Want a flat belly?
Then get moving, move those feet and move them fast and move them everyday. Studies show that walking is one of the best ways to shed belly fat. Why does it work so well?
It appears to help reduce deep belly fat (called visceral fat) first, explains Tim Church, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center at Louisiana State University. “If you exercise enough to lose 10 percent of your body fat, you may actually reduce visceral fat by 30 percent,” says Church.
All walking burns belly fat, but for best results, crank up your weekly MET (metabolic equivalent) hours—the number of calories you burn. “Shaking up the intensity with on-again, off-again bursts of energy will give you the most time-efficient, calorie-burning workout possible,” says exercise physiologist Peggy Pletcher of Source Endurance, an online coaching service based in Austin, Texas.
The experts: Exercise physiologist Peggy Pletcher, consultant for Source Endurance, an online fitness coaching service, helped design the walking plans. Celebrity trainer Valerie Waters developed the firming moves.
What to do: Six or seven days a week: Do one of the Flat Belly Walks, following our pace guidelines, below. If your goal is to whittle your waistline with the bare minimum exercise, follow Plan 1. If you have more time and want to rev up your results, dive into Plan 2. To shed inches all over, go with Plan
Three flat-belly walks:
- Plan one: speedy waist whittler- Time: 20 minutes a day, 7 days a week
What you’ll lose: Up to 1 inch off your belly in one month. - Plan two: Lose-a-size tummy trimmer- Time: 40 minutes, 6 days a week
What you’ll lose: Up to 2 inches off your waist (a pants size) in just a month. - Plan three: Total-body fat blaster- Time: 60 minutes, 6 days a weekWhat you’ll lose: Up to 3 pounds plus inches off your hips, butt, and thighs; add in the healthy eating tips (“5 Food Rules to Live By”) on and you can lose up to 5 pounds this month.
Note: If you’re doing this workout indoors on a treadmill, start with a three percent incline for the hills, working up to five percent. If you’re outside, try to find a loop with two hills about midway through that will take you about five to six minutes to climb.
Link through to see the details on these belly busting routines. Keep an eye out for the follow-up posts: Sculpt your core and Max out your results.
MikeZ_walking, step by step to a flat belly.
Please consult your physician before starting any exercise or weight loss program. Your physician is your very best resource.
