Attack that beer belly with exercise and the right diet

A beer belly is defined by that overhang common among some men — it derived its name from the fact that beer and other alcoholic beverages contain a lot of calories that are essentially sugars and these are stored as fat around the midsection. A sedentary lifestyle and poor food choices are also contributing factors.

How can you help your guy get rid of his?

The right diet and some key exercises are essential towards that journey, says personal trainer Lennox Richards.

Diet

• A single bottle of beer, when consumed, could contribute up to 400 calories, and other alcoholic beverages could contain several hundred more calories, which over time would build up these sugars that are stored as fat, resulting in the protruding bellies. So the first step is to cut out too much alcohol.

• If you must drink, space your drinks better, and have water in between. This will help keep you hydrated, and less likely to drink as much.

• Like alcohol, certain carbs also add belly fat. Try to cut out white foods in your diet and replace them with wholewheat or whole grains. Reducing weight overall will help reduce your gut size too.

• Portion control — cut your portions in half if you can, and incorporate more vegetables and fruits.

• Reduce your intake of high calorie foods — the chips, pizza, fried chicken and baked products that you scarf down on the regular will contribute to the added fat, so reduce your intake of these.

Exercise

These simple exercise techniques will not only help you to shed excess fat around your waistline, but will also help you to achieve a much healthier body weight.

Cardio

Whether it’s jumping rope, running, cycling, swimming, brisk walking, jogging or joining an aerobics class, or a combination of activities, aim to do at least 30 to 40 minutes three or four days per week. Cardio will get your heart pumping and you’ll drop the extra weight in no time.

Push-ups

Push-ups not only help you to get a stronger upper body, but they also strengthen your mid-section (your abdominal region). They incorporate the stabilisation of the muscles of your core, combining an upper body pushing movement with a plank. The push-up is, in fact, one of the best and most basic exercises for your mid section.

Plank

Planks, which involve maintaining a position similar to a push-up for the maximum possible time, engage muscles in the legs, arms and rear, along with the abs. It is voted as the most effective core exercise.

Bicycle crunches

This exercise, which has you going through a bicycle pedal motion, is a multi-targeted ab workout, and can be highly effective. Bicycle crunches can strengthen your lower abs and obliques.

HIIT

High-intensity interval training is a great way to burn many calories in a short time. These exercises, which as the name suggests involves short bursts of intense exercise alternated with low-intensity recovery periods, will improve heart health, increase fat loss and strengthen and tone your muscles in as little as 15 minutes of exertion per day.