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
