How to Lose Belly Fat With Pilates - 6 Foolproof Exercises
Do you want to get rid of your love handles once and for all? Pilates is a good way to achieve this, since through a series of specific exercises you can tighten your stomach and work your abdominal muscles to reduce accumulated fat so that it becomes smoother and more toned. In this oneHOWTO article we will tell you how to lose belly fat with Pilates with 6 simple exercises that you can do at home or in the gym. Take note of how to do them now and you'll get a belly that's worth showing off.
Steps to follow:
Pilates is great exercise that can help you to lose weight, as when you practice it you get several benefits which we've listed below:
- It elevates your heart rate: this activates your blood circulation and also accelerates your metabolism.
- It improves your breathing: as it is a type of passive gymnastics, Pilates (like yoga) improves breathing, concentration and relieves stress.
- It tones your body: the exercises in this sport are static and get the muscles working and hardening through various positions.
- It corrects our posture: by placing the body in different poses, Pilates helps to improve our posture and so, we are prevented from suffering muscle or joint injuries.
In this OneHowTo article you'll discover the benefits of Pilates so you understand why it is a good exercise to incorporate into your daily life.
We'll start with one of the best Pilates exercises to lose belly fat. It is one of the simplest and most effective positions for tightening the abdomen and helping to burn fat that accumulates there. To do it, put yourself on a mat and raise your legs creating a 45 degree angle. Your torso must be as far back as possible to work your muscles.
Breathe calmly and count to 20 seconds at first, then rest and repeat this position. Ideally, you should repeat 3 sets of the same exercise and gradually you'll start increasing the seconds so that your body works harder.
Another good way to lose belly fat with Pilates is an exercise where you lie face down, fully stretched out, and lift one leg at the same time as you lift the opposite arm. So, if you lift your left leg, you'll also do the same with your right arm and vice versa.
To work the abdomen with this position, you have to stay still for at least 30 seconds and then switch to the other arm and leg. Repeat 3 times with each side and, little by little, you will notice improvement.
Pilates can also be done with large exercise balls, such as the Fitball. Next, we'll tell you about an exercise for the stomach using this ball which is very easy to do, although you'll need some balance. In this OneHowTo article we'll tell you how to choose a Fitball.
It is a traditional crunch exercise where you lift your trunk but instead of lying on the ground, you balance on the ball. In this way you get a much more intense exercise than usual and, therefore, you work the intended area better.
With a Fitball you can also do another Pilates exercise for the stomach which is more complicated and so is recommended for people who are not beginners. You have to pay special attention to the position of your back. If it is not stretched, we could cause ourselves harm. It is good for working side crunches.
To do this position, put yourself on the mat on your side, put the ball between your legs and fold your hands behind your head. Once in place, raise your torso and legs up as shown in the picture. Hold this position for 15 to 20 seconds and return to the start position. Do 3 repetitions, gradually increasing the time where you remain still.
We'll continue with the Fitball in the following exercise. Lie down on a mat and put your feet up on the ball. Once in this position, raise your torso, tightening the buttocks and stomach to work your muscles. Stay still for 30 seconds and repeat 3 times. With time we suggest that the longer you can stay still, the better results you will see.
However, if you don't have a Pilates ball, you can still do this same exercise from the previous section. Instead of raising your legs onto a ball, you bend and put the soles of your feet on the ground. With your arms fully stretched next to your body, raise your body and maintain the position for as long as possible, breathing calmly and tightening your muscles.
At OneHowTo we especially want to recommend that before starting Pilates, you warm up your body to prevent muscle injuries. A good warm-up routine is doing an aerobic exercise that activates blood circulation and your muscles. Exercises such as jogging, stepping or using an exercise bike are perfect for warming up.
In addition to doing these Pilates exercises to lose belly fat, we recommend incorporating habits into your daily life that will help you to lose weight, as you'll be able to see faster results. As with any sport, Pilates will not have the same effect if you do combine it with a healthy diet which is based on points like the ones listed below:
- Eat 5 times a day to satisfy your appetite and boost your metabolism.
- Limit your consumption of carbohydrates and ensure that, when you do eat them, they are whole grain.
- Follow a diet that is rich in fruit and vegetables as they contain many nutrients and have barely any calories or fat.
- Choose low-fat protein, such as lean meat or white fish.
- Reduce your consumption of sugar.
- Learn to cook light recipes with little oil and without sauces so that you don't add calories to your food.
- Drink 2 litres of water a day to remove fluids and cleanse your body.
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