To define the abdominal muscles and lose belly fat, you can perform exercises that activate this muscle, such as the plank, leg raises, hip raises and hypopressive exercises, for example, as for them to be performed it is essential that the abdomen is contracted.
However, in addition to practicing physical activity, it is important that the person has a healthy and balanced diet, reducing the consumption of foods rich in fat as much as possible, since for the belly to be more defined it is necessary to reduce abdominal fat. See how to eat healthy to lose fat.
Watch the video with the best exercises to define your belly:
1. Plank
The plank is a great exercise for losing belly fat because when it is performed, the abdominal muscles are activated, promoting their strengthening and definition, reducing the belly.
How to make: To do the plank, it is recommended that the person lies down and supports their body weight on their hands and feet, remaining in the position for around 30 seconds to 1 minute while contracting their abdominal and back muscles. In general, it is recommended that the exercise be performed approximately 3 times or as recommended by the physical education professional.
In addition to the common plank, it is possible to do some variations that can also help you lose belly fat, such as the standing side plank, the side plank in which the hips move up and down, and the side plank with the leg elevated. This way, you can activate your abdominal muscles even more.
2. Straight leg raise
The leg raise helps to work the lower abdominal muscles more intensely, but it also activates the muscles located on the side and upper part of the abdomen, as well as the thigh muscles, and is therefore a great exercise to help define and lose belly.
How to make: To do this exercise, the person must lie on the floor or mat with their stomach facing up, place their hands under their buttocks and raise both straight legs at the same time. Then, you must return to the starting position, but avoiding touching your feet on the floor and keeping your back flat on the floor, while contracting your abdomen. In general, it is recommended to do 3 sets of 10 to 12 repetitions.
3. Hip raise
The hip lifting exercise’s main objective is to activate the thigh and gluteal muscles, however, for it to be performed correctly, it is essential that the abdominal muscles are contracted and, therefore, it can also be considered an exercise that helps to define and lose your belly.
How to make: To do this exercise, it is recommended that the person lies on the floor and raises their hips, forming a bridge with the body. Then return to the starting position, but avoid touching the floor and keeping your abdominal muscle contracted. It is recommended to perform 3 sets of 10 to 12 repetitions in a slow and controlled manner.
4. Climber
The climber exercise, also known as “mountain climber” is also an exercise option that helps you lose belly fat, as it promotes an increase in heart rate, which helps to accelerate metabolism and, consequently, promote weight loss, in addition to promoting the activation of abdominal muscles.
How to make: To do this exercise, the person must position themselves as if they were going to do a plank and then try to alternately bring the knee closer to the chest. It is recommended that this exercise be done for 30 seconds, with the time being able to increase progressively. It is important that throughout the exercise period, the person keeps their abdomen contracted.
5. Leg raise bridge
The bridge with leg elevation helps to force your abdominal muscles a little more, as it is important that they are contracted so that you can keep your legs elevated during the exercise.
How to make: To do the exercise, the person must lie face up, place their hands at their sides, raise their hips and one of their legs, which must be straight. Then, keeping your leg elevated, you should lower your hips, avoiding touching the floor and keeping your abdomen contracted and your leg straight, repeating this movement 10 to 12 times. Then, you must do the same movement with the other leg elevated. Generally, 3 sets of this exercise are recommended.
6. Hypopressive
Hypopressive abdominal exercises help to strengthen all the muscles in the central region of the body, being useful for improving posture and improving body contour. However, when a person has a high level of body fat, it is necessary to follow a low-calorie diet prescribed by a nutritionist and do aerobic exercises because these use a lot of energy, using accumulated fat as the main source of energy.
A trainer will be able to recommend other exercises to do at home or at the gym and also a complete series to burn fat and build muscle. Check out the following video on how to do hypopressive gymnastics:
