In the human body the main "deposits" of fat are concentrated in the subcutaneous tissue and in the abdominal cavity and its wall, ie in the abdomen. In the normal state, in an adult, fat accumulates due to an increase in the size of existing fat cells (adipocytes). But with an excessive amount of fat in the cell, the process of their reproduction begins, which leads to a multiple increase in the number of fat cells. They begin to accumulate, including between the organs of the abdominal cavity (visceral fat), as well as in the lower and upper parts of the body. At the same time, the fat layer on the belly of overweight people can reach a thickness of 10, 15 or even 20 cm (for comparison: in walruses and seals, the thickness of the subcutaneous fat is 5-10 cm). Will weight loss exercises help "shake out" excess fat?
Effective exercises to lose weight in the belly
In principle, exercises for fast weight loss - without a proper balanced nutrition system - will not give the desired effect. Because adipose tissue is not just a "store" of extra pounds. It actively maintains its presence in the body with a specially produced peptide hormone leptin, which performs the function of "control and audit" in the energy metabolism system.
But not everything is so desperate. Triglycerides are synthesized in fat cells, of which adipose tissue mainly consists. When triglycerides are broken down, the body receives energy and the more energy is expended, the more triglycerides are broken down. That is, exercises for losing weight in the abdomen are very intense physical activity in which there is an increase in fat consumption. The important thing is that the morning exercises to slim the abdomen are not accompanied by breakfasts, lunches and dinners, which in their caloric content would exceed the energy expended for their implementation. . .
So, home exercises for weight loss, according to weight loss experts, should be done at least three times a week. From the beginning of classes, each exercise is performed 8-10 times, and after a person is dragged into this activity, all exercises for losing weight on the abdomen at home should be performed at least 20-25 times each.
A standard set of exercises for losing weight in the abdomen includes performing exercises in various positions: standing, sitting and lying down. The following exercises are performed lying down:
- Lying on your back, legs and arms straight, arms extended along the body. Without bringing your shoulders forward, inhaling, lift your back off the floor, raise your arms straight along your legs, sit down and lean forward, trying to reach your toes with your hands. On exhalation, it gently returns to its original position.
- Lying on the back, the legs are bent at the knees, while the feet are almost shoulder-width apart. The hands are wrapped behind the head, the fingers "locked", the elbows at the sides. Inhale: the head, shoulders and shoulder blades come off the floor (the chin should not be pressed against the chest), the abdominal muscles are tense. In this position, linger for 5-10 seconds. Exhale - again take a lying position.
- Lying on your back, legs and arms straight, arms extended along the body. Straight legs when inhaling are raised 30 degrees to the floor plane, this position is held for five seconds, the starting position is taken at the exit.
- The starting position is the same as in the previous exercise. As you inhale, bend your knees and perform a movement that simulates cycling (30 seconds three times, with 5 second pauses).
- Lying on the back, the legs are bent at the knees, the outstretched arms are extended along the body. As you inhale, lift your pelvis off the floor (with emphasis on the scapular region of the back) so that your stomach is in line with your knees. The position is held for 5-10 seconds and the starting position is taken slowly upon exit.
- Lying on your back, legs bent at the knees, arms behind the head, elbows to the sides. Inhale: the elbow of the left hand is extended towards the right knee. Exhale - starting position. Inhale: the elbow of the right hand extends to the left knee. Exhale - starting position.
Standing abdominal slimming exercises
Simple but effective standing belly slimming exercises: traditional squats and pushups.
- Stand straight, feet together, hands on waist. Keeping your back and shoulders as straight as possible, squat down without lifting your heels off the floor. The lower the squat, the tighter the abdominal muscles are during the extension. If you have difficulty, you can do this exercise by holding your hand, for example, on the back of a chair.
- Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart, hands at the waist or behind your head. Inhale - lean forward, exhale - straighten, inhale - lean back, exhale - straighten.
- Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart, raise your arms. Inhale (at the expense of 1-2-3) - an elastic flexion forward with the fingers touching the feet or the floor. On account 4 (exhalation) - take the starting position.
- Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart, hands on waist. Firmly tighten the abdominal muscles, then (without holding your breath) relax the muscles. Exercise is repeated 10-15 times.
Seated belly slimming exercises
When doing belly slimming exercises while sitting, you need to make sure that your back and shoulders remain straight. This increases the load on the abdominal muscles.
- Sit on the floor, legs straight, arms slightly extended in support position. Keep your legs straight 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, legs straight, arms extended forward. Alternately lifting the glutes and straining the abdominal muscles, move back and forth (one meter). Repeat the exercise 5-6 times.
- Sit on the floor, legs straight, arms slightly extended in a support position. Keep your legs straight together, leaning back slightly, alternately lifting them off the floor. The exercise is repeated in three sets of 10 times.
Abdominal slimming exercises for men
All the above exercises for slimming the abdomen 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 the exercises with a greater load:
- Lie on the floor, legs straight, arms extended along the body. As you inhale, lift your straight legs (don't lift your head and shoulders! ) And hold them in this position for 10 seconds. On the exhale, take the original position. As you exercise, the time you keep your legs raised should gradually increase.
- Sit on the floor, legs straight, arms slightly extended in a support position. Keep your legs straight together; Leaning back slightly, lift your legs off the floor, bend your knees and press on 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 raised, bent and pressed alternately to the chest - right and left separately.
Exercises for slimming the abdomen for men involve the active use of a horizontal bar. The simplest is this: hang on outstretched arms, then, inhaling, bend your knees and slowly straighten them, lifting them parallel to the floor (or the ground). On the exhale, gently return to the starting position.
Bodyflex Exercises for Belly Weight Loss
A popular complex of breathing exercises for slimming the abdomen - bodyflex, developed over 20 years ago by the American Greer Childers.
Bodyflex abdominal slimming exercises are believed to aim at "saturating the body with oxygen", which is achieved by temporarily holding the breath. At the same time, breathing exercises are combined with isotonic and isometric exercises, that is, static and power muscle tension without moving the parts of the body involved in the exercise.
Breathing exercises to slim the abdomen using the bodyflex method
According to the bodyflex technique, you must first exhale all the air from your lungs - through your mouth, making your lips a "tube". Then a fast, intense breath is taken through the nose (the breath should be noisy) - to fill the lungs to the maximum. After that, raising your head, you need to exhale all the air with all your might, but this time through a wide open mouth. But now you should completely hold your breath, tilt your head to your chest and draw your stomach as much as possible (for 8-10 seconds). The last step is to relax the abdominal muscles and take a normal breath. All bodyflex exercises for slimming the abdomen are performed right in the phase of holding the breath (and aspirating the abdomen).
Starting position: kneel, bend down and lean on the ground with your palms outstretched. The back is straight, the head is raised. A breathing exercise is performed (as described above) and, holding the breath and holding the abdomen, it is necessary to tilt the head and arch the back as much as possible. This position is held for 8-10 seconds. This is followed by exhalation and relaxation of the back and abdomen. The exercise is repeated three times at intervals of 15-20 seconds.
Here is another exercise, for which you have to lie on your back, spread your legs slightly less than shoulder width and bend them at the knees (feet completely flat on the floor), arms extended along the body. Then, do a breathing exercise (as described above) and draw in the stomach. When holding your breath, you should: raise your arms and take your head off the floor (throwing it back), shoulders and back, lifting them as high as possible; return to the supine position and, touching the back of the head on the floor, repeat the movement. After the second lift, gently return to the original position and inhale, relaxing the stomach. This exercise is repeated three times at half-minute intervals.
Finally, a lower abdominal weight loss exercise. Lie on your back on the floor, legs straight together, arms bent at the elbows (with palms down) are placed under the buttocks. After the completed breathing exercise - holding the breath and the abdomen retracted - the straight legs are slightly lifted off the floor (the toes are extended, the head and shoulders remain motionless) and rapid "scissor" swings are performed, changing the position of the legs (above or below the other). Movements are performed from eight to ten counts. The legs drop and you take your breath. Repetition - 3-4 times with 20 second pauses.
Despite the fact that most breathing exercises, including breathing exercises to slim the abdomen, are helpful, the bodyflex system is thought to be potentially dangerous, as holding your breath leads to hypertension and rhythm disruptionscardiac.
There is another system of breathing exercises (always in combination with physical activity) to reduce fat deposits on the thighs and abdomen - it ossysizes. True, there is no need to hold your breath here. In general, oxysize is a modified version of the American body flex, supplemented with belly breathing. There is nothing new here, because diaphragmatic breathing (oriental, lower or belly breathing) has long been practiced in yoga, which has special pranayama techniques.
Slimming yoga exercises for the belly
Abdominal breathing is used both to increase the oxygen supply to the blood and to strengthen the muscles of the lower abdomen. Here is the svadhisthana chakra, which in Ayurveda is considered responsible for human immunity and overall vitality.
The most accessible technique for performing yoga breathing exercises for slimming the abdomen is like this: you need to put one palm on the chest and the other on the stomach, take a deep breath through the nose, inflate the stomach so that the palmstand up (along with the abdominal wall). In this case, the palm lying on the chest must remain motionless. Exhalation also occurs through the nose and should be longer and quieter than inhalation. When you exhale, the abdominal wall should be "pressed" against the spine, whereby the palm of the stomach drops to its original position.
Now let's focus on the simplest yoga exercises for weight loss.
Bhujangasaga - Cobra Pose
Lie on the floor on your stomach, legs straight, knees and feet pressed together, toes extended; arms bent at the elbows, lying along the chest, palms forward. As you inhale - making an emphasis with your palms, slowly and gradually raise your body to the height of the straightened arms in the holder. In this case, the back bends, the sternum is pulled forward and up, the shoulders are pulled back and down, the elbows are pressed against the lateral surfaces of the chest, and the head is tilted back. Fix the position for half a minute (holding your breath for 5 seconds), then bend your arms at the elbows and, exhaling, gently lower yourself to the starting position. Repeat the exercise three times.
Ardha Navasana - Half Boat Position
Sit on the floor, knees bent, arms across your chest. Around the back, press the lower lumbar region firmly to the floor, the shoulders and the rest of the back remain in weight. Then straighten your legs and lift them from the floor by 25-30 cm, stretch your arms towards the feet. The legs, abdomen and lower back are tense, breathing is regular. Hold this position for 15-20 seconds.
Dhanurasana - bow pose
An effective exercise for losing weight in the lower abdomen, as well as strengthening the spine (reminiscent of the familiar "frog" exercise from childhood).
Lie on the floor on your stomach, bend your legs at the knees, lift them and grab your ankles with your hands. As you inhale, bend your back and lift both legs, pulling them with your hands to your back. Hold your breath for 5 seconds, as you exhale, release your hands and gently lower your legs to the ground. The number of repetitions of the asana is three to four times.
Halasana - Plow Pose (simplified version)
Lie on your back - head to the wall (at a distance of about half a meter), legs straight, arms straight stretched along the body. As you inhale, lift your legs straight up, fold your arms and place your hands on your hips, holding your body. On the exhale, throw your legs straight behind your head, touch your feet against the wall. Stay in the asana for 10 seconds, breathe deeply. As you exhale - lie down slowly, when your back is resting flat on the floor - gently lower your legs. This belly slimming yoga exercise is useful for fat deposits not only on the stomach but also on the hips.
The body is a "load" that a person constantly "carries" with him. And it takes effort and perseverance to lighten this burden. Only they will help to systematically perform exercises to lose weight in the abdomen and in this way to part with those extra pounds.