The warm season is approaching, people are gradually replacing bulky down jackets with lighter clothes, and everyone wants to get back to their best shape. Gaining a couple of kilos over the winter is not scary and even natural. For some, such “reserves” turn into “love handles.” Love handles - this is what the folds that appear on the sides are called in English.
As you know, local fat burning is just a myth. Therefore, if you want to get rid of belly fat, abdominal exercises alone will not be enough. Together with World Class coach Stanislav Vakhrushev
Let’s figure out how to reduce “love handles.”
Down with workouts: how to tighten your figure if you don’t want to go to the gym?
Is it possible to get rid of side folds with exercise?
Unfortunately, there are no miracle exercises to remove fat on the sides. As with any weight loss, it is necessary to maintain a balance of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, and also monitor the number of calories consumed.
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To lose fat tissue, you need to spend a little more energy than you receive. For each person, daily caloric intake will differ depending on the intensity of physical activity and the individual characteristics of the body.
Why does my stomach sag?
A saggy belly affects not only overweight people, but even slim people. Sagging skin is formed due to an imbalance of the three fundamental factors that ensure the tightness of the abdomen. These key points include: fat layer thickness, skin tone and muscle tone. Deviation of any of these factors can lead to a sagging stomach, a silhouette that loses its attractiveness, and a person will begin to experience certain difficulties in choosing clothes and feel very uncomfortable on the beach.
The following reasons lead to an unattractive belly shape:
- Too thick layer of fat accumulated under the skin. The structure of adipose tissue is similar to a cellular mesh, the cells of which are capable of increasing in size sixty times. This change occurs due to a predominantly sedentary lifestyle, hormonal imbalance, violation of the basics of proper nutrition, constant stressful situations and other factors. Increasing fat cells stretch the skin, which begins to sag. Especially such an aesthetic defect quickly manifests itself in problem areas such as the abdomen, thighs, and buttocks.
- Weight loss is when a large amount of weight is lost. In overweight people, the skin in problem areas is always stretched. When subcutaneous fat is lost as a result of weight loss, the skin remains saggy. This becomes one of the reasons that many people who have lost a lot of weight do not look very attractive.
- Weight gain during pregnancy. A woman carrying a child loses skin and muscle tone due to the pressure exerted by the fetus. After childbirth, the dermis does not recover, but remains sagging. It is possible to completely avoid or minimize belly sagging if you provide proper skin care throughout pregnancy and engage in moderate physical activity.
- Poorly developed abdominal muscles. A predominantly inactive lifestyle coupled with a lack of necessary physical activity leads to a decrease in muscle tone.
- Loss of skin elasticity due to aging. Women who have never encountered the problem of excess weight or a sagging belly may find at a certain age that the dermis loses its elasticity.
Sagging skin on the abdomen, as has already become clear, is not always a consequence of obesity. Loss of elasticity in problem areas can occur for various reasons, therefore the methods of combating this aesthetic defect are varied, but are most effective when taken together.
Removing Saggy Belly of a Woman
How to tighten your abs?
The main function of the rectus abdominis muscle is to hold the spine in an upright position, that is, to ensure upright posture. Secondary functions are body flexion. Therefore, any variations of such exercises, sitting, lying, or hanging, are welcome if you follow the correct technique.
In order to use the rectus abdominis muscle during training, you need to bend so that the lower ribs are directed towards the pelvis.
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How to remove fat from the belly and sides: the best home exercises
It is advisable to buy a machine with massage inserts.
To lose weight around your waist, you don't have to go to the gym. One of the most effective exercises for eliminating excess volume on the stomach and sides is the hula hoop. You need to rotate the hula hoop around your waist for half an hour a day, in one direction and the other.
Another effective exercise for the abdominal area is the plank. Even the classic option will do: in a horizontal position on a hard surface, rise on your hands and place emphasis on your hands and toes, bring your legs together and try to keep your body in one line. There should be no arching in the lower back. When performing this exercise, all the muscles of the body are used, the abdominal muscles work especially effectively, but this must be done correctly. You need to hold the bar for as long as possible.
Breathing exercises
Noticeable results in reducing the volume of the abdomen and sides are obtained by special breathing exercises that stimulate the muscles, including the diaphragm. Also, with the help of gymnastics, blood supply to tissues and organs is improved, and the intestines are cleansed. Breathing exercises are performed as follows:
- relax your stomach and take a deep and quick breath;
- hold your breath, tense and draw in your stomach for 10 seconds;
- tense your buttock muscles for 10 seconds;
- Exhale slowly, keeping your muscles tense.
Repeat 8-10 times.
What exercises will not help get rid of “love handles”?
As mentioned above, exercise cannot remove fat exclusively from the sides. Basically, the process of losing weight occurs through a balanced diet and general physical activity.
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As for specific exercises, the trainer does not recommend focusing on the static plank. This increases intra-abdominal pressure, which is not very beneficial for blood vessels in the long term. And by straining your abdominal muscles and twisting your pelvis, you can provoke the appearance of lumbar lordosis (curvature of the spine, convexity facing forward), which will negatively affect your posture.
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A limitation for exercises on the abdominal muscles can be diastasis - the divergence of the inner edges of these muscles. In this case, you need to train extremely carefully and under the supervision of a specialist. As a rule, with diastasis, exercises are performed with a small amplitude, without including additional synergistic muscles (oblique muscles, hip flexors) - movements should be isolated so as not to aggravate the condition.
Is it possible to remove fat only from the stomach and sides?
Quite often, fat deposits are concentrated in a certain problem area of the body, and the body mass index may even be at the upper limit of normal or slightly exceed it. In this situation, it is not advisable to go on a diet and try to lose weight. Since there is a high risk that the problem area will lose weight in proportion to the entire body and ballast in the form of fat deposits on the sides and abdomen will remain.
In this case, it is best to resort to time-tested options:
- normalization of nutrition - exclusion of fatty, floury, sweet foods from the diet;
- training of individual muscle groups;
- lymphatic drainage wrap.
In order for fat burning when training individual muscle groups to occur precisely in the problem area, it is necessary to create an energy deficit in this area. This result is achieved by loading the muscles located in this area of the body. After that, hormones ensure the breakdown of fat and redirect the resulting energy to restore muscles exhausted by training.
The lymphatic drainage procedure is similar to the effect of a sauna.
Lymphatic drainage wrap has a similar effect, but a reduction in fat deposits is achieved due to the temperature breakdown of fat and its removal along with sweat. A tight wrap with special components blocks heat exchange between the skin and the environment, so the wrapped area of the body begins to heat up and sweat.
Another advantage of the lymphatic drainage wrap procedure is the local healing effect on the skin of the tonic composition, which is applied to the skin before the wrap.
This mixture not only promotes the removal of fats, but also has a positive effect on the skin, joints, blood vessels, etc.
Myths about being slim
“Abs training will make your stomach flat and your waist slim” is not a completely true statement. Fat folds on the abdomen, of course, can be removed with abdominal exercises. But the point is that to be effective, you need to do a warm-up (warm up) for the whole body, and the abdominal exercises themselves involve different muscle groups. Be prepared that the training will be aimed at the whole body.
“To lose belly fat, you should train for a long time” – To achieve success in losing weight and getting rid of belly fat, you need to spend only 40 to 60 minutes a day training. But this is if we are talking about consolidating the result, because in this way you accustom the body to a stable load. If we talk about the fact that you need to get rid of your belly in a week, then most likely you will have to exercise your body from 2 to 6 hours during the day , and after a week, having achieved the result, you will have to switch to hourly exercise. Of course, with proper nutrition.
There are many opinions in the world about losing weight quickly, but it is important to remember that any approach requires practice and you should clearly know what exactly to do.
Exercises for weight loss
A high-intensity training format that promotes efficient calorie consumption is ideal:
- Running in place with knees raised;
- Jumping from a squat onto the toes: from a squat, a sweeping movement of the arms is performed backwards, during which a rise occurs on the tips of the toes;
- Jumping Jack: from a position with feet shoulder-width apart, arms along the body, a jump is made, in which the legs become together, and the hands clap above the head through the sides;
- Plank with jumping: from a prone position, jump to your palms lying on the floor. Next comes the “transition” into a squat. Then the exercise of jumping out of a squat onto your toes is repeated, but with your legs completely lifted off the floor. The return to the starting position is smooth.
The set of exercises should be performed in five approaches of one minute each. The break between exercises is 15 seconds, rest between approaches is a minute.
Massage for weight loss
Massage is recommended as an additional measure to get rid of fat deposits. A hardware LPG massage aimed at eliminating figure imperfections is suitable. It is carried out in a special suit to avoid pain and other possible negative factors. Please note that the procedure is not cheap and has contraindications.
Manual anti-cellulite and lymphatic drainage massages also give very good results.
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Slimming wrap
Stores that sell personal care products offer a large line of all kinds of body wraps and masks. We do not recommend preparing homemade versions: incorrect proportions can harm sensitive skin, for example, if you overdo it with the addition of pepper. In store-bought products, the proportions are calculated for you: it will have a safe and effective effect on the body.
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Hot wraps are designed for a thermal effect: they remove toxins through the pores of the skin, while cold wraps rid the body of waste and toxins through the internal organs.
You can use cling film, which will be an excellent addition, as opposed to using it for sports. It creates a greenhouse effect, ensures better penetration of components under the skin, activates metabolic processes and accelerates fat burning.
Therapeutic fasting
This practice is a good addition to the main points. The best option: 36-hour fasting on water. We recommend starting in the evening after a light dinner of raw vegetables. In the morning, you should cleanse your intestines to get rid of toxins that can cause nausea and dizziness.
Fruits, vegetables, cereals and juices will help you “get out” of the process. Let us note that an unprepared body can tolerate such a refusal of food. It is worth fasting on certain days at least once a month, but it is more effective once a week.
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Cleansing the body
If you are not ready to practice therapeutic fasting, you can use a gentler way to cleanse the body. Eliminate foods that complicate digestion and lead to weight gain: fast food, alcohol, soda, fatty, salty, spicy foods, store-bought sweets and baked goods.
Additionally, you can arrange detox days during which you eat green smoothies. Regular visits to baths and saunas, bran, and herbal teas (from chamomile, wormwood or ant tree bark) also help get rid of slagging. If your budget allows, you can go to a regional health or Ayurvedic sanatorium for two or three days and undergo a body cleansing course.
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Fat Burning Foods
This has long been known to be a myth, and nothing burns fat other than a calorie deficit. But there is a list of foods that speed up metabolism and help our metabolism work more smoothly. Among them: romaine, spinach, watercress, chard, corn, lettuce, arugula, radicchio, frisse, bok choy, kale, celery, cucumbers, spices, ginger, turmeric, grapefruit, bee pollen, chlorella, coconut water, hemp seeds , asparagus, warm still water and vitamins.
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Nutritional supplements and vitamins
Vitamin B complex, D, calcium, various probiotics are important for health and well-being of the body. Among women's diagnoses, there are often problems with the thyroid gland that do not manifest themselves in any way, but exercise and a balanced diet do not help to get into the desired shape. Therefore, it is important to consult with an endocrinologist, who will collect a complete history of your well-being and the state of your body, and will refer you for tests, the results of which will determine the necessary dietary supplements.
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Add to remove belly fat
It is recommended to completely exclude foods with fats. To lose belly fat, your diet should include foods with slow carbohydrates. It is advisable to eat vegetables and fresh fruits.
Sources of slow carbohydrates are:
- Products containing the legume family;
- Porridge or cookies made from whole millet grains;
- Pasta products, macaroni and spaghetti;
- Potato;
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Legumes contain a large amount of slow carbohydrates.
Fruits are valuable sources of beneficial vitamins and amino acids that help the body in metabolism. The most suitable fruits for weight loss are:
- Grapefruit in its pure form has a glycemic index of 25. This means that the carbohydrates in grapefruit turn into glucose slowly, which means its excess will not become fat;
- Raw apples very actively stimulate the appetite. So it is recommended to take this source of vitamins baked. Such food will give you a feeling of fullness and reduce the desire to fill your belly;
- Orange is a bundle of vitamin C. Eat it separately from the rest of your food. Low-calorie snack;
- Pineapple is ideal for you if you are planning to lose weight quickly. Since pineapple tends to slow down the absorption of fats and reduce the chance of their deposition. There is an opinion in the media that pineapple burns fats, but it only slows down their absorption;
- Banana is a very high-calorie fruit. But it is indispensable for pre-workout food. Contains a large amount of fiber and various vitamins necessary for the body before physical exercise;
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How to remove fat from the abdomen and sides after childbirth
You can exercise and correct your figure no earlier than 3 months after returning from the maternity hospital. However, if the birth occurred with complications, permission to exercise and any other activity to reduce the volume of the abdomen and sides must be given by the doctor. Also consult him about any changes in diet or use of aids.
If 3 months have not passed after giving birth, in order to visually remove the sides and abdomen, use a bandage or shapewear, unless there are medical contraindications.
Exercise after childbirth to burn belly and flank fat
90 days after giving birth, you can begin to perform feasible and doctor-approved physical activities.
For example, when going for a walk with a stroller, if possible, move at a fast pace, tensing and drawing in your stomach as you go. Increase your walking time every day to 2 hours; in a month, belly fat will disappear, the skin and muscles will tighten.
Start short workouts at home. To engage the problem area, use tilts in different directions and body rotations. In a sitting position, raise your legs and keep them suspended.
The following exercises will help remove fat from the sides and abdomen:
- In a lying position, alternately perform lateral swings with your legs.
- Place your feet shoulder-width apart, pull your stomach in and do not relax throughout the exercise. From this position, try to sit on an imaginary chair standing behind you, reaching behind it as far back as possible. Freeze in the extreme position for 5 seconds and return to the starting position. Perform at least 20 of these squats. It is advisable to do them every hour.
- For regular exercise at home, a hula hoop and a hoop will help you. However, the effect of working with them will be noticeable only with daily 40-minute workouts. Start spinning the hoop around your waist for 8-10 minutes a day, gradually increasing the time. Usually a few days are enough to get used to this rhythm.
Diet after childbirth to reduce belly and sides
If your baby is breastfed, your nutritional diet should consist of foods allowed during lactation. In any case, it is necessary to exclude sweet, fatty and flour products, mayonnaise, high-calorie and spicy foods.
Try to keep track of your fat and calorie intake. Eat small meals, 5-6 times a day, without overeating, prepare foods in boiled, baked or stewed form.
Eat more fruits and vegetables, especially seasonal ones.
If you feel hungry, eat boiled chicken breast; this meat quickly fills you up and is a low-calorie and healthy source of protein. For sweets, leave only dried fruits: dried apricots, prunes, raisins, dates, if they are not contraindicated for you or your baby during lactation. But they should be consumed in moderation, no more than a handful per day.
Be sure to drink at least two liters of clean water per day, and then your stomach and sides will gradually begin to shrink. However, after giving birth, this process cannot be rushed; it may well last until the baby is one year old.
