In addition to a poor diet and a lack of exercise, other factors such as genetics, hormones, advancing age, and stress can also contribute to belly fat accumulation. The combination of these factors that play a role in abdominal fat accumulation can increase health risks such as heart disease, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, metabolic diseases, respiratory disorders, back and joint problems, as well as mental health problems.
Reducing belly fat and the size of your belly not only improves your health but can also reduce the risk of these health problems. One of the steps you need to try is to focus your exercise on abdominal exercises.
Workouts for losing belly fat
Abdominal muscles are part of the body's core and play an important role in supporting daily physical activities. Doing abdominal exercises can not only strengthen the muscles in the abdominal area but also help stabilize the spine and pelvis. Strong abdominal muscles can help you increase strength in other parts of the body.
Here are some abdominal exercises that you may try:
Plank
Planks are a very effective exercise for strengthening the abdominal muscles and the core of the body as a whole. Doing this exercise regularly can help strengthen various body muscles, including the abdominal muscles, and improve posture.
Start in a face-down position with your elbows bent at 90 degrees and your elbows placed in line with your shoulders. Raise the body by making sure the head and feet form a straight line.
The correct plank movement is that the buttocks are not too up or too down and are in a straight condition with the back. The body should be parallel to the floor and held for some time according to your ability.
Read more: Beware, These Are 5 Errors That Often Occur During Plank
Crunches are exercises that focus on the abdominal muscles. Similar to the plank, this exercise does not directly reduce belly fat, but it can strengthen the abdominal muscles and is accessible to beginners without the need for special equipment. The abdomen can look more toned.
To do crunches, you need to lie on your back on the mat with your knees bent and the soles of your feet against the floor. You can place both hands behind your head or cross your arms over your chest. Contract the abdomen by tightening it, and then lift the body severely. Keep the head and neck relaxed. Lower the body to the mat and perform this movement several times. Breathe regularly during crunches.
Leg lift
Leg lifts are one of the exercises to strengthen the abdominal muscles and improve the overall core strength of the body. You can lie on your back on the mat and place your hands beside your body.
Close and straighten the legs with the heels touching the floor, then lift both legs parallel without bending the knees. Hold this position for a few seconds, then slowly lower your legs to the starting position. You can repeat this 10 times per session or do this movement for 30 seconds.
Side plank
The side plank exercise is a modification of the plank to strengthen the abdominal muscles on the side of the body. You can start by lying on your right side on a mat. Stack your legs right on top of each other and support your body with your right arm and elbow, forming a 90-degree angle. Keep the hips and knees together, and the body should form a straight line from head to toe.
Read more: Not Just Food, This Is The Cause Of A Distended Stomach
Bicycle crunches
This exercise is especially effective for strengthening the abdominal abs and abdominal muscles on both sides of the body. Lie on your back with your hands behind your head. Bend the knees and lift the feet off the floor so that the calves are parallel to the floor. Bring the right knee towards the chest while simultaneously bringing the left shoulder towards the knee. As the knee approaches the chest, fold the body and push the left elbow towards the knee, and vice versa.
This movement is alternated between the right and left sides, as if swinging a bicycle.
Always listen to your body, and stop practicing when you feel uncomfortable. If you're concerned, a physical therapist or doctor can help you learn about safe and effective belly exercise routines. If you need medical advice or consultation, you can either visit a doctor or make use of the consultation features that are available in the Ai Care application by downloading the Ai Care application from the App Store or Play Store.
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- dr. Alvidiani Agustina Damanik
WebMD (2023). Best Exercises for Abs (General). Available from: https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/best-exercises-abs-general
Harvard Medical School (2019). Abdominal fat and what to do about it. Available from: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/abdominal-fat-and-what-to-do-about-it
James de Lemos, MD (2020). Why belly fat is dangerous and how to control it. Available from: https://utswmed.org/medblog/belly-fat/
Cleveland Clinic (2021). Why You Should Start Doing Planks. Available from: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/plank-exercise-benefits
Kirsten Nunez (2019). How to Do Crunches and Other Exercises for Toned Abs. Available from: https://www.healthline.com/health/exercise-fitness/how-to-do-crunches
Cleveland Clinic (2022). How To Do Leg Lifts Properly: A Step-by-Step Guide. Available from: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-to-do-leg-lifts
