Losing belly fat is the most common fitness goal people have on their workout agenda. Burning the fat and shedding the pounds requires a serious focus on three things, which include eating at a calorie deficit, performing strength training, and getting in your cardio. We are here to help you walk off belly fat with some ultra-effective, secret cardio tricks. So without further delay, put on your gym clothes, and let’s get started.
Strength training is a key player when you’re targeting stubborn belly fat. In fact, I recommend planning at least two to three sessions a week for strength training and performing cardio in between those workouts. For your cardio activities, you have plenty of choices—running, cycling, swimming, or using the stair climber are all solid picks. Many individuals underrate walking as a fat loss tool, but it’s also super effective for your routine. It’s low impact, great for recovery, and can be done for long distances and periods of time. Switch it up so you don’t get bored, and rotate what you do each week.
You’ll want to be getting in as many daily steps as possible. The reason why it’s important to, well, step it up? Even though you may be getting in a workout, if you’re sitting and not being active outside of them, you’re considered sedentary. That non-active time should not be in your daily routine when you’re in a fitness mindset. Plain and simple, if you want to lose belly fat, you need to be walking every day.
When it comes to walking, there are ways to increase the calorie burn to help you in your fat loss journey. Here are a few tips I recommend including in your next cardio routine to walk off belly fat. Check them out below, and next, be sure to read The 6 Best Exercises for Strong and Toned Arms in 2022, Trainer Says.
One way to step up the difficulty of your walk in order to burn more calories is to increase the incline. By walking uphill, you force your body to work harder, recruiting more muscles around the hips and legs. Find a hill in your neighborhood, park, or city, and walk it all the way up to the top. Come back down, and repeat for a few more rounds.
Think of it this way—you’re spending the same amount of time walking on a flat surface as you will when jaunting up an incline. You will benefit much more by doing the latter, so why not?
Related: Shrink Belly Fat Faster With These Walking Workouts, Trainer Says
Besides increasing the incline and going up hills, another way to burn more calories and fat when walking is to increase the speed. If you’re used to walking at a leisurely pace, you can do some power walking instead.
On your next walk, challenge yourself to go a bit faster. You can time how long it usually takes to walk your regular route, then try to beat that time. If you’re just getting started and building up your stamina, you can perform intervals by alternating between periods of short, brisk walks and your regular pace. One little tip is to have a motiving playlist ready for your jaunt, a quick beat can be pretty invigorating.
Related: The Best Aerobic Exercises To Shrink A Flabby Stomach, Trainer Says
During your walk, you can make your legs work harder by incorporating a few bodyweight exercises. Here are a few I recommend. Perform one at a time, or all of them back to back before walking again:
Bodyweight Squats (x15 reps)
Keep your torso upright and core tight, and sit back onto your heels and hips until they are parallel to the ground. Then, come back up, flexing your glutes and quads at the top.
Walking Lunges (x10-15 reps for each leg)
Begin the movement by taking a long stride and stepping forward with one leg. Firmly plant your foot, then lower yourself under control until the back knee gently touches the ground. Once the knee touches the ground, step through with the other leg, and repeat.
Butt Kickers (x15 reps for each leg)
With your hands out to your sides, begin to kick your heels back towards your glutes, flexing your hamstrings with each rep.
High Knees (x10 reps for each leg)
Keeping your torso upright and your core tight, start to march your knees up above your hips back and forth.
Before you know it, you’re going to walk off belly fat and reach your fitness goals.
For more mind and body news, check out The Most Effective Exercises To Reverse Aging After 50, Trainer Says and Shrink Belly Fat Faster In Your 40s With These Free Weight Exercises, Trainer Says.
Tim Liu, C.S.C.S.
