16 Simple Exercises To Reduce Belly Fat

Are you finding it difficult to fit into your little black number? Is belly fat giving you sleepless nights? If your answer is yes, you need to make some lifestyle changes to get the figure of your dreams. No doubt, belly fat looks aesthetically displeasing. It can assume serious proportions and affect long term health, if not curbed at the right time.

Dieting and exercise go hand in hand. If you thought that only dieting will burn your belly fat, you are wrong. If you really want to lose weight, you need to include an hour of exercise in your daily routine for targeting and reducing belly fat. Here, we have compiled a list of 16 exercises that can help you reduce belly fat faster than you thought it would take:

Best Exercises To Reduce Belly Fat:

1. Crunches
2. Twist Crunches
3. Side Crunch
4. Reverse Crunches
5. Vertical Leg Crunch
6. Bicycle Exercise
7. Lunge Twist
8. Rolling Plank Exercise
9. The Stomach Vacuum
10. Captain’s Chair
11. Bending Side To Side
12. Walking
13. Running
14. Jogging
15. Cycling
16. Swimming
17. Expert Tips

1. Crunches:

Nothing burns belly fat faster than crunches, which occupy the number one position in fat-burning exercises. Now, it’s time that you start performing this exercise.

1. Lie down flat on a mat with your knees bent and feet on the ground. Alternatively, you can also lift your legs off the floor at a 90-degree angle. (See picture).
2. Lift your hands and place them behind your head, or keep them crossed on your chest.
3. Inhale deeply, and as you lift your upper torso off the floor, exhale.
4. Inhale again as you get back down, and exhale as you come up.
5. Do this for 10 times as a beginner.
6. Repeat another two to three sets.

Variations 

Dumbbell crossover punch, shoulder press and side crunch, butterfly crunch.

Precautions 

While performing crunches, instead of entering the full sit-up position, just raise your back a few inches from the ground. This ensures you don’t hurt your back.

Also, don’t jerk your head forward while doing crunches. This will put pressure on your neck and result in pain. Just hold your hands above your head and perform the exercise.Tip: As you lift your torso, do not sit up straight. Your back should make an angle of 30-40 degrees with the ground. Only then you will feel pressure on your abdominal muscles.

2. Twist Crunches:

Once you get used to the regular crunches, modify the basic crunch to get an even more effective tummy exercise.

How To Do

1. Lie down on the floor with your hands behind your head.
2. Bend your knees as you would do in crunches, keeping your feet on the floor.
3. You have to lift your upper torso while performing crunches. But, in twist crunches, you have to lift just your right shoulder towards the left, keeping the left side of your torso on the ground.
4. Again alternately, lift your left shoulder towards the right, keeping the right side of your torso on the ground.
5. Repeat 10 times.

   3. Side Crunch:

   How To Do
   This is same as the twist crunch exercise. The only difference is that you need to tilt your legs to the same side simultaneously with your shoulders. The side crunch focuses on the muscles on your sides.
   Precautions
   Make sure you keep your movements steady and slow. The midsection, being a complex area, could hurt if you perform the twists in a hurried fashion

   4. Reverse Crunches:

   Now it’s time to do reverse crunches. This is another good exercise to reduce belly fat.How To Do
   This is similar to the twist crunch exercise. The only thing that you need to do is tilt your legs behind simultaneously with your shoulders. The side crunch focuses on the muscles on your sides.
   Precautions
   Keep your back straight while performing the exercise, as arching it can result in pain, and in some cases, even injury.