Last Updated: February 6th, 2021
Belly fat is like the best friend. If it enters your life, it will stay with you forever. Then comes summer and it becomes your enemy. It will not let you flaunt your beach body. True, but not so true. If you pledge to yourself you can always get rid of your belly fat. Let’s see how…
Can Running Reduce Belly Fat?
Yes, definitely running reduces belly fat. Belly fat not only makes you look flabby, but may also cause type 2 diabetes, heart diseases, insulin resistance, and hypertension. Reducing belly fat not only gives you self-confidence but also protects you from these ailments.
Alright, alright…that’s fine..but how to reduce belly fat through running, and how long does it take? Well, to find the answers, read on…
How long does it take to lose belly fat by running?
If your target is weight loss and reducing visceral fat around the tummy then a crash diet is not a solution.
Opting for that will make you deal with severe health problems in the long run.
Instead, you should opt for safe weight loss, where you are losing gradually rather drastically.
Losing around 1-2 pounds a week is considered healthy.
On average you need to burn 3500 calories in a week to lose 1 pound.
At this rate, you are able to lose 4 pounds in a month.
That means you should reduce 500 calories in a day to lose 1 pound in a week.
Cutting down 500 cal in a day is achievable without ever going for a crash diet plan.
Along with this if you include 30 min of high-intensity exercise you are able to lose another 200-250 cal a day.
How can you lose belly fat by running on a treadmill?
Running on a treadmill is an easy, convenient, and safe way to get a daily dose of cardio.
If you a beginner looking for weight loss, it is better to start with the treadmill.
The best part about the treadmill is you can control the pace at which you are walking.
This helps more if you are a beginner.
You can take some time to build in your pace and also you can change the pace as per your capacity.
Mostly a 20 min run or walk at a brisk pace is a good amount of workout.
The intensity of the workout plays a very important role here.
You can read below to see some sample running plans.
On a treadmill, you can try different variations of walking or jogging.
If you are new to running you may try the walking / running combinations.
This alternate pattern helps you to catch some breath.
You can change the interval and speed of walking or jogging as your body permits.
You can also try an incline walk by changing the incline/speed.
At times it’s good to push your limits a little.
This will not only increase your threshold but also builds up your stamina.
Apart from this, you can include some more things like rhythmic breathing, improving your cadence to give your stamina a further boost.
Here is an article that, I’ve written sometime back, which provides you with 17 step-by-step methods to build up your stamina which any beginner can also follow.
Now that you know that, the treadmill is comparatively safer than running outside, you can concentrate on your breathing pattern and posture while you are running.
When you are running try to pull in your belly button inside as if you want to button up a tight pair of jeans.
This way of locking your core works on the abs muscle and tones them.
How can you reduce belly fat quickly? Here is the exact workout to lose belly fat quickly. If you want to lose your stomach pooch real fast, try following this exercise plan to see real results.
Can I lose belly fat by running 30 min a day?
Stored fats and carbs are the sources of energy for any activity.
The calorie burn happens when you perform any activity and ultimately it is the calorie burn that is responsible for the overall weight loss.
When are you burning more calories – be it a high-intensity fast workout or a low-intensity long workout…the result is quite surprising.
In a high-intensity workout, you tend to burn more calories in a small interval of time, but these calories normally come from the stored carbs.
In the case of low-intensity activity, the calories that are burnt are mostly from the fat stored in the body.
Since you need to burn more calories, you need a longer period of workout.
If you target to burn out calories stored in the form of fat, 30 min low-intensity workout may not be sufficient.
If you are tight on the time, my suggestion would be to have a combination of high and low-intensity workouts.
Your ultimate goal is to reduce the belly fat, which happens when you burn more calories.
Including food items like coffee, green tea, citrus fruits improve the body’s metabolism showing a significant increase in calories you burn.
Here is the list of the foods that you may include in your diet to maximize your weight loss.
Do you want to reduce your belly bloat? Be it, men or women, we all want to reduce our belly fat quickly. Here are two simple workout plans that will help you to reduce your belly and get yourself a flat stomach.
A simple running plan to lose belly fat
If your target is weight loss then running alone is sufficient.
If you aim to have toned abs, along with running you must include some form of core and oblique exercises in your regime.
You can do 40 min of running in the morning. (If you are a beginner, start with 10 min of running. Adjust the below plans accordingly.)
Here is a simple way to do it:
- You can start with 5 min warm-up
- A low intensity run for the first 10 min
- 20 min run at a high speed
- Finish your workout by running 10 min run at a slower speed
- 5-10 min stretching of calves and thighs
Another variation can be,
- Start with 5 min warm-up
- 10 min run at a slow speed
- 10 min run at a high speed
- 10 min run at slow speed
- 10 min run at high speed
- 5-10 min post-run stretching
During the afternoon, between 2 PM and 6 PM, your body temperature is highest and it is ideally the best time to do exercises.
However, running or exercising will not give a desirable result unless you don’t keep a watch on your diet.
Weight loss depends 20% on exercise and 80% on the diet.
Later in the post, we have mentioned how some food helps you in losing out the belly fat.
Related Questions
What exercises burn the most belly fat?
Not that you should only be running to reduce belly…other forms of cardio and aerobics exercise also help in reducing the belly fat.
Be it cycling, elliptical, or swimming…all of them burn loads of calories.
Below are some exercises which target the belly fat and helps to tone the abs.
- Crunches (half, full)
- Bicycle crunches
- Leg raise (90 deg, 45 deg)
- Scissors
- Russian twist
- Planks
- Side plank
- Mountain climbers
- Hundreds
Some yoga poses also reduces the belly fat:
- Cobra pose
- Bridge pose
- Bow pose
- Boat pose
- Mountain pose
- Camel pose
- Upward dog pose
- Planks(high and low)
- Side plank
These are simple exercises which can be done at home and all you need is a floor mat.
Initially, you may find it difficult to do even 10 crunches or stay in the plank position for 20 sec.
Increase the repetition and duration gradually.
With consistent practice, you will definitely see a difference.
Whenever you are practicing the exercise, make sure to keep your core tight and strong.
Apart from exercises, a little change in your lifestyle will also cause a significant difference in your belly fat.
Like if you are walking or standing, stay tall and strong.
Always draw in your belly button towards your spine and this will help you to maintain the posture.
If you are at your desk, you can gently pull in your belly button inside and slowly breathe out.
Repeat this for 30 sec, 2-3 times a day.
You can practice this even while driving you to stop at the signal.
Another trick that works is using stairs instead of the lift.
These small changes gradually give visible results.
What foods burn abdominal fat?
If you plan to reduce the belly fat, then you must say no to food and beverages with high sugar content.
Sugar is primarily the main cause of belly fat.
But that doesn’t mean you have to stick to a boring diet plan.
You must eat food rich in protein and fiber. Protein increases metabolism and thereby more calorie burn.
You can include the below foods for maximum weight loss:
- Fatty fish – Besides protein, they are rich in Omega 3. Omega 3 fatty acids help in reducing body fat.
- Eggs – Eggs if consumed for breakfast keeps you full and reduces hunger, hence less snacking.
- Full Fat Greek yogurt – They are rich in protein, Calcium, and Potassium. Greek Yogurt with fruit can be an amazing dessert if you crave for one.
- Other good sources of protein are dairy products, legumes, beans, sprouts, lean meat, and pulses.
- Fibers are found in leafy vegetables and fruits.
- Oatmeal is also packed with soluble fiber.
- Fruits and vegetables rich in Vitamin C help burn more fat while exercising.
- Green Tea is not only rich in antioxidants but also increases metabolism.
- Apple Cider Vinegar is another wonder food that brings about significant weight loss. Go for organic one and not the synthetic one.
- Coffee is the prime source of caffeine. Consuming caffeine before the run, reduces the runner perception of effort hence when they in run faster they do not feel the effort.
Apart from eating the right food, eat slowly. Eating slow makes you feel full even when you have eaten less.
How to lose belly fat fast? Running is your best option. Here are two running plans to lose belly fat fast through running.
Madhusree Basu
Author, Admin
Blogger and a fitness enthusiast. She loves running and Yoga and everything in between. She started running to manage her weight and to eat to her heart’s content. A true foodie at heart she shares whatever knowledge she has gained throughout the years about weight management and fitness.
References
https://www.livestrong.com/article/537323-on-average-how-long-does-it-take-to-lose-belly-fat/
https://www.runtastic.com/blog/en/how-to-burn-fat-while-running/
Rigby, Brian. “How To Get Rid Of Belly Fat.”
Agarwal, Medhavi. “How to reduce belly fat and get a flat tummy.”
Fischetti, Dara. “Wanna lose that belly fat?.”
Golden, L., Simple Exercises to Lose Belly Fat and Tone Your Tummy.
Home, M. Decrease chronic cortisol output to lose belly fat.
