Whether you have a special event coming up that you need to slim down for, or after years of putting it off you’ve finally decided to lose weight, the question remains, what are the best stomach flattening exercises to get the job done? ? What combination of exercises will produce real results the fastest? The answer to these questions may sound a bit counter-intuitive, but they are not exercises that target your abdomen.
Many people are under the misconception that diligently doing sit-ups and crunches every day will result in a slimmer waist, but these exercises will not get rid of belly fat. If you have a layer of fat over your abdominal muscles, working them out with crunches will only make your stomach look bigger. The first thing to do is burn off that layer of fat through cardiovascular exercises like running, swimming, aerobics, or even brisk walking. These are the most effective stomach flattening exercises. The more intense the cardio routine and the more consistently you follow it, will determine how quickly you will lose weight. A particular type of cardiovascular exercise called interval training has been shown to be very effective at burning unwanted fat. To do interval training, your training should involve different levels of intensity, such as walking backwards sprints, which involve running a certain distance, than walking backwards and then running again. Any cardio exercise can implement interval training, just make sure your workout alternates between high activity and moderate activity.
There is one more type of activity that should be included in your stomach flattening exercises, and that is strength training. Weight lifting, circuit training, bodyweight exercises like yoga, Pilates, push-ups, and lunges—basically anything that challenges your muscles. This type of exercise is extremely important for long-term weight loss because it builds lean muscle, which in turn increases metabolism. The best exercises to flatten your stomach are a combination of interval training and strength training. When you combine the two activities, your body becomes a revved up fat burning machine that will shrink your waist extremely fast.