Estimated read time: 6 minutes.
Running is one of the best general body exercises for people of all ages and genders. It is the easiest exercise for people looking to lose weight, improve breathing, and stay physically fit.
Running is a great aerobic exercise for burning belly fat. In fact, research shows that running burns more calories than any other exercise. However, you must combine strength training and a well-balanced low-calorie diet to achieve optimum results.
This article provides all the information on how you can use running to lose belly fat. Also, we’ve recommended other efficient exercises and nutrition for losing weight.
What’s Belly Fat?
Before delving deep into causes and solutions, we must understand what we are dealing with – belly fat. Simply put, belly fat or visceral fat is the abdominal muscles covering your stomach. These fats grow in size with time to expand your waistline and stomach.
The problem with a fat belly is that it does not only affect your shape but poses lethal health risks. Many people with fat bellies can easily develop serious diseases like hypertension, type 2 diabetes, heart diseases, coronary artery diseases, and many others. Do understand that there are two different types of belly fat:
- Visceral fat: This is the belly fat surrounding your organs or abdominal cavity.
- Subcutaneous fat: This belly fat is available beneath your skin.
Causes of Belly Fat in Runners
Belly fat is not only a problem for runners, but anyone can get it. Knowing the causes of this problem will help you to know the best way to get rid of the excess fats in your belly. So, the following are the main causes of belly fat:
Poor Eating
What you consume has a lot to do with the size of your belly fat. People who like eating sugary foods cannot evade getting a fat belly. The sugar you consume is turned into fats to increase the abdominal muscles. Instead of eating low-protein and high card foods, it is recommended to alternate with nutritious whole grain food with minimal fats.
Stress
The interesting thing is that some people gain weight when stressed. Your body is unable to burn fat when you are stressed. Instead, it stores it, thus causing your belly to increase in size. The body releases a hormone called cortisol to help it adapt to stressful moments. It is this hormone that mixes with the excess sugars to create more belly fat.
Poor Quality Sleep
The chances of increasing your body fat are very high if you don’t have enough time to sleep. Your body will store excess fats because it will not get enough time to metabolize. Also, people who sleep for a short time have a higher food intake than those who get enough sleep.
Excessive Alcohol Consumption
Many health diseases are linked to alcohol abuse, including liver failure and obesity. Many people, especially men, are battling fat belly problems because of consuming excess beer and other types of alcohol.
Genetics
Some people are genetically prone to growing excess fats around their bellies. The problem with this is that there is little you can do to avoid it. The only solution is hitting the gym or creating a running program.
Poor Exercise
If you don’t practice well and you consume a lot of calories, you will end up having a big belly. To avoid putting on excess weight, make sure you have a running program or at least commit to workouts. This will prevent adding more fat, especially on your belly.
Best Running Exercise to Burn Belly Fat
The good news for people battling belly fat is that running offers the best non-stressful solutions. We have selected the best and easy-to-follow running exercises to burn belly fat. Try out the following exercises:
- Cross Training: Cross training primarily involves running with the goal of reducing body fat. Other than running, you can swim, ride a bike, or do crunches. It is recommended that these exercises take around 30 to 60 minutes.
- Trail Running: Another highly recommended exercise to burn belly fat is trail running. Though the running pace on trail roads is slower than average, it will get you into the shape you desire. Trail roads have many uncertainties, including logs, rocks, and uneven terrain. These obstacles will help you to work on your glutes, belly fat, calves, and other muscles in the body and legs. Also, it’s best for burning calories.
- Interval Running: Running is not all you need to burn belly fat, the way you run is the important thing. Experts recommend participating in high-impact exercises for the best results. Running at different speeds increases your oxygen intake and muscle flow to boost metabolism.
- Steady Pace Running:
Other Exercises to Get a Flat Belly
As aforementioned, running alone may not give you the flatter stomach that you desire. In these cases, you may incorporate other workouts to fasten the process. Here are alternative exercises for burning fat and overall weight loss:
- Ball Crunches
- Do Planks
- Russian Twist
- Elliptical Trainer
- Abdominal Exercises
- Slow Jogging
- Resistance Training
- Sit Ups
- High-Intensity Bursts
Recommended Diet for Cutting Tummy Fat
The kitchen is where you can increase or reduce your belly fat. What you put in your diet will determine body fats. Follow this simple diet list in addition to your regular exercise to reduce fats around the abdominal area:
Rich-Protein Food: Protein is highly needed when it comes to weight loss. Consuming food with high protein levels reduces appetite and increases the rate of metabolism. The best meals with protein are fatty fish, eggs, beans, and other cereals.
Regulate Carb Intake: Regulating the amount of carbs you consume will increase the process of getting a flat stomach. Taking meals with 50 grams of carbohydrates per day is recommended.
Cut Out Sugary Food and Beverages: One thing you must observe keenly while working on your belly fat is the sugar intake. Avoid using excess sports drinks as they contain sugar that can increase fat levels in the liver and other organs. The drinks you must keep off are sweet tea, soda, punch, and alcoholic beverages.
Track your Calories: While there are many things you can do to burn belly fat, monitoring your calories is among the best. You can do this using a good diary or reliable food tracker. Make sure you read how many calories you need to increase or reduce to get rid of the belly.
Try Dilute Cider Vinegar: Drinking a small amount of diluted cider vinegar has worked miracles in many people with stubborn belly fat. It’s effective because it contains acetic acid that burns fats around the abdominal area.
Consume Probiotic Foods and Supplements: Eating bacteria found in some foods have many health benefits for your body. Researchers have discovered that bacteria can boost your immune and metabolism process. These bacterias include Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus amylovorus, Lactobacillus gasseri, and others.
Drink Green Tea: Green tea is well known for giving people a flat tummy. The tea contains an ECGC compound that burns fat in the belly and increases the rate of metabolism.
Practice Intermittent Fasting: People who have tried intermittent fasting have testified how they managed to cut abdominal fats. This process involves different mechanisms, including reducing insulin levels, activating anti-inflammatory cells, regulating hunger, and more.
Advantages of Running to Reduce Belly Fat
Many positive things can be said when it comes to the benefits of running to your body. These benefits include improving heart rate, building muscle strength, reducing stress, burning calories, and more. Additionally, you get to boost your self-confidence, especially when you shed off that huge belly. It proves how hard you have worked to achieve your goals. Always remember that a healthy body keeps a healthy mind. Keep fit and safe always.
Conclusion
At this point, we believe you have found the answers you’ve been looking for. Running is a very efficient way of burning belly fat and staying physically fit. As we’ve said before, running alone might not give you the perfect results you expect. You need to incorporate other exercises and check your diet for an excellent flat tummy. A good exercise should balance your full body, including improving your heart rate. It is recommended to work out at least three days per week to maintain fitness levels.
FAQ
I also love blogging. It's a great way to share my thoughts and experiences with others. And, of course, family is very important to me. I have five kids (three girls and two boys) who keep me busy (in a good way!)
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