What exercises should I do to get rid of a pot belly?

[GB]

For the longest time I could not gain weight. It was a joke among my friends and family. Well all of a sudden everything changed and I gained weight like a normal person. Now I have a little bit more of a belly than I would like.

I would like to exercise to get rid of it. I do not want to change my eating habits and I eat pretty healthy already.

So just based on exercise, what are the best things to get rid of this belly? Would sit-ups be the best or are there other options?

 

[Andy M.]

Situps will give you a nice muscular pot belly.

Do an exercise that flexes your upper and lower body. For example, a rowing machine or a Nordictrack type of machine is a good idea.

Also, if you have a pot, you need to consider reducing your caloric intake. No need to change what you're eating, just adjust the quantity a little.

 

[ironchef]

For the longest time I could not gain weight. It was a joke among my friends and family. Well all of a sudden everything changed and I gained weight like a normal person. Now I have a little bit more of a belly than I would like.

I would like to exercise to get rid of it. I do not want to change my eating habits and I eat pretty healthy already.

So just based on exercise, what are the best things to get rid of this belly? Would sit-ups be the best or are there other options?

Sit ups would help but they mostly only work the upper abdominals. You would have to do several sets of different types of sit ups and crunches to get it down and to tone it. Crunches that work the obliques and the lower abdomen (i.e. leg lifts) help a lot. I like to use an excercise ball because of the various things you can do, plus it keeps the exercises from becoming mundane. If you buy an exercise ball it will come with an exercise booklet showing the different things you can do.

Hopefully Caine will see this thread because I think he's a personal trainer or something like that.

 

[GB]

IC do you mean one of those large balls?

 

[ironchef]

IC do you mean one of those large balls?

Yeah. You can do incline crunches and crunches that focus on certain areas, plus other exercises to help your back, neck, posture, etc. It's kinda like weightlifting where you can't just do a wide range of lifts and expect to bulk up or get the most out of your work outs. That's why most people who know how to lift focus on things like bicepts and tricepts on one day, then shoulders and delts on another day, etc., etc. Same with abs which is why those things they sell on TV don't really work. I do about 300 total crunches maybe 4-5 days a week. 100 that focus on the upper abs, 100 that focus on the lower, and 100 that focus on the obliques (sides).

 

[GB]

Thanks !

 

[licia]

Also walking is very good for the middle! DH walks 4 miles every day that he doesn't play golf and has NO tummy.

 

[mudbug]

lots of you-know-what. Rachel needs a sibling.

 

[Alix]

lots of you-know-what. Rachel needs a sibling.

ROFL! You are BAD!

GB, I heard that just upping exercise of any kind will reduce fat stores all over your body. So...just more exercise might do it. There are some yoga workouts that specifically target your "core", as does Pilates I think. You might want to check those out too.

 

[kadesma]

lots of you-know-what. Rachel needs a sibling.

BINGO MB

kadesma

 

[GB]

No offense to anyone else, but I have decided that Mudbug has the answer

 

[Andy M.]

No offense to anyone else, but I have decided that Mudbug has the answer

Just remember that you have to sustain the exercise for 30 minutes for it to do you good!

OK, next idea, please.

 

[GB]

So 29 minutes won't do it?

 

[The Z]

All the crunches in the world won't help if you don't include FREQUENT cardio-vascular work. What would end up happening is that you would have well developed abdominal muscles, but they would still be buried deep inside your pot belly. 'Cardio' work increases your metabolism and burns fat. You need to raise your heartrate to around 135-150 bpm for at least 30 minutes at least 3 times a week... more if you can manage it. If you are eating correct food and number of calories and you don't want to change what you're eating, you have to increase your metabolism to lose weight. Your metabolism naturally changes as you age... that's probably what has happened to you. Lots of folks have little trouble when they're younger because their higher metabolism (and, usually, higher activity level) but, as one ages, one often changes their lifestyle - - thereby reducing the number of calories they're burning - - at the same time their body is slowing down on its own.

It's important to have a pretty good idea of how many calories are going IN on an average day and compare that to what is normal for your age, stature and activity level.

 

[wasabi]

GB, be like the Little Engine That Could

I-Think-I-Can I-Think-I-Can

 

[In the Kitchen]

Belly

GB since I have increased my walking, I do notice my waist is smaller. didn't happen fast but as time progresses clothes all over not as tight. Feel better too. Good luck GB. Just stay healthy. Don't skimp on good meals.

 

[GB]

I have been walking more lately, but not hard walking. More strolling than walking. I will have to pick up the pace I think.

 

[ironchef]

GB do you or have you ever lifted weights at all? Weight lifting is one of those few things that you can do which actually still burns off calories even when you're through working out and your body is at rest.

Also, try using this as a basic referrence to see how many calories you're actually burning off.

http://exercise.about.com/cs/fitnesstools/l/blcalorieburn.htm

 

[urmaniac13]

To be honest, there is no such things as spot reducing, you will need to keep on overall fitness routine, well balanced between muscular strength training (such as working with weights), endurance (running, swimming, aerobics/dance routine, cycling etc.), and stretching. Of course variety of ab exercises (one of the few muscle groups you can work on everyday) will help in shaping up the pot belly, but just doing numerous sit ups alone will not get rid of the surplus mass. To reduce the excess fat tissue, you need both aerobic exercise and balanced muscular strength training, and you must not expect to see an immediate result, it takes some patience, give it at least a month to see a difference.
I have been involved in fitness for more than 10 years (at one time I worked as a fitness instructor for 2 and half years), if you need further advice, let me know||

 

[kyles]

Just to summarise everyone else about the tummy problem....
1. The only way to get fat off is to reduce your calorie intake, or increase your calorie expenditure, or ideally a combination of the two. You can get your cardio anywhere you like, the pool, the running track, the gym, the bedroom.....etc!!!

2. Whilst your doing that you can do exercises to make the musculature under the fat firmer and more efficient. I second the big exercise balls. They are brilliant and you can do so many exercises on them. I do normal crunches, weighted crunches, oblique crunches, and this weird one on all fours with the ball under your feet and brining the knees up to the chest. Take some balancing, and works righ along the abdominals.

3. Overall weight training has been shown to assist the body in consuming abdominal fat in women, whether that works for men I don't know, but it certainly wouldn't hurt. Muscle is more metabolically active than fat, as ironchef says, so build muscle and you'll burn fat. You don't have to look like Arnie however!!!

4. Tummy fat is stubborn and you gotta keep working at it!!!