What exercise is most effective for lowering the belly: running or doing abs?
Many believe that doing abdominal exercises can achieve a flat and fat-free belly. They may do hundreds or thousands of repetitions several times a week, or even every day, but they fail to see the desired changes. Why? This is usually because they do not include a caloric deficit in their daily routine; which really is key to losing fat, from the abdomen, or from any area where it is accumulated. If we continue to eat the same thing or do not add any activity that really represents a significant energy cost, with passive force work we cannot refine the abdomen or any part of the body. Strengthening exercises work the muscles, strengthen and harden them. They can even make them increase in size depending on the loads and volumes used, but they don't burn localized fat.
Yes they could generate a weight loss if they contribute considerable energy expenditure, and for this purpose, aerobic work where the heart rate rises is much more effective, something difficult to achieve by lying down simply by flexing and extending the trunk, raising knees, or Holding positions But only one caveat: it is also real that increasing the general muscle mass of the body will contribute to spending more calories per day, because every kilo of muscle we have will spend more energy, even at rest.
What do we have to do then if we want to reach a flat and turned abdomen? Spend more calories than we eat through a balanced diet, do long-term aerobic activity regularly (always more than 30 or 40 minutes, and if they are 60 or 70 better) such as jogging, running, pedaling, swimming, dancing, and any type of exercise sustained continuously for a period of more than half an hour. And obviously, adding strength exercises to strengthen the abdomen, but not limited to that area of the body: the idea is to improve strength in general and not only the part that aesthetically disturbs us.
Running can be the solution. A practical example: a woman of acceptable physical condition could spend approximately 100 to 150 calories in a half-hour sit-up session, but during that same time jogging or running will surely consume double or triple. For this reason, it will be much easier to lower the belly or reduce the areas of the body running than doing abs. Now, attention! If one is very overweight, running could be aggressive for the joints, in that case it will be better to walk or choose any activity without impact. Be that as it may, ABC is the following: balanced and balanced diet of calories and nutrients + regular cardio activity + strength exercises. Really committing to all three things, good results come quickly.
