(05-03-12) Top 5 best exercises to lose belly fat

by Aurora Geib

(NaturalNews) Who doesn't want flat abs? People desperate to lose weight will
willingly starve themselves, take expensive supplements or do the latest fad
diet that promises to give them that flawless figure in 30 days. Thankfully,
belly fat is metabolically active and easier to lose. However, if proper
nutrition is not observed and the resort is made to low calorie diets, weight
loss may not happen within the desired time frame. Hunger and calorie
deprivation will eventually kick in and dieters confronted with that favorite
food they have been avoiding will have the tendency to binge at the first
opportunity. The likelihood of gaining more weight than they originally lost is
not far-fetched.

According to Christine Rosenbloom, a nutrition professor at Georgia State
University, eating a calorie-controlled diet and 60 minutes of daily moderate
exercise activity will result to weight loss and can even help with the desired
weight maintenance. In fact, according to Professor Michael Jensen of the Mayo
Clinic, intense aerobic exercise will result to being leaner around the
abdomen.

It is important to remember that keeping the body's metabolism up and running
so that the body continuously burns calories prevents it from going into the
fat-storing mode that causes unnecessary weight gain.

Why exercise is necessary
Most people involved in weight loss believe that it's all about the calories.
If you burn calories more than you take in, you lose weight. If you take in
more calories than you can burn, the body gains fat. While this piece of logic
may make sense, it is only partly true. What burns calories nonstop is actually
the lean muscle mass underneath body fat that allows more intake of calories
without weight gain.

The body actually adapts to the changes it undergoes. Losing weight without
exercising increases the risk of losing lean body mass, slowing the metabolism
and putting the body into fat-storing mode. People who have lost body fat and
muscle mass may notice that they don't have the muscle mass they once had.
Worse yet, once they overeat even a little bit, they start filling up on body
fat once again.

Building up muscle mass
An important thing to remember when undergoing a weight loss program is to
understand what needs to be done. Realistic and achievable goals can help in
building the confidence needed to make the necessary leap for the achievement
of a desired weight.

Researchers at the Biomechanics Lab at San Diego State University took a look
at some popular abdominal exercises and ranked them. Results of the study
revealed that exercises that require constant abdominal stabilization and body
rotation resulted in the most muscle activity in the abdomen.

Below are the top five belly exercises as ranked by the study:

1. The Bicycle Exercise - best for targeting the six pack muscles and the
obliques. To do this exercise, get into a supine position with hands at the
back of your head. Bring knees to the chest while lifting shoulders off the
floor. Slowly bring your right elbow towards your left knee as you straighten
your right leg. Switch sides and continue in a pedaling motion. Do 1 to 3 sets
with 12 to 16 repetitions.

2. The Captain's Chair Leg Raise - This exercise requires a captain's chair, a
rack with padded arms allowing for the legs to hang free that is commonly found
in gyms or health clubs. To do this exercise, stand on the chair and grip hand
holds. Press back against the pad then raise knees to the chest to contract the
abs then lower them back down. Do 1 to 3 sets with 12 to 16 repetitions.

3. Exercise Ball Crunch - For this exercise, an exercise ball is necessary. In
this routine, the abdomen does more exerting but will still need the entire
body to stabilize it throughout the routine. To do this exercise, lie on the
ball with your lower back fully supported. Place hands behind the head. To lift
the torso off the ball, contract the abs to pull the bottom of the rib cage
towards the hips. Keep ball stable as you curl up, then lower back down to
stretch the abs. Do 1 to 3 sets with 12 to 16 repetitions.

4. Vertical Leg Crunch - Performing this exercise is similar to doing a leg
crunch except that the legs are straight up, forcing the abs to work and adding
intensity to the routine. To do this, lie on the floor with the legs straight
up, knees crossed, and place the hands beneath the head for support. Contract
abs lifting the shoulders off the floor and keep legs in a fixed position to
crunch. Do 1 to 3 sets with 12 to 16 repetitions.

5. Long Arm Crunch - This is a variant of the traditional floor crunch where
the arms are held straight behind you, adding a lever to the move and making
for a challenging exercise. To do this, lie on the floor or a mat then extend
arms straight behind, keeping them clasped and next to the ears. Slowly
contract abs and lift shoulders off the floor carefully to keep the arms
straight. Do 1 to 3 sets with 12 to 16 repetitions.

The best strategy to weight loss is to observe a healthy diet coupled with
exercise of at least an hour a day. Although there is no sure fire way to deal
with belly fat, there are a number of activities from which to choose and
enjoy. As long as you're having fun, you can lose weight without realizing it.
It is important to look for an exercise you enjoy. If the suggested exercises
above do not suit your taste, taking a hike, swimming or biking are just as
effective in burning fat and toning muscles.

Sources for this article include:

http://exercise.about.com/od/weightloss/u/weightlossbasics.htm
http://exercise.about.com/od/abs/ss/abexercises_10.htm
http://www.naturalnews.com/011285.html
http://www.acefitness.org/getfit/studies/BestWorstAbExercises.pdf

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