Is it necessary to exercise to lose belly fat? Or can you burn belly fat with just diet alone? Research seems to point to exercise and specific types of exercise to get the best results. But diet does count too! So what’s the best plan?

Cardio is important for all over body fat burning, this includes belly fat. But doing some additional work such as crunches (no, not hundreds of them a day) helps too. Crunches and situps help to get rid of visceral fat which lies deeper in the abdomen and surrounds your organs, but things like walking, jogging and even some heavy duty yoga can work on the subcutaneous fat which lies just under the skin.

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You know it’s time to get belly fat off for good when you look down and all you see is the flabby tire around your midsection. Is it popping out over your jeans? Does it make the zipper hard to pull up lately? We have all been there and know how frustrating it can be to get the belly fat gone for good.

Points to remember when working on the midsection:

• Any whole body exercises you can think of will help to lose belly fat so keep MOVING!

• Situps and crunches wont lose the fat, but they will help build the muscles so you have a nice look once the fat is gone.

• Track what you are eating. Use either MyDailyPlate.com or Fitday.com to track your calories, sodium, sugar, fat and carbs. You might be amazed at how a “little bit here and there” adds up to excess calories.

• Eat healthy. I one time went to Whole Foods and just watched to see what the “healthy people” were buying. They have places where you can sit right by the registers and see everything. Then go to regular grocery store and compare. Healthy, lean people eat healthy things. Greens, vegetables, fruits and lean protein are the building blocks for great abs.

• Find a belly fat burning program to keep you on track and focused. Use a plan that was designed by a certified trainer and has proven results so you can be successful and get belly fat off!

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Are you thinking of trying new exercises to get rid of belly fat? Well there is some good news! Have you heard that spot exercises don’t work to get rid of the bulge? It turns out that might not be true.

Belly fat is made up of both subcutaneous fat (fat under the skin) and visceral fat (fat deeper in the abdomen around the organs). According to the Mayo Clinic website, there is now research pointing to spot exercise training being very effective at removing visceral fat. That is the dangerous fat than can cause a variety of diseases to our body’s organ systems. Well this sounds good for our health, but what about the way we look? How do we get rid of the pudge?

Belly fat responds best to exercises that work the entire body. You do not need to do a million crunches a day to lose the pooch. Instead, try long lean exercises like pilates partnered with cardio to lose the fat in the cells. Cardio is what will burn fat, crunches will build the muscle below the bulge, but if you can’t see them, it wont do much toward your appearance. So, running, brisk walking, and long tummy stretches are all going to be effective in removing belly fat.

Here are two suggested exercise from the Mayo Clinic website:

• Deeper abdominal muscles. Target deeper abdominal muscles by doing “abdominal hollowing” or “drawing in the bellybutton.” First, get down on all fours. Let your tummy hang down as you take a deep breath. Let your breath out, and at the end of your exhalation, gently draw your bellybutton inward and upward toward your spine. You should feel a slight tightening around your waist — think of it as trying to squeeze through a partially closed door. Hold for 10 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds. Work up to 10 repetitions. During each effort, your spine position shouldn’t change and you should breathe freely. Eventually, you’ll be able to do this exercise standing up. It’s so subtle, no one should be able to tell you’re doing it.
• Lower abdominal muscles. Tone your lower abdomen by doing pelvic tilts and pelvic lifts. To do a pelvic tilt, lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent. Flatten your back against the floor by tightening your abdominal muscles and bending your pelvis up slightly. Hold for five to 10 seconds. Repeat five times and work up to 10 to 20 repetitions.For pelvic lifts, lie on your back with your knees bent up toward your chest and your arms relaxed by your sides. Tighten your lower abdomen and lift your buttocks up off the floor, with your knees aimed toward the ceiling. Hold for five to 10 seconds. Repeat five times and work up to 10 to 20 repetitions.

Exercises to get rid of belly fat can be easy to incorporate into your workout routine. Don’t forget to follow good eating habits by consuming lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and limit refined, processed foods and sugars.