 400-meter run/jog and a lap of a 400-meter brisk walk doing such sets for a 5-kilometre range.
- A kettlebell workout alternating easy-difficult exercises, intensity programs etc.
Let’s explore some ‘hard-core’ cardio moves you can include that will work your abs and streamline your body, suggested by fitness expert Bhavna Harchandrai.
Skaters With A Twist
- Hop to the right side, crossing the left leg back
- Then bring your arms to the right side as you twist
- Repeat on the other side
Burpees
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms straight along with your sides
- Bend your knees and squat. As you do so, place the palms of your hands flat on the floor just inside your feet
- Then, keeping your weight on your hands, jump backwards to softly land on the balls of your feet on the floor behind you
- In a plank position, your body should be straight from head to toes parallel to the floor
- Do a push-up, and then jump with your feet forward
- Thus landing forward, jump up to a standing position, throwing your arms straight upwards in the air over your head
- This is 1 burpee.
Squat Jumps
- Stand with legs shoulder-distance apart, toes slightly out
- Sit back in a squat, placing your palms flat on the floor
- Jump upwards with your hands flinging towards the ceiling
Standing Pike Crunches
- Stand erect with your arms extended over your head
- Kick legs up alternately
- Then stretch both arms down to reach/touch the toes
- Alternate between such sets of both exercises
Mountain Climbers
- Starting from a plank position on your hands, alternately bring each of your knees to your chest – then back out to starting position
- Speed up such repetitions till you feel as if you are running against the floor
- Pull the navel to the spine and maintain the natural alignment of the head, neck and spine
Plank Jacks
- Begin in a plank position with your elbows and toes on the floor, feet together
- Ensure your body is in a straight line – from your head to your heels
- Jump – both feet out wide and bring them back in
- Imagine you are doing a horizontal jumping jack
Boxing Punches
- Stand with legs approximately 2-3 feet apart, feet planted on the floor
- Engage your core as you throw right and left jabs (punches)
- Extend the arms 90degrees and not fully out if you don’t have a boxing bag or mitt to control the punches
Things To Keep In Mind
- Make sure you have the fundamentals of boxing correct before you attempt this
- Do 2-3 sets of 15 repetitions for each of these exercises
- Incorporating these workouts will bring about your desired results in a more structured and balanced manner
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