How to lose weight and remove belly fat in a child aged 8,9 and 10 years old

How to lose weight for a teenager: where to start?

The basis for proper weight loss in both children and adults is a balanced diet.
Therefore, the first step to getting rid of the “extra” should be adjusting the menu. Which one, we, together with nutritionists, talked about here. The second step in this direction is increasing physical activity and regular training. But you need to understand that not all “adult” fitness is suitable for children. For example, HIIT, weights, or complex coordination exercises can be detrimental to their health. “Remember that a teenager has a fragile body, he often has little “sports” experience,” says Anna Meshkova, personal trainer of the ALEX FITNES S club network. “This can lead to injury.”

Causes of belly fat

Excess weight in a child, like in an adult, does not appear suddenly and not immediately - it is not an elevated temperature that can “jump” in a couple of hours. Fat on the stomach and sides “grows” gradually, and the sooner parents pay attention to their son or daughter’s extra pounds, the easier it will be to correct the situation.

Most often, the cause of this phenomenon is poor nutrition. The abundance of sweet carbonated drinks, chips, crackers, nuts, hamburgers, as well as various baked goods and confectionery products, advertised and offered by the retail chain literally at every turn, can tempt anyone, but first of all it affects children. Often a child tries to replace breakfast, lunch and dinner with them, without thinking that all these “foods” contain extra calories that contribute to the development of obesity. Adults should be careful.

Other circumstances also contribute to the “fat accumulation”:

• Sedentary lifestyle. It would seem that a child and physical inactivity are “two incompatible things.” However, in the era of general computerization, children increasingly prefer computer games to outdoor games - football, volleyball, badminton. It is often almost impossible to tear them away from the monitor. At the same time, while traveling through the Internet and simulating virtual reality, teenagers diligently chew chips and nuts without noticing it.
• Family nutrition rules. In some families, lavish feasts are customary, and adults - often mothers and grandmothers - from infancy instill in the child how important it is to “eat well”, without “leaving your strength on the plate,” and are happy to see how successfully the child copes with this task. From a chubby baby he gradually grows into a very well-fed teenager - the subject of jokes and ridicule of his peers.
• Heredity. If among your immediate relatives - parents, grandparents - there is someone who is overweight, children may inherit a predisposition to be overweight.
• Stressful condition. The reason for chronic overeating in children and adolescents is often stress - in the family, at school, on the street when communicating with peers. By “eating” grief and resentment, often provoked by the same excess weight, teenagers develop the habit of extinguishing unpleasant emotions in this way, and contribute to the aggravation of the problem.
• Health problems can also become a trigger for excessive obesity. Cardiovascular pathologies, hormonal imbalances, dysfunction of the thyroid and pancreas, improper metabolism - all this affects the “weight category”, and sometimes illnesses begin to develop precisely in adolescence, during active restructuring of the body. If weight gain occurs for no apparent reason, you need to show the child to doctors - he may need treatment.

You can begin the fight against excess weight in children only after you find out what causes it. If there are no deviations in health, getting rid of obesity is much easier for young people than for adults.

How to lose weight as a teenager: optimal workouts

Experts consider bodyweight exercises to be the ideal option for teenagers. They will be effective for strengthening muscles and reducing the thickness of the fat layer. “It’s best to focus your exercise on exercises that involve either all muscle groups or the largest of them (legs, back),” comments Anna.

It is important to combine exercises correctly and monitor the exercise regime. “Weight loss is directly affected by the intensity of exercise. It can be increased by performing more repetitions and approaches, as well as reducing the rest period between them, comments Anna Meshkova. “However, all this can be done only after you have mastered the technique of performing all the exercises of the complex and have completed several low-intensity classes.”

We asked Anna to create and show us a set of exercises that will help a teenager lose weight.

In what cases should you contact an endocrinologist?

If a child or teenager is overweight, then a visit to an endocrinologist may be absolutely necessary, since weight gain in the body is interconnected with the functioning of the hormonal system. If children normally have a fast metabolism and fat deposits in the abdomen and sides do not accumulate, then it is disorders in the endocrine system that can provoke obesity. Sometimes the process of puberty is to blame, especially in girls.

When should you contact an endocrinologist so that the doctor can determine how to remove the child’s belly?

• The child eats a normal, balanced diet, there is no talk of overeating - and yet he is still significantly fatter than his peers.
• Changes in physique began quickly and for no apparent reason, that is, until a certain moment, the boy or girl fit into the norms of height and weight for his age, and then a sharp excess began.
• If the figure of a child (teenager) due to excess fat is formed as if according to a different gender type (that is, for example, a boy at the age of 12 gets fat in his hips, sides, stomach, chest).
• If parents and closest blood relatives are not inclined to be overweight, then overweight is clearly not “family”, not hereditary.

Also, an endocrinologist can give a recommendation on what to do with a hereditary tendency to be overweight - but, of course, a doctor cannot “cure” a child of the inherited genes and remove hereditary traits.

How to build a lesson

* Start your workout with a short warm-up, like this one.

* Perform all exercises at a calm pace.

* Perform the first three or four workouts according to the strength training scheme: perform 2 sets of exercises of 10-15 repetitions each. After that, move on to circuit training: perform an exercise for 35 seconds, then rest for 15 seconds and move on to the next one. At the end of the circuit, take a break for 1 minute, then repeat from the beginning. Try to complete three such circles.

* Finish your workout with some light stretching.

* Exercise according to this scheme 3-4 times a week.

To complete the complex you only need a mat.

How to lose weight and remove belly fat for a child: nutritional recommendations

We have already said that even the best diets for children can undermine their health. We recommend switching to conscious nutrition. This technique is effective, but not every adult is ready to accept it on their own. We have a children's nutritionist who will help solve the problem radically. Eating habits and approach to food are changing, rather than imposing a “magic menu” and physical activity instead of desserts!

And if we talk about nutrition, children grow, so their body must receive a full range of healthy vitamins and minerals. Include fruits, meat, vegetables, fish, milk and whole grain baked goods in your daily diet. Next, all this should be wisely distributed among meals.

• eat small portions, at least 4 times a day;
• “feed” up to 30% of the daily value for breakfast;
• after a few hours, it is recommended to have a small snack (10-15%);
• plan lunch at 40-45%, it should be filling;
• Give the remaining 15% for dinner, with protein as a priority!

In order to no longer think about how your child can lose weight and lose belly fat, control the increased water consumption. It plays an important role in the fight against extra pounds - it speeds up metabolism. Limit harmful foods as much as possible. We have already written about them above (sweets, soda, fast food). Try to replace them with dried fruits and freshly squeezed juices. Read how to change your taste habits.

In general, we tried to provide all the necessary information on the topic “If a child has a belly and how to lose weight correctly.” It's best to call us. We will not only select an individual weight loss plan, but also guarantee that you will achieve results “by hand.” Or leave your details in the feedback form located just below.

Diagonal crunches

Lie on your back, place your palms behind your head and interlock your fingers at the back of your head. Bend your knees slightly. Lift your shoulder blades off the floor and, gently twisting your thoracic spine, direct your left elbow toward your right knee. Direct your right thigh towards your stomach. Return to the starting position and do the same on the other side. This will amount to one repetition. Complete the required number of them.

Don't skip classes to get in shape faster. It will also be useful to increase the amount of physical activity in general: for example, going for long walks every day at a calm pace.

Sport exercises

A set of exercises for teenagers.
A necessary condition for removing the stomach and sides in a short time is increasing physical activity. Running, swimming, cycling are useful. You should perform special exercises every day to strengthen your torso and abdominal muscles.

An approximate set of exercises for losing weight on the stomach and sides at home for teenage girls and boys:

1. Sitting on the edge of a chair and leaning on it with straight arms slightly pulled back, bend and unbend your legs, holding them suspended. The back must be straightened and the shoulders turned.
2. Lie on the floor on your back so that your head rests on the sofa. Holding its edge with your hands, raise your straight legs to an angle of 90° with respect to the floor, then lower them.
3. In the same starting position, perform the “bicycle” exercise: make movements with your legs in the air, as when rotating bicycle pedals.
4. Continuing to lie on the floor on your back, bend both legs at the knees. Pull them up, trying to touch your knees to your chest, then lower them.
5. Without changing your starting position, move closer to the sofa so as to place your shins on the seat, bending your knees. Bend both arms at the elbows, holding them in front of you. Raise your torso, trying to touch your elbows to your knees, then lie down on the floor again.
6. Maintaining the previous position, straighten your arms behind your head. With your straight left hand, try to reach the tips of the toes of your right foot, then switch hands and feet.

Initially, these exercises must be performed 10 times each, gradually increasing the load and bringing the number of repetitions to 20 times.

To achieve lasting results, training must be systematic - then a toned stomach and sides can be preserved. You need to start performing the complex exercises on a full, but not full, stomach. You can sit down at the dinner table after it no earlier than 2-3 hours later.

How to determine if a child is overweight

Children who are overweight are treated leniently. Parents should pay attention to noticeable excess weight. Children generally lead an active lifestyle, running, jumping, and frolicking. The extra pounds have nowhere to come from.

Have you noticed that something is wrong and want to clear your doubts? Contact your pediatrician. He will compare standard indicators of height and weight with the child’s parameters, take into account the individual characteristics of the body and send for tests.

You can determine if your child is overweight at home. Find out your weight, height, age and wrist circumference. The last point is optional. Open the table of height and weight ratios for boys and girls at this age and analyze. There are online calculators on the Internet for calculating body mass index (this is a coefficient that characterizes the degree of weight appropriateness for a particular person). If the indicator falls below 17.9, then the child urgently needs to get better. A BMI value from 18 to 24.9 shows that the body is in normal condition and does not need to change. Indicators of 25 and above indicate overweight. Consulting a doctor after taking the tests will give a more accurate answer than online calculators and standard tabular data.

The culprit of unhealthy obesity is malfunction of the thyroid gland and hormonal disorders. Then medical attention and long-term treatment are required.