- The best way to rid yourself of unwanted belly fat is to burn more calories than you eat on a daily basis. The exercise ball can assist you with this goal. By bouncing on the ball at a moderate-intensity you can burn calories and increase your metabolism. Bouncing is low-impact and allows you to sit, so it is ideal for anyone with foot or leg pain. However, bouncing does require some balance and core strength so it may be risky for someone with vertigo or balance problems. Daily physical activity for 45 minutes at a low to moderate intensity will help you burn calories and lose fat.
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To further increase the effectiveness of bouncing to burn fat you can do interval training on the ball. Interval training works by alternating moderate-intensity with high-intensity training intervals within one workout. There are many different ratios between the times and intensities you can alternate with. A good place to start is to do 30 to 60 second intervals of equal time. You would do 30 seconds of bouncing quickly waving your arms over your head. You would then do 30 seconds of slower bouncing. You should always do a low-intensity five-minute warm up before interval training and a cool down after exercising.
Interval training needs to only be done three days a week for fat burning results because of its effectiveness. However, you can still do low-intensity bouncing on your "off" days to keep burning calories without over-training your body.
You should, of course, speak with your doctor before attempting any new exercise program. - Exercises for the abdominal region won't directly get rid of belly fat as target training is a myth, but doing exercises to tone the deep transverse abdominis muscle will help flatten the stomach. The transverse abdominis muscle runs horizontally across the abdomen and is responsible for stabilizing the spine and torso. It also holds in the internal organs and if toned will give the abdomen a smaller appearance. Because the muscle is responsible for stabilizing the body it is also strengthened and toned through stabilization exercises, which is what the exercise ball is best used for. Holding planks, for example, is one basic way to tone this muscle. Place your hands on the floor at shoulder-width apart and put a ball under your shins or ankles. You will be facing the ground and your body will be in a straight line from shoulder to ankle. Your goal is to remain in a straight line with your feet on the ball. The ball will try to roll away. You must use your abdominal muscles to keep the ball in place and your body in place. Start with 10 to 20 seconds and work up to one minute. Do two to five sets.
