How to Lose Belly Fat With Pilates

Although belly fat is easy to gain, it is extremely difficult to lose. Many people find that even as the rest of their body loses weight and changes, their belly fat stays stubbornly in place. To combat this belly fat, you need a comprehensive exercise strategy with a focus on Pilates. Pilates allows you to not only lose belly fat, but also firm and tone your stomach.

Things You'll Need

• Pilates exercise video or website
• Exercise ball
• Healthful foods
• Water

Learn a few basic Pilates exercises to add to your daily routine, such as the Hundred, Leg Circles, Plank position, the Roll Up, Hip Flexion and Extension, the Scissor and Seated Side Twists. These Pilates exercises are extremely effective at strengthening and tightening your core muscles. They not only burn significant calories, but also melt away belly fat. Practice the exercises for several days until you become comfortable with them, and then add them to your daily routine. Hold your core tight and pull your belly button into your spine while you are doing the Pilates exercises. Hold this position throughout your exercises to increase your body's ability to burn fat.

Sit on an exercise ball instead of a regular chair while working at your desk. This will require you to keep your abdominal muscles active at all times. Or, simply be conscious of your stomach throughout the day. Aim to keep your core muscles active and your stomach pulled in tight throughout the day. Take a break from work every two hours to do light stretching or to go on a short walk.

Add cardio exercise to your routine at least three or four times per week. Any form of cardio or aerobic exercise helps when trying to lose weight and body fat, especially the fat stored around the belly. Cardio exercise burns so many calories that your stomach is forced to release some of its stored glucose, resulting in the loss of belly fat. Cardio ideas include walking, jogging, dancing, step aerobics, biking and using the elliptical machine.

Maintain a healthy diet throughout your Pilates fat-burning strategy. Even if you add Pilates exercises to your daily routine, it will be extremely difficult to burn belly fat if you are not monitoring your diet. Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, proteins and whole grains. Avoid greasy foods and those high in sugar and trans fats. Drink at least eight glasses of water per day since water helps with the loss of belly fat, and avoid soda and other carbonated beverages that cause the stomach to bloat.

Follow the overall Pilates strategy by allowing yourself to de-stress on a regular basis. When you are stressed, your body produces a chemical called Cortisol, which gets stored as glucose in the fat cells. This often results in stubborn belly fat, which is difficult to lose. Finding a way to relieve stress will assist you with your efforts to lose belly fat. Meditation, yoga and massages are all effective stress-relieving techniques.