7 Tips to Lose Stubborn Belly Fat this Summer

Resistance exercises, training, and targeted nutrition ... Few rules must be followed if you want to get rid of belly fat.

No need to do a series of 50 abs sets every two days to remove a nice layer of belly fat. First because you risk hurting your lower back and second, because it’s useless. The key to reach that goal is a solid and subtle strategy based on the combination of sports and balanced diet. Read the following guide:

Tuck in your belly all day

The idea looks silly and restrictive, but the basic rule is to become aware of your body before any sports and eating routine.

"Whether you are at work or at home, force yourself to tuck in your stomach all day, as if the navel was sucked in by the spine," says Karine Hellebuyck, sports coach in Paris.

The body is linked to the mind, we will benefit from better energy and the muscles will start to tone up,” estimates the coach.

Start moving

"Fat begins to melt from a simple movement," says Christophe Boulanger, sports coach in Bordeaux and specialist in running.

The reason is simple:

"We store fat because the body does not burn food we consume, which can be too sweet or too fatty," adds Brigitte Barthe, food education consultant.

The main thing is to follow simple yet effective habits, for example take the stairs instead of the elevators, instead of going the whole way back home by bus, shorten your ride and finish it on foot, or even have a walk regularly when you’re constantly sitting on a chair.

Learn how to eat properly

“fat often is the result of a behavioral problem which leads to poor food intake, or in other words to an unbalanced diet. For instance, bad habits, like eating processed foods that are too fatty or too sweet, will store fat in your body,” says Déborah Ohana, sport nutritionist. “In this case, food is mostly of poor quality generally. We can thus start by replacing animal proteins with vegetables, and use olive oil rather than butter for example,” adds Brigitte Barthe.

Before thinking about “diet”, listen to your hunger and feeling of fullness, to know what does the body want”, says the dietician.

With regular exercising, we will be able to reduce fat and sugars and banish those processed food. “The main thing is to make sure you eat the most balanced meals possible rich in proteins, starches (depending on your hunger), vegetables, a fruit portion and a source of calcium. It is useless to calculate everything, as everything will come into balances within a week,” confirms Déborah Ohana.

Choose cardio over bodybuilding

You don't have to do 50 crunches every morning.

"When you start exercising and you want to" attack the fat ", you should avoid so-called mass gain sports. Unless you do the exercises quickly with little recovery between each, you will not work on endurance and therefore you will not draw on fat,” explains coach Christophe Boulanger.

If cardio burns more calories, it is because it makes the body work in what is called the "target zone".

“It is mainly between 120 and 150 heartbeats / minute (depending on the age). The cardiovascular system then reaches the optimal heart rate to tap into sugars and fats,” the coach added.

Don't do abs

The exercise sounds interesting in order to tone your abs; however, it is recommended to practice it when the body has already gained muscles and not at the beginning of recovery.

The traditional ab crunch will push the organs down. We must first tone in depth by focusing on the transverse abdominal," says coach Karine Hellebuyck. To do this, we must practice other sheathing exercises, like inverted crunches that moves the area under the navel. Lie on the back, legs bent, heels on the buttocks. Lift your feet to bring your lower back and your legs folded towards yourself, exhale. Bring them down and put your feet on the ground while inhaling.

Combine endurance and muscle building

To melt the stored fat in the belly, you must combine endurance and muscle building. According to Christophe Boulanger, running can be a great cardio exercise. For maximum efficiency and better results, start by running three times per week. Boxing lessons, brisk walking or swimming are also very effective.

“Having contact with a slightly cold water allows the body to consume more energy. The water also offers a permanent massage. For better results, switch on-site aquafitness exercises with swimming exercise. The session must be between 30 to 40 minutes minimum,” recommends the coach.

Complete the session with muscular strengthening exercises, in particular sheathing exercises or jumping on the rope by performing 30 jumps, in 10 reps.

Consistency is key

When you stop exercising, the body will get used to it, the same goes for unbalanced diet. To lose belly fat permanently, you obviously need to remain consistent with your health routine. To do this, once the results are there, make it your good habit. "Nothing is stopping you from running once or twice a week for half an hour," indicates Karine Hellebuyck.