How to Reduce Belly Fat & Strengthen Abs

There's nothing quite as sexy as firm abs. A notoriously difficult part of the body to keep trim, a flat stomach is coveted by both men and women in their efforts to look beautiful and attractive to the opposite sex. A strong stomach also protects your back muscles, so besides looking good, a tight belly also will keep your back in good condition.

Instructions

Getting Those Tight, Flat Abs

• 1

  Come up with a good diet. It's important to understand that you can't just lose weight in your belly; when you lose fat, it comes from all over your body. Targeted exercises can help you strengthen those abs, but to lose fat, you have to have a reasonably healthy diet, low in calories and fat. Still, for people losing weight, the stomach is one of the first places it shows

  Some diets that target fat loss are also low-carb diets, which are easy on the grains, cereals, starches and pastas, since carbs and sugars can convert to fat if not worked off in a fairly short amount of time.

  A good diet is one that is high in fiber, so fruits and vegetables are a good bet. If you can, incorporate several small meals into your day instead of eating few huge ones. Small, frequent meals help with hunger and reduce the tendency to overeat. Also, they maintain your metabolism at a steady level so you burn calories consistently.

• 2

  Devise a good exercise plan. A combination of stretching, cardio and strength training is a typical well-rounded workout regime. Stretching warms up the muscles, cardio exercise burns calories, and when the muscles are somewhat fatigued, introducing resistance helps build the ab muscles.

  You do not necessarily need special gear to work your abs, but if it helps you to exercise, use them. Crunches, situps and leglifts are quite adequate as ab muscle specific exercises. Walking also works the abdominal muscles.

• 3

  Persist. There's really no quick fix to losing belly fat and strengthening muscles. Even diet pills and performance enhancing supplements can't do their job if you don't eat well and exercise. If you can't do a whole workout routine in one go, break it up. If you break down and have a piece of chocolate cake, get back on track ASAP. The more consistent you are the sooner your efforts will pay off.