Do abdominal exercises really give you a flat stomach?
These days, we’re all focused on exercising and most of us want a flat stomach. You’ve probably heard before that doing abdominal exercises will give you a flat stomach. But is that really the case? In this article, you’ll learn more about it.
The issue of belly fat
Why do we all worry so much about belly fat? There are several reasons for this. Perhaps you don’t find a little belly roll ideal, but the most important thing is that belly fat is simply unhealthy. Some of that fat is located around your organs.
This type of fat is responsible for most of the disadvantages of being overweight, such as high cholesterol and a greater risk of heart disease. In addition to being seen as aesthetically pleasing, having a flat stomach also has health benefits.
Do abdominal exercises help?
Abdominal exercises do help in making your stomach tighter. However, it’s not the case that doing lots of exercises alone will give you a flat stomach. There are many other factors involved in achieving a flat stomach than just abdominal exercises. Healthy eating and regular physical activity are important. If you only do abdominal exercises all day but have a sedentary lifestyle and poor diet, the belly fat won’t go away. If someone ever claims to have a solution solely based on abdominal exercises, you can completely ignore that.
The energy balance of your body always plays a significant role. Everything you do requires energy, and everything you eat provides energy. If you consume less energy than you expend, you will lose fat all over your body, and your belly fat will also decrease.
To lose belly fat, you simply need to create a calorie deficit of about 10 to 20% of your daily needs. For most people, this amounts to around 300 to 500 calories per day, depending on their current weight. If you want your abdominal muscles to become visible, you’ll need to lower your body fat percentage significantly. For most men, this starts at around 10% body fat, and for women, it starts at around 15% body fat.
Eat wisely
To create a calorie deficit, you need to eat wisely. You have a limited number of calories to consume each day. It’s important that you use those calories wisely and not waste them on snacks. This means you need meals that provide a feeling of satiety and prevent you from constantly reaching for food. Protein and fiber-rich foods are the solution here.
So, stay active and eat healthily for a healthy body weight!
