Belly fat is a return gift that our haphazard lifestyle and wrong eating habits give us. Belly fat has always been a major concern area. It not only destroys your image but also increases your risk to many health ailments. Try theseayurvedatips to lose the fat deposits around your belly.Don't Miss 15 Simple Ways To Add Ayurveda In Everyday Life Ayurveda: What's Your Ayurvedic Body... Ayurveda: Ayurveda and Women's HealthStart your day with lemon juiceThis is one of the best therapies to eliminate belly fat. Pinch some yellow juice into a glass of warm water and add some salt to it. Continue drinking this every morning to boost yourmetabolismand to get rid of that paunch.Stay off from white riceReplace white rice with various wheat products. Include brown rice, brown bread, wholegrains, oats and quinoa in yourdiet.Avoid sugary substancesStay away from sweets, sweetened drinks and foods rich in oil. Consuming these foods can increase body fat around various areas of your body like abdomen and thighs.Drink plenty of waterIf you want to get rid of your belly, then drink sufficient amount of water every day. Drinking water, after regular intervals will help to boost yourmetabolismand remove toxins from your body.Eat raw garlicChew two to three cloves of garlic every morning, and drink a glass of lemon water after that. This treatment will double up yourweight lossprocess and make your blood circulation smooth in your body.Avoid Non-Veg foodTo eliminate belly fat, it is recommended that one should avoid non-vegetarian food as far as possible.Load up on fruits and vegetablesEat a bowl of fruits daily in the morning and evening. This will fill you up with many antioxidants, minerals andvitamins.Spice up your cookingUse spices like cinnamon, ginger and black pepper in your cooking. These spices are loaded with health benefits. They help to improve yourinsulin resistanceand reduce levels of sugar in your blood.Inputs: Dr. Sunil Joshi - Ayurveda and Panchakarma Specialist*Images courtesy: Thinkstock photos/ Getty Images

One of the most common questions I get is how to lose belly fat. Belly fat is actually the most dangerous type of fat besides aesthetics, large waist lines are indicators of disease-disease-disease.It takes more than just crunches! We start to gain weight in our midsection when our cortisol levels spike. Stress is one of the primary culprits for high levels of cortisol secretion. When this happens cortisol breaks downs lean muscle (the type of tissue that burns calories most efficiently) and also holds on to fat storage in the abdominal region. That stress can even get WORSE with bad dieting; studies show that the stress caused by dieting can increase cortisol levels, making no change in belly fat even with calorie restriction. So how do you shape up? Incorporate these 6 things below and you will be on your way to a flatter belly in no time flat!1. SleepIf you want to work late at night, think again. When your biorhythms are off, you end up eating more. When youre tired you produce more ghrelin, which triggers cravings for sugar and other fat-building foods. Losing sleep can also alter your hormone production, affecting your cortisol levels that cause insulin sensitivity, prime reasons for belly fat! Getting about 7 hours of sleep a night is one of the best things you can do for your body shaping goals.2. Short bursts of exercises1000 crunches a night may get you strong abdominal muscles, but with a full layer of fat on top, you will not get the results you really want. Instead of all those crunches, do exercises that engage multiple muscle groups and work your cardiovascular system. Try planking, where you hold yourself in a push-up position, resting your forearms on the ground. Try 3 or 4 sets of holding for 30 seconds each. Getting up and moving throughout the day by going for walks will also help.3. Sugar is your EnemyFighting belly fat is 80% healthy diet. Reduce calories by filling yourself up with protein, vegetables, whole grains, and replacing bad habit snacks with good ones. For example, if you have a sugar craving, replace your calorie laden latte with a Muscle Milk lite, one of my favorites, because it has zero sugar and a ton of protein that will satiate while also torching my sugar craving! Another great trick is a sprinkle of cinnamon in your morning coffee or oatmeal- the spice has been shown to help stabilize blood sugar. It also slows the rate at which food exits the stomach, which helps you feel fuller longer.4. Vitamin CWhen youre under extreme stress, you secret more cortisol hormone. Vitamin C helps balance the cortisol spikes that happen to you under this stress. Besides being a good way to counteract a cold, Vitamin C is also essential for making carnitine, a compound used by the body to turn fat into fuel, making this vitamin your fat burning friend.If youre going through an emotional crisis, stress from work, or a bad eating splurge, increase your vitamin C itll help counteract the negative side effects. Try bell peppers, kale or kiwi fruits. These have even more Vitamin C than the famous Orange!5. Eat Fat

Yup, you heard me! It takes fat to burn fat. Like I said above, its sugar that gets you fat, not fat. Good fats include foods rich in Omega 3s, like salmon, avocados & walnuts. These foods are full of nutrients that help keep you satiated throughout the day.6. Slowing down your breathThis is a very simple method that you can use even when youre in the midst of doing something else. Whenever you notice youre feeling tense and uptight check and see how youre breathing. Most people under stress either alternate holding their breath with short breaths, or take rapid shallow breaths. After you become aware of your own breathing, consciously relax your belly and slow down the breathing. This works best if you focus on slowing down the exhalation rather than your inhalation. With each exhalation you can say to yourself slow down. That is all there is to it- Simple but surprisingly effective!!!

are you finding it difficult to get into the jeans that you used to wear in your college a few years ago? Do you feel that you are losing your self confidence due to the bulged stomach area? If belly fat is your concern, then you are just not the only woman in the world with this problem. Almost 50% to 60% of women in this world are not satisfied with the type of belly they have and are looking at ways and means of reducing the fat stored in their bellies. Many women love to have a perfect belly that professional athletes as well as celebrities have. If you want to have a near perfect flat belly, then you should be ready to make a few lifestyle changes to reduce the excess belly fat from your body.If you are an obese person, then it is a very difficult task to remove the abdominal fat from your belly. But, if you are determined to have a flat belly, then you need to make huge sacrifices in life and also have a lot of patience to achieve your goal. It is important for you to totally cut down on your favorite cupcakes or burgers or pizzas and ice creams and to concentrate on eating only green leafy vegetables as well as foods that contain high fiber content. This is the only way you can reduce your waistline.One of the best ways to get a slim waistline is to exercise. This article focuses on providing you with simple exercises that you can do at home every day to help in pumping out the excess fat that has built up round your abdomen area.Why You Suffer From Excess Belly Fat?It is normal for you to have some belly fat that will help in cushioning the bones and the organs and to protect them. But, excess belly fat is a matter of huge concern and you will be able to get rid of the tensions of excess belly fat through exercises andtaking in a low-carb diet. The following are some of the reasons on why you have excess fat around your abdomen area:1. Poor MetabolismAs you begin to age, the metabolism rate of your body slows down and this results in increased fat storage on your belly. Women are easily susceptible to belly fat than men. You might be wondering why some of your friends who eat fried and sugar based foods most of the time have a flat stomach and you always put on fat around your belly area. The main reason behind this is that your friends have a higher metabolism rate than what you are having.2. GeneticsIt has been proved that the fat cells that you develop in your body depend on your genes. If your grandparents or your parents have excess belly fat, then you too will have the same. There are two types of body structure: pear shaped and apple shaped. If you are pear shaped, then the fat in your body gathers at in the lower part of your body like the buttocks. If you are apple shaped, then the fat in your body gets accumulated around the belly area.

3. Sedentary LifestyleIf you are leading a sedentary lifestyle with no physical exercise and spend most of your time sitting in front of the TV or computer, then you are sure to accumulate a lot of fat around your belly in a few years time.4. OvereatingIf you are indulging in eating more than you ought to eat, then you are sure going to put on weight easily. If overeating is coupled with a sedentary lifestyle, then you are going to gain belly fat in no time and you will easily put on weight.5. Poor Sitting PostureIf you do not practice proper sitting techniques and always slouch when you sit on the chair, then you are sure to catch fat accumulation around your stomach area. You should always sit straight on a chair.6. Stress And DiseasesStress is one of the main reasons why people tend to accumulate food around their waistline. It will increase the level of cortisol in your body that leads to belly fat. Diseases such as breast cancer, sleep apnea, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes in women will result in fat accumulation around their belly area.7. Sagging MusclesIf you have saggy muscles around your abdominal area, then you can easily get excess belly fat.8. Hormonal ChangesAs a woman tends to attain middle age, the ratio of the body fat will increase in proportion to her body weight. There is an increase in the risk of accumulating fat around the waist area during menopause. Hormones play a vital role in regulating the fat concentration in a womans body.

How To Measure Belly Fat?It was perceived earlier that belly fat is healthy as it could be utilized by a person whenever he or she needs some extra energy. But, the times have changed now. It has been researched that excess belly fat will result in people to easily catch cardiovascular diseases. So, it is vital for every man and woman to keep track of their belly fat and to keep it under check always. The following are the ways you can measure your waistline:a) Waist To Hip RatioMeasure the narrowest part of your waist and then measure the broadest part of your hip. To calculate the waist to hip ratio, all you need is to divide the values to get the ratio. If the ratio is about 0.8 or more, then you can fall prey to cardiovascular diseases easily.b) Body Mass IndexBody Mass Index or BMI is the ratio of your weight in kilograms divided by their square of your height in meters. If your BMI is in the range of 25 to 29.9, then you are in the overweight category and if your BMI ratio is over 30, then you are an obese person. You will need to cut down on your belly fat considerably if you are to stay free from health risks.c) Waist CircumferenceUse a tape to measure your waistline at the level of your navel. You should breathe normally when you are taking the measurement. If your waist size is more than 34 inches, then you are at a risk of catching chronic heart disease.Dont miss Top 10 Home Exercises To Lose Weight Quickly

Top Foods To Help You Reduce Belly FatIf you find that you have excess belly fat, then you should immediately cut down on consumption of carbohydrate rich food and start to take foods that are rich in fibers. The following are the super foods that will help you to reduce your waistline.1. Apples:They are super foods that you can take three to four times a day as a substitute to carb-rich foods.2. Almonds:Rich in Vitamin E and has high fiber content that will make you feel full and reduce your hunger.3. Green Leafy Vegetables:They are rich in fiber and very low in calories. They will help in preventing water retention.4. Avocado:They are rich in high fiber and have high monounsaturated fatty acids that help in reducing belly fat.5. Cucumber:Cucumber is a vegetable that has high water content and is very low in calories.6. Watermelon:It is a fruit that has 80% water content in it and very few calories. They help in easily attaining desired waistline.7. Beans:This vegetable helps in improving digestion, as well as strengthening muscles. It will help in toning the belly by reducing hunger and prevent you from overeating.Along with these foods, it is also important for you to do some exercises to reduce excess belly fat. You need to combine exercise and diet in order to get rid of belly fat efficiently. It is important for you to incorporate simple exercise routines in your daily schedule so that you stay in the best shape always.And also you can read Top 15Best Aerobic Workouts at Home for Belly Fat

Exercises To Reduce Stomach Fat1) Crunches:There is no better exercise that you can think of to reduce belly fat than crunches. It will help you to easily burn stomach fat and if this exercise is coupled with a proper diet intake, then you can see effective results in quick time. Lie flat on your back on a mat. Bent your knees with your feet touching the ground. Now place your hands just behind your head. Take a deep breath and lift your upper body off the floor. You need to exhale when you are lifting your body. When you bring your body back to its original position you need to inhale. Once you come up you need to exhale. Do this for 10 times and then repeat for two or three more sets.2) Reverse CrunchesThis is another exercise that will help you to easily get rid of stomach fat. Lie with your back on a mat. Raise your knees with the feet planted on the ground. Keep both the hands on either side of your body. Push your feet in such a way that your thighs are perpendicular to the ground and your feet are off the ground. Now lift your back such that your knees bend towards your chest. Inhale when you plant your feet on the ground and exhale when you lift your back and move your knees towards the chest. Repeat this for 10 times and for two more sets.3) Twist CrunchesThis exercise routine is very similar to crunch exercise and here you will have to rotate your shoulder in the direction of the other shoulder. Lie down on the mat with your hands behind your head. Bend your knees and make sure that the feet do not touch the ground. Now move your upper body towards your knees like the crunch exercise. But, here you will have to make sure that you twist your right shoulder towards your left and the left torso must be on the ground. Repeat the same way on the other side. Here, you lift your left shoulder towards the right with the right torso resting on the ground. Repeat the same procedure for 10 to 12 times.4) Vertical Leg Crunch Lie with your back on the mat or the floor. Extend both your legs towards the ceiling and make sure that you cross one knee over the other. Now repeat the same what you have done in the crunch exercise. Breathe in when you lift and cross the knees and breathe out when you move your upper body towards your knees. Repeat this vertical crunch exercise for 10 to 15 times for three consecutive sets.5) Side CrunchesThe side crunches will also help you to shed excess belly fat and will also help in providing a proper workout for your love handles. It is very much similar to the twist crunch exercise. The only difference here is that you will have to lift your right leg up when you are tilting your left shoulder towards the right shoulder and vice versa. Repeat for 10 to 12 times each side for 2 consecutive sets.6) Bicycle ExerciseThis is yet another exercise that will help you to shed excess fat round your belly area easily. Lie flat on the floor or the mat and keep both the hands on either side of your head. Now lift both your legs from the ground and bend them at your knees. Now pull your right knee close to your chest with your left leg out. When you are bringing the right knee up you can try to meet your left elbow with your right knee to have a perfect stomach crunch. Now take your right leg out and bring your left knee close to your chest. Now, lift your upper body and make sure that your right elbow touches your left knee for a perfect crunch. Repeat this for 10 to 12 times for both the sides and for two consecutive sets.7) Rolling Plank ExerciseThe rolling plank exercise is another popular exercise that will work great on your lower back, hip and abdomen areas. Take your position on the floor or a mat in such a way that your knees and elbows are resting on the ground. You need to look forward so that your neck is aligned with your spine. Now lift the knees up so that you support your legs now on your toes. Now contract your knees and keep it in this plank pose for about 30 seconds. Make sure that you breathe normally during this routine. Now move to and fro for the next half a minute to constitute a rolling plank exercise.Rolling Plank Sideways Lie on the floor in a sideways position. Support your weight on the right elbow and your right leg. Make sure that the right elbow is perpendicular to your right shoulder. Place the left leg above your right leg. Keep your knees straight and lift yourself in such a way that your hips are off the ground. Hold this position for about 30 seconds. Once you practice this position, you can hold to this position for 1 to 2 minutes. Do the same on the other side as well.8) Lunge TwistIf you are a beginner trying to work your belly to remove its excess fat, then you should first try out the lunge twist exercise. Move your left foot forward and bend your left knee. You will feel the hamstring stretch on your right leg. Now lift your hands parallel to the ground and make sure that they are in front of you. Take a big step forward with your left leg and sit down as if you are sitting on a chair. Your right leg should be positioned backwards and you must use your toes to support your right leg. Make sure that your upper body and the spine are in the upright position to perform perfect lunges. Now perform the same lunge exercise on the other leg. Repeat this for 15 times.9) Side To Side BendingBending side to side not just helps in reducing excess fat deposits in your stomach area, but it also helps in giving your love handles a perfect shape. Stand in an erect position with your feet together. Lift both your hands and stretch it above your head and make sure that they are clasped together. Now bend your body to your left side as much as possible until you feel a strain on your right side. Hold in this position for 15 seconds. Now come back to the same standing position. Now repeat the same on the right side. Now hold this position for about 15 seconds. Once you get comfortable holding on for 15 seconds, you can increase it to 30 seconds or more on both sides.10) Stomach VacuumIf you are a beginner looking to do some exercises to reduce belly fat, then you should start with low impact exercises like stomach vacuum exercises. This is an exercise that concentrates mainly on breathing.

Hit the ground on all fours by supporting your body on your knees and hands. Now take a deep breath and make sure that your abdomen is loose. Now exhale your breath and make sure that you hold your abdomen muscles tight during exhalation. You need to hold the abdomen contraction for about 15 to 30 seconds. Repeat this process for 15 times for two to three sets daily.11) Captains ChairYou will need a chair to do this exercise. It is a simple exercise that will help in reducing excess belly fat. Sit on the chair with an upright spine and straight shoulders. Place both your hands on either side with the palms of the hands facing downwards. Take a deep breath. Now as you exhale, make sure that you bring both your legs upwards such that your knees are very close to the chest. Hold in this position for 5 to 10 seconds. Do not arch your back or bend forwards when your knees are close to your chest. Now bring your legs back to the ground and repeat the same process for 15 times.12) WalkingWalking is another beginners exercise that you need to do if you are looking to reduce excess belly fat. It is a fat burner for your entire body. Brisk walking for 30 minutes a day for a minimum of 5 times a week will help you see a gradual change in your weight. It is a low impact exercise that will give a good workout to your heart as well as will help in boosting your metabolism.13) JoggingAfter you have mastered the art of speed walking, you can switch to jogging that will help in easily breaking down of excess body fat accumulated in your body including your belly fat. It will help you to stay fit, healthy and fight obesity.14) RunningIf you want to break free from the monotony of doing the same exercise every time, then you can try to add one or two days of running exercise in your exercise regime. It will help in making your heart beat faster; lose excess belly fat and also burn a lot of calories than walking or jogging.15) Cardio ExercisesOne of the best ways to burn a lot of calories from your body as well as to shed off the excess baggage that you are carrying around your waistline is to do cardio exercises. These exercises will help you to easily remove excess belly fat. Doing cardio exercises for 30 minutes a day for at least 4 to 5 times a week will also help in reducing stress, increase lung capacity, keeps your heart healthy and also improves sleep.16) SwimmingSwimming is a very good exercise that will not just help you to shed belly fat, but it will also help you to tone your body. Swimming will also help you to get a cardio workout for your body. You need to choose the best strokes that will be strenuous and up tempo exercises so that you are able to burn a lot of calories. It would be a great idea to swim at least once or twice a week initially.All you need is to follow these effective and simple exercises to see visible difference in the size of your waistline after a few weeks. You can do all these exercises at home without the help or guidance of a professional trainer. If you have the will power and the determination to strive harder to achieve your goal of losing excess belly fat, then you can easily reduce it by doing these simple yet effective exercises. Remember, there is no gain without pain and reducing your tummy size is not a hard to pin down stuff anymore.

Why Do You Get Belly Fat?Some amount of belly fat is normal, it helps to cushion the bones and organs and provide protection. Well excess fat might become a cause of concern. Dont worry; you can cut any type of fat by doing exercise and following a strict diet low on carbs. There are a number of reasons for belly fat in teens and adults.a. Genetics:Scientists have discovered that the number of fat cells you will develop depends entirely on your genes. If your parents or grandparents had excess belly fat, you too might have the same. Yes, it is true genetics is a determinant of how the fat is distributed.You may have apple-shaped or pear-shaped body structure. Accumulation of fat occurs differently for different people, it actually depends on the body structure.For those who are pear-shaped, the fat tends to accumulate in the lower part of the body like the buttocks. But for those who are apple-shaped, your body tends to store fat around the middle section, thus resulting in fat accumulation around the belly. You must know that there are two types of belly fat, it is either visceral which accumulates around the abdominal organs or subcutaneous which occurs between the skin and abdominal wall.b. Weak metabolism:According to Mayo Clinic reports, as age increases themetabolism slows downand this cause belly fat. Women are more prone to belly fat than men.Weak metabolism is yet another reason.You must have noticed that some of your friends eat a lot of sugar-based foods, fried foods or cold drinks. Yet they manage to keep a flat stomach. The reason being, they have a very high metabolism rate. If your metabolism is not good, you may have a bloated stomach. Thyroid conditions, diabetes and other medical conditions can be the reasons behind slow metabolism.c. Hormonal Changes:You might have heard the word middle- age spread. This means, as women progress towards their middle years the ratio of body fat increases compared to the body weight.During menopause, when the levels of estrogengoes down and the amount of androgens or male hormones increase then there is an increased risk of fat accumulation in the waist.Hormones actually regulate the fat concentration in the body, and your figure depends entirely on it!d. Stress and hypertension:Stress increases the levels of cortisol in the blood and it leads to fat accumulating in the body.e. Diseases:Women suffering from diabetes, breast cancer, sleep apnea, colorectal cancer, cardiovascular disease and hypertension, stroke and metabolic syndrome have fat accumulation in the belly.f. Sagging muscles:If the muscles around your abdominal area are saggy, they may lead to a fat belly. All you need to do is tone your belly to get slimmer waistline!g. Poor posture:Slouching is the main reason behind fat accumulation in the body.Learn to sit straight from your very childhood. Sitting with a curved back or spine may result in all the fat accumulation around your stomach area.h. Sedentary lifestyle:A sedentary lifestyle is one of the major causes behind the occurrence of belly fat. If you dont indulge in any physical activity and spend most of the time sitting, watching T.V., reading etc., it is known as a sedentary lifestyle. Lack of regular exercise or not exercising at all can lead to fat storage around the belly area. In other words, being a couch potato will make you fat.i. Overeating:If you eat too much, that can also lead toweight gainand belly fat. Coupled with a sedentary lifestyle, it can have major consequences.Belly fat is in fact the colloquial term for abdominal fat. According to medical experts, belly fat can be potentially dangerous. Excess of it can lead to a number of health problems including heart diseases, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, a decrease in the level of HDL or good cholesterol, and can even lead to strokes or sleep apnea. You have to combat this problem before it gets too late.[ Read:Aerobic Exercises for Belly Fat]Measuring Belly Fat:Earlier belly fat was considered healthy, it was perceived a reservoir of adipose tissues that could be utilized when a person needed extra energy. With time the views changed, researchers state that excess belly fat triggers chronic cardiovascular diseases. So it is important to measure the belly fat and check how much you need to reduce. Here, are some parameters to measure your waistline.a. Body Mass Index:This is ratio of weight in kilograms to the square of height in meters. This parameter helps doctors to judge whether the person will suffer from heart disease or strokes. Since those having BMI of 25-29.9 is considered overweight and those with BMI of 30 are considered obese. They need to cut down belly fat to reduce the health risks. However, this parameter is not always accurate in measuring belly fat. In fact, you can measure your belly fat with a measuring tape in front of the mirror, and make your own targets to reduce belly fat. Looking at the mirror and checking belly fat will help youto feel motivated to lose that unhealthy fat lining your abdomen.b. Waist to Hip Ratio:Keep a calculator handy! To calculate your waists to hip ratio accurately measure the narrowest point of your waist and the broadest part of your hip. Now divide the values you obtained from the measurement and you have your ratio. The waist to hip ratio is a more accurate parameter to measure BMI. Those with waist to hip ratio of 0.8 are susceptible to cardiovascular disease and stroke. If you happen to have this ratio you got be careful.c. Waist Circumference:As said before measuring your waist with the tape is the easiest way to check belly fat. Measure your torso at the level of your navel. As per the official guidelines measure your abdomen from just above the hip bone or iliac crest just where it intersects the line dropping down from the middle of the right armpit. Breathe normally while taking the measurement and dont hold the measuring tape too tight against the skin. Those with waist size more than 33 inches are at risk of developing chronic heart disease.Food To Reduce Belly Fat:You need to have high fiber foods to cut down your belly fat that is marring your appearance and confident. Just add these super foods to get an envious waistline you always desired.a. Almonds:It is rich in vitamin E and is high on dietary fiber. It will satiate your hunger and the calories present in almond will not affect your belly fat.b. Apples:This attractive looking fruit will help you to lose belly fat effectively. So munch on apples!c. Avocado:The monosaturated fatty acids present in avocadoes helps to burn belly fat. The nutrient rich fruit is also high on fiber.d. Cucumber:Stay cool with cucumber! The water content in cucumber is really low on calories making it a good choice for losing belly fat.e. Green leafy vegetables:It is low on calories and it full of fiber and essential nutrients that prevent water retention. So follow your mothers advice and have green vegetables to reduce belly fat.f. Beans:Having beans is a great way to have a toned belly. It also improves digestion andhelps to strengthen muscles. Beans satiate your hunger and keep your tummy full, this prevents overeating.g. Watermelon:This yummy fruit contains 82% of water and it is really low on calories. Have watermelons to get a desirable waistline.How to Reduce Your Tummy?Dieting and exercise go hand in hand. If you had thought that only dieting will burn your belly fat, you are wrong. Working out can be quite painful and tiring. Many of you think of skipping it. Some even start going to the gym but ultimately give up, and then all of what you had lost comes right back! The best way to deal with this is to incorporate a simple exercise routine in your schedule.[ Read:Diet Plan To Reduce Belly Fat]If you really want tolose weight, you need to include an hour of exercise in your daily routine for targeting and reducing belly fat.Best Stomach Weight Loss Exercises:1. Crunches:Nothing burns belly fat faster than crunches! Crunches occupy the number one position when it comes to fat-burning exercises. Now, its time that you start with this abs crunching exercise. Follow the steps mentioned below.

Image: Shutterstock Lie down flat on a mat with your knees bent and feet on the ground. Alternatively, you can also lift your legs off the floor at a 90 degrees angle. (See picture). Now lift your hands and place them behind your head or keep them crossed on your chest. Inhale deeply and as you lift your upper torso off the floor, exhale. Again inhale as you get back down and exhale as you come up. Do this for 10 times as a beginner.Repeat another 2-3 sets.[ Read:Foods That Burn Belly Fat]One small tip:As you lift your torso, do not sit up straight. You should be at a 30-40 degrees angle off the ground. Thus, youll feel pressure on your abdominal muscles.2. Twist Crunches:

Image: shutterstockOnce you get used to the regular crunches, modify the basic crunch to get an even more effective tummy exercise! Lie down on the floor with your hands behind your head. Now bend your knees as you would do in crunches, keeping your feet on the floor. As in a crunch, you would have lifted your upper torso; in twist crunches you just have to lift your right shoulder towards the left, keeping your left torso on the ground. Again alternatively, lift your left shoulder towards the right, keeping your right torso on the ground. Repeat for another 10 times.3. Side Crunch:

Image: shutterstockThis is same as the twist crunch exercise. The only thing that you need to do is tilt your legs to the same side simultaneously with your shoulders. The side crunch focuses on the muscles on your sides.4. Reverse Crunches:Now its time to do reverse crunches. This is another bestexercise to reduce belly fat for women.

Image: ShutterstockThis is same as the twist crunch exercise. The only thing that you need to do is tilt your legs behind simultaneously with your shoulders. The side crunch focuses on the muscles on your sides.[ Read:Yoga Asanas To Reduce Belly Fat]5. Vertical Leg Crunch:

Image: shutterstock Lie flat on the floor or on the mat with your legs extended upwards towards the ceiling and one knee crossed over the other. Now that you have positioned your body perfectly, do the same as you would have done in case of crunches. That is, breathe in and lift your upper body from the floor towards the pelvis. Now breathe out slowly. As you bring yourself down, breathe in again and exhale as you go up. Do 12-16 crunches for up to 3 sets at a go.6. Bicycle Exercise:No, you dont need a bicycle for this. Thinking how? Well tell you.

Image: Shutterstock Lie on the floor and keep your hands either by your side or behind your head as we do in crunches. Now lift both your legs off the ground and bend them at the knees. Bring your right knee close to your chest, keeping your left leg out. Now take your right leg out and bring your left leg close to your chest. Alternate bending your knees this way as if you are paddling a bicycle.7. Lunge Twist:This is a beginners workout for beginners who want to reduce belly fat quickly.

Image: shutterstock Stand with your legs hip width apart. Keep your knees slightly bent. Lift both your hands in front of you aligning them with your shoulders and parallel to the ground. Lunge forward as shown in the picture. Take a big step forward with your right leg and sit down as if on a chair so that your knees are at a 90 degrees angle from the floor. The left leg should be positioned backwards supported by the toes. The spine should be kept straight. Dont bend your spine forward. That is incorrect way of performing lunges. First twist your torso to the right and then to the left. Twist just the torso, not your legs.Continue repeating this for 16 times.[ Read:Reasons For Sudden Weight Loss]8. Rolling Plank Exercise:

Image: ShutterstockThe rolling plank trains the muscles around your abdomen, hip and lower back. Position yourself on the floor with your knees and elbows resting on the ground. Keep your neck aligned with your spine. Look forward. Lift the knees up and support your legs on the toes. Contract your knees and keep breathing normally. This is the plank pose. Stay in this posture for 30 seconds.Now start moving to and fro for the next 30 seconds. This is the rolling plank exercise. Lie down on the floor sideways. Support yourself on your right elbow and right leg. Your elbow should be perpendicular to the shoulder and the left leg should be above the right leg, keeping them together. Keep your knees straight. Your hips should not be touching the ground. Hold this position for 30 seconds. Once you get comfortable, you may hold this for 1-2 minutes. Repeat with your other side too.While in this position you may also lift the leg placed on top and bring it back again. This makes the exercise more effective. In that case, it works not only for your abs but also for the thighs and hips.10. The Stomach Vacuum:

Image: ShutterstockStomach vacuum exercises are low-impact exercises that place greater emphasis on breathing instead of increasing your heart rate.a. This is similar to what we call the cat stretch pose. This is also known as the four-point, transverse-abdominal stomach vacuum. Follow the steps mentioned below to do this exercise for reducing belly fat: Come down on the ground to sit on all fours, supporting your body on your hands and knees. Now inhale deeply and loosen your abdomen. As you exhale the breath, tighten the abdomen muscles. Hold this abdomen contraction for 15-30 seconds.Repeat the process again.[ Read:Flaxseeds Help In Losing Weight]Another type of stomach vacuum exercise is elevators. Heres how to do it: Sit on a chair. Imagine your belly to be an elevator thats moving up. Now inhale deeply using only your nose and think that its the 1st floor. Breathe out using your mouth and simultaneously push your belly towards your spine, imagining that you are going up to the 5thfloor. Breathe out fast 5 more times, squeezing your abs every time you exhale the air. Repeat the same steps another 5 times.c. You can try standing pelvic tilts. This is another form of stomach vacuum exercise. Stand with your legs hip width apart and bend your knees slightly. Inhale deeply through your nose and push your belly inwards towards your spine, and at the same time roll your hips out in front.Do 5-6 sets of this exercise.11. Captains Chair:

Image: ShutterstockAll you need to do this exercise is a chair. Sit on the chair with your spine straight and shoulders relaxed. Keep both hands beside you with your palms by the side of your hips, facing downward. Inhale deeply. Now as you exhale, bring both your legs upwards such that your knees are close to your chest. Hold for 5 seconds. Dont bend forward and arch your back. Bring down your leg slowly and repeat again.12. Bending Side to Side:This is the best workout to slim down your waist. This is yet another perfect exercise for reducing belly fat!

Image: Shutterstock Stand erect with your feet together. Raise your hands above your head as in a namaste. Now keeping your legs grounded, bend your body to the right as much as possible till you feel a strain on your left waist. Stay for 15 seconds. Return back to the original position. Now bend left. Retain this position for another 15 seconds.Slowly, you may increase the holding time to 30 seconds.[ Read:Ways To Reduce Abdominal Fat]Cardio Exercises:

Cardio is one of the most effective ways to burn calories and shed unwanted flab from your body. Cardio exercises are immensely helpful for reducing belly fat. At the same time, doing cardio on a regular basis will offer you with other health benefits such as reduction of stress, an increase in your lung capacity, better sleep and a sense of overall well-being.13. Walking:One of the very first cardio exercises to reduce belly fat is walking. Surprised? Do you think its too simple to be effective? Well then, you should know that walking is a great and effective way to burn away that ugly belly fat. In fact, it is an excellent fat burner for your entire body. If you follow ahealthy dietalong with walking at a steady pace for 30-45 minutes for at least 4-5 days every week, you will witness a gradual change in your weight. This low-impact exercise increases your metabolism as well as your heart rate. A heightened metabolic rate will burn away calories at a faster pace, thus helping to eliminate the fat accumulated around your belly. In fact, walking has a decreased risk of injuries and is considered to be a good workout for beginners.14. Running:You have to prevent your body from getting used to any fixed workout routine. Hence, you can switch occasionally. Try running for a change. It is an effective way to keep your heart rate up, burn calories and lose belly fat.15. Jogging:If you dont like running, try jogging instead. Research suggests that jogging is more effective at breaking down unwanted fat when compared to weightlifting. This is a form of aerobic exercise that is extremely useful for fighting obesity and staying fit.16. Cycling:This is another kind of effective cardio exercise that helps you to shed belly fat by burning calories. Ensure that your heart rate goes up while you are cycling.17. Swimming:Withswimmingyou get cardio, weight loss and toning at the same time! The strokes that you choose should be up-tempo and strenuous in order tohelp you burn more calories. You can start with swimming 1-2 times every week.You can follow these effective and simple exercises to reduce belly fat. You can easily do most of these exercises at home without the help of any personal trainer. All you need is determination and a lot of stamina. Reducing tummy fat is no longer an elusive dream!Other Ways to Reduce Belly / Abdominal Fat:1. Eat Right:Reducing abdominal fat is 80% abouteating the right food. Have a healthy and balanced diet, with adequate macro and micro nutrients. Most importantly, skip takeaways and fast foods. Eat food prepared at home. Dont have time? Go for raw fruits or veggies, or steam cooked veggies instead.2. Drink Water:Many get confused between being thirsty, tired or hungry, and end up nibbling sugary or fatty food. Always carry a water bottle. And make sure you keep sipping water throughout the day. One need to drink 6 8 glasses of water, though this depends on your weight and lifestyle. Calculate accordingly and make sure you consume enough water.3. Short Bursts:According to recent studies, instead of working out for hours or running a few miles, doing short bursts of active exercises is very helpful in reducing stubborn fat. For example, if you arewalking on a treadmill, randomly increase the speed for a few seconds and get back to walking.[ Read:Fat Burning Foods]4. Say No to Sugar:Sugar is one thing you should greatly reduce, if not omit from your daily platter. There are many sources of hidden sugar, so its a good idea to reduce sugar. Use alternatives like honey, palm sugar and licorice extract.5. Reduce Sodium intake:Of course, you need to add salt to your food. Besides sodium salt, you have potassium, lemon and sea salts you can consider. Also, adding spices like pepper, a few herbs also helps reduce salt requirement.6. Vitamin C:Vitamin C is importantfor the secretion of carnitine, a compound that helps body convert fat into energy. Besides, it also helps block cortisol, a hormone thats secreted by the body when under stress. Spike in cortisol levels is the main reason for abdominal fat.7. Fat burning foods:There are many natural ways to reduce fat. . Garlic, onion, ginger, cayenne pepper, cabbage, tomato, spices like cinnamon and mustard are some of the fat reducing foods. Consuming a few cloves of raw garlic and a 1-inch piece of ginger every morning is good for fat metabolism.Having a glass of warm water with lemon juice and honey in the morning, is a popular option for weight loss. Similarly, there are many other ways to induct fat burning foods in ones diet.8. Include healthy Fats:When trying to get rid of bad cholesterol, addition of good cholesterol can be helpful. Avocados, olives, coconut and nuts are few sources of good cholesterol.9. Do not skip breakfast:Many think skippingbreakfast helps with quick weight loss. On the contrary, skipping breakfast is a major blunder. It increases bloating and pushes your body into starvation mode, a key for abdominal fat gain.Latest studies reveal having smaller and frequent meals is the key to maintain a healthy metabolism rate, which is important for weight management. So reduce the size of your meals and make up for it by snacking healthy. You could consider having dry fruits and nuts, raw veggies or fruits and steamed veggies.[ Read:Protein Carbs Fat Calories]10. Sleep:Wondering why we are talking about sleeping here? Adequate sleep is very important for weight management. Everyone needs 6 8 hours of sleep. According to a recent study,too much of sleep or the lack of it can lead to weight gain.