In the human body, the main fat "deposits" are concentrated in the subcutaneous tissue, in the abdominal cavity and in its wall, i. e. in the abdomen. Under normal conditions, fat accumulates in an adult by increasing the size of existing fat cells (adipocytes). But if there is too much fat in the cell, the process of their proliferation begins, leading to a multiple increase in the number of fat cells. They begin to accumulate, including the organs in the abdominal cavity (visceral fat) and the lower and upper parts of the body. However, the fat layer on the abdomen of overweight people can reach a thickness of 10, 15, or even 20 cm (for comparison: in walruses and seals, the thickness of subcutaneous fat is 5-10 cm). Do abdominal weight loss exercises help "shake up" excess fat?
Effective abdominal slimming exercises
In principle, the exercises required for rapid abdominal weight loss - without a proper balanced diet system - will not achieve the desired effect. Because adipose tissue is not just a storehouse of excess pounds. It actively maintains its presence in the body with a specially produced peptide hormone, leptin, which performs the function of "monitoring and auditing" in the energy metabolism system.
But not everything is so hopeless. Triglycerides are synthesized in adipocytes, which are composed mainly of adipose tissue. When triglycerides are broken down, the body receives energy, and the more energy is spent, the more triglycerides are broken down. That is, the exercises required for abdominal weight loss are very intense physical activity, during which fat consumption increases. The point is that abdominal weight loss morning exercises should not be accompanied by breakfast, lunch, and dinner that exceed the energy spent on their calorie intake. . .
So home exercises for abdominal weight loss should be done at least three times a week, according to weight loss experts. From the start of classes, each exercise is performed 8-10 times, and once a person is involved in this business, each home abdominal weight loss exercise should be done at least 20-25 times.
The standard set of exercises used for abdominal weight loss involves performing the exercises in different positions - standing, sitting and lying down. The following exercises are performed while lying down:
- Lies on your back, straight legs and arms, arms outstretched along the body. Without taking your shoulders forward, lift your back off the floor while inhaling, raise your straight arms along your feet, sit down and lean forward, trying to reach your toes with your hands. When exhaling, return smoothly to its original position.
- Lying on your back, your legs bend to your knees, while your legs are almost shoulder-width apart. The hands are placed behind the head, the fingers are "locked", and their elbows are turned to the side. Inhalation - the head, shoulders and shoulder blades become detached from the floor (the chin should not be pressed against the chest), the abdominal muscles are tense. Stay in this position for 5-10 seconds. Exhale - returns to a supine position.
- Lies on your back, straight legs and arms, arms outstretched along the body. Upon inhalation, the straight legs are raised 30 degrees relative to the plane of the floor, this position is held for five seconds, and the initial position is maintained at the exit.
- The starting position is the same as in the previous exercise. While inhaling, bend your knees and perform a movement that mimics cycling (30 seconds three times, with 5 second breaks).
- Lying on your back, your legs bend to your knees, your straight arms outstretched along your body. While inhaling, lift the pelvis off the floor (especially the area of the back shoulder blade) so that the stomach is in line with the knees. The position persists for 5-10 seconds and the starting position is slowly at the exit.
- Lies on your back, knees bent, arms behind your head, elbows to the side. Inhalation - The elbow of the left hand extends towards the right knee. Exhalation - starting position. Inhalation - The elbow of the right hand reaches the left knee. Exhalation - starting position.
Standing Abdominal Weight Loss Exercises
Simple yet effective standing belly slimming exercises - traditional squatting and bending.
- Stand up straight, legs together, hands on waist. Keep your back and shoulders as straight as possible, squat without lifting your heels off the floor. The lower the squat, the more the abdominal muscles are stretched during stretching. If you have difficulty, you can perform this exercise while holding your hands, such as on the back of a chair.
- Stand up straight, feet shoulder-width apart, hands at waist or behind head. Inhalation - forward bending, exhalation - straightening, inhalation - backward bending, exhalation - straightening.
- Stand up straight, feet shoulder width apart, raise your arms. Inhale (to the detriment of 1-2-3) - springy forward leaning, reaching to the foot or floor with your fingers on account 4 (exhale) - take out the starting position.
- Stand up straight, feet shoulder width apart, hands at waist. Tighten your abdominal muscles tightly and then (without holding your breath) relax your muscles. The exercise is repeated 10-15 times.
Sitting belly slimming exercises
If you are doing abdominal weight loss exercises while sitting, you should make sure that your back and shoulders remain straight. This increases the load on the abdominal muscles.
- Sit on the floor with your legs straight, your arms slightly back in the support. Hold your straight legs together, lift them off the floor, and draw circles in the air with both feet — three times to the left and the same amount to the right. Repeat the exercise 3-4 times with short breaks.
- Sit on the floor with straight legs and arms outstretched. Alternately lift the buttocks and strain the abdominal muscles, moving forward and backward (one meter). Repeat the exercise 5-6 times.
- Sit on the floor with your legs straight, your arms slightly back in the support. Hold the straight legs together, leaning back slightly and alternately lifting them off the floor. The exercise is repeated three times 10 times.
Male Abdominal Weight Loss Exercises
All of the above exercises for abdominal loss can be performed by men with the same success as women, but the number of repetitions should be increased (up to 20-25 times). But increased workouts:
- Lie on the ground, straight legs, straight arms along the body. While inhaling, raise your straight legs (don’t lift your head and shoulders! ) And hold them in this position for 10 seconds. When exhaling - take the original position. During exercise, the holding time of the raised legs should be gradually increased.
- Sit on the floor with your legs straight, your arms slightly back in the support. Keep your legs straight together; lean back slightly to lift your legs off the floor, kneeling and pressing against your chest. Then straighten your legs and lower them to the floor.
- The starting position is similar to the previous exercise, but the legs are alternately raised, bent, and pressed to the chest — to the right and left, respectively.
Men's abdominal weight loss exercises involve active use of the horizontal bar. The simplest of these is to hang on straightened arms, then bend your knees as you inhale and slowly align them while raising them parallel to the floor (or ground). When exhaling - return to starting position smoothly.
Bodyflex exercises for abdominal weight loss
Popular breathing exercises for weight loss - bodyflex, developed by Greer Childers in the US more than 20 years ago.
It is believed that the purpose of bodyflex exercises for weight loss is to "saturate" the body with oxygen, which is achieved through temporary breath control. At the same time, breathing exercises are combined with isotonic and isometric exercises, that is, static and strength muscle tension without moving the body parts involved in the exercise.
Breathing exercises for slimming the abdomen with the bodyflex method
The bodyflex technique is to first exhale all the air from your lungs - through your mouth and make your lips “tube”. We then take a quick, intense breath through the nose (breathing should be noisy) - to make the lungs full. After that, lifting your head, you have to exhale all the air with all your might - but this time with your mouth wide open. But now you have to hold your breath completely, tilt your head to your chest, and pull it into your stomach as much as possible (for 8-10 seconds). The last step is to relax the abdominal muscles and breathe normally. All bodyflex exercises for slimming the abdomen are performed during the phase of holding your breath (and pulling it into your abdomen).
Starting position: kneel, bend and lean on the floor with your arms straightened. The back is straight, the head is raised. Breathing exercises are performed (as described above) and while holding your breath and pulling you in your abdomen, you should tilt your head and back as much as possible. This pose is held for 8-10 seconds. This is followed by exhalation and relaxation of the back and abdomen. The exercise is repeated three times every 15-20 seconds.
Here’s another exercise where you have to lie on your back, legs slightly smaller than shoulder width apart, and bend them to your knees (legs completely on the floor), stretching their arms along your body. Then perform a breathing exercise (as described above) and draw in the stomach. When holding your breath: you need to raise your hands and tear your head off the floor (throwing back), raising your shoulders and back as high as possible; return to the supine position and repeat the movement by touching the back of the head to the floor. After the second lift, smoothly return to your original position and inhale, relaxing the stomach. This exercise is repeated three times at half-minute intervals.
Finally, a lower abdominal slimming exercise. Lie on your back on the floor, straight legs together, arms bent at the elbows (palms down) under the buttocks. After the breathing exercise - while holding your breath and retracted abdomen - your straight legs rise slightly above the floor (toes outstretched, head and shoulders remain motionless) and quickly make “scissors” with wide swings, changing the position of the legs(above or below the other). The movements are performed in numbers of eight to ten. Lower your legs and take a breath. Repeat - 3-4 times with 20 second pauses.
Although most breathing exercises, including abdominal slimming breathing exercises, are beneficial, we believe that the bodyflex system is potentially unsafe because holding your breath leads to high blood pressure and heart rhythm disturbances.
There is another system of breathing exercises (again combined with physical activity) to reduce fat deposits on the thighs and abdomen - oxysis. True, you don’t have to hold your breath here. In general, oxysize is a modified version of American body flexion, supplemented by abdominal breathing. There is nothing new here because diaphragmatic breathing (eastern, lower or abdominal breathing) has long been practiced by yoga, which has special pranayama techniques.
Abdominal slimming yoga exercises
Abdominal breathing is used both to increase the oxygen supply to the blood and to strengthen the abdominal muscles. Here is the svadhisthana chakra, which in Ayurveda is considered to be responsible for human immunity and general vitality.
The easiest technique available for yoga breathing exercises to slim the abdomen is to place one palm on your chest, the other on your stomach, take deep breaths through your nose, inflating your stomach to make your palms rise (next to your abdominal wall). In this case, the palm resting on the chest should remain motionless. Exhalation is also done through the nose and should be longer and quieter than inhalation. When exhaling, the abdominal wall must be "pressed" against the spine, as a result of which the palm of the stomach falls to its original position.
Now let's turn to the simplest yoga exercises for abdominal weight loss.
Bhujangasaga - Cobra Pose
Lie on the floor on your stomach, straight legs, knees and legs pressed together, toes extended; the arm at the elbows, lying along the chest, palms forward. While inhaling - emphasizing your palm, slowly and gradually raise your body to the height of the outstretched arms in the support. In this case, the back is bent, the sternum is pulled forward and up, the shoulders are pushed forward and down, the elbows are pressed against the side surfaces of the chest, and the head is tilted back. Tighten the pose for half a minute (holding your breath for 5 seconds), then bend your arms at your elbows and gently lower them to their starting position when exhaling. Repeat the exercise three times.
Ardha Navasana - half ship pose
Sit down on the floor, leaning on your knees, arms along your chest. Round your back, press the lower lumbar region firmly to the floor, keeping the weight of your shoulders and the rest of your back. Then straighten your legs and lift them 25-30 cm above the floor. The legs, abdomen and lower back are tense, breathing is even. Hold this position for 15-20 seconds.
Dhanurasana - bow pose
An effective exercise for slimming the lower abdomen as well as strengthening the spine (reminiscent of the "frog" practice familiar in childhood).
Lie on the ground on your stomach, bend your legs to your knees, lift them up and hold your ankles with your hands. While inhaling, bend your back and raise both legs, pulling your hands to your back. Hold your breath for 5 seconds, release your hands while exhaling, and gently lower your feet to the floor. The number of repetitions of the asana is three to four times.
Halasana - plow pose (simplified version)
Lie on your back - head towards the wall (about half a meter away), straight legs, straight arms along the body. When inhaling, raise your straight legs, bend your arms, and place your hands on your hips, holding your body. When exhaling - throw straight legs behind your head, touch your feet to the wall. Stay in your asana for 10 seconds, take a deep breath. When exhaling - bend slowly when your back is firmly on the floor - gently lower your legs. This abdominal weight loss yoga exercise is beneficial not only for fat deposits in the stomach but also the hips.
The body is a "load" that man is constantly "carrying. "And effort and perseverance are needed to ease that burden. Only they will help you to perform abdominal weight loss exercises systematically and thus get rid of such extra pounds.