With spring break right around the corner, everyone is starting to plan their vacations to Miami. Ahhhh, Miami, the place where all college students run away to escape the stress of midterms. As you book your plane tickets to your carefree vacation you realize one tiny detail, your body is not bikini ready at all.
You start to plan out your emergency diet and realize that it’s going to take more than a diet to lose all the weight you’ve gained from this past winter. You soon realize that the only way you are going to lose that much weight in a short amount of time is by getting rid of it the old fashioned way; you’re going to have to sweat.
The main area of concern are your abs. For those of you who have tried to get a flat stomach in the past, you already know just how hard it is. Here’s a few tips for getting a tighter stomach.
1. Cardio
Performing cardio on a daily basis is one of the most important things to losing belly fat. Cardio doesn’t necessarily mean running a marathon everyday, it can consist of going on a bike ride or even going for a 30 minute walk. Performing any type of cardio can keep your metabolism going and can allow your body to continue to burn fat.
2. Avoid Anxiety
There is a type of hormone called cortisol that is produced in your body when you are feeling anxious. This hormone encourages the body to store fat. By avoiding anxiety whenever possible, you can decrease the amount of fat that your body stores. By doing yoga, reading a book, dancing or by simply doing an activity that you enjoy, you will reduce your anxiety levels and start your path on a more healthier lifestyle.
3. Avoid Alcohol
Alcohol may be the reason why you can’t seem to lose weight. Your alcohol intake actually raises your cortisol levels which increases your storage of fat. Ever heard of “beer belly?” Well all the fat that is stored due to alcohol actually goes straight to your stomach. So instead of having a glass of wine every night, drink water. By drinking water before a meal, you can make yourself feel fuller which will lead to you decreasing your calorie intake.
4. Perform Core Exercises
Doing crunches everyday is not the most effective way to getting a flat stomach since they do not engage all of your core muscles. However, exercises such as numerous plank variations, variations of the russian twist, and variations of leg raises can help strengthen your core and are more effective than crunches.
Getting back into shape doesn’t always have to be hard, all you need is that motivation. Finding a workout buddy is the perfect motivation because you’ll push each other to not continue with your daily workout routine. Just think, in a few more weeks you’ll be on a beach somewhere in Miami realizing that all the hard work you put in finally paid off.