This was literary the story of my life, I use to (and still do) go to the gym 4 days a week minimum, and if I don't I'll always do some cardio at home. I eat fairly healthy (I do treat myself to a cheat meal..or two on the weekends) but no matter what I was doing, the moment I had a sip of water, boom, the bloat belly was back.
After following useless diet plans and detox's, I actually came up with a yoga inspired combination that worked, and it's ridiculously simple. You can do it from home, or for maximum results, hit the gym and lift some weights afterwards!
If you put aside 30 minutes of your day, every day, to follow this magical routine, you will notice a toned and tighter belly within 2 or more weeks - depending on your body, diet and participation in physical activity.
1. To prepare yourself, find a spot outside, in your home, or head to the yoga mats at the gym, and spend 2 or 3 minutes doing some basic stretches (touch your toes, pull one arm across your chest etc)
2. Lay flat on your back and keep your back and head on the ground, then bring your legs up (keep them straight) about 40 cm off the ground. Hold it for 2 seconds then lower them down. Ensure your stomach is tensed when you perform the stretch, that way you will build muscle and burn the fat. Do 30 reps.
3. Lay on your back, and follow the same procedure, but instead of lifting both legs, focus on one leg at a time. Bring one leg up and crunch it against your body, hold it for 2 seconds and then switch legs - move your legs in the same motion you would to ride a bike. Do 30 reps - 15 for each leg.
4. Last but not least, the most agonising stretch you could ever imagine! Move into a plank position, hold your self up and suck your stomach in as hard as you can, while tensing your abdominal muscles. Hold it for 3 seconds,then lower your body and take a breath (1-2 seconds) and repeat. Do 30 reps.
5. Do these steps 2-3 times a day. For maximum results, follow these stretches with a 20 minute jog or 15-20 minutes on the cross trainer.
Before you start, make sure you take a before shot so you can see your improvement - let me know how it goes!
