Are sit-ups really instrumental in reducing belly fat?

Contrary to what most people would like to believe, sit-ups do not help reduce belly fat. However, it does help in making the stomach look flatter and more toned, giving it the appearance of a slimmed-down waist.

Spot weight reduction is a myth and the fact that one particular exercise can singlehandedly help you reduce weight in a specific area is a fallacy. No matter what exercise you do, you are bound to lose weight from all over the body and not just in a specific location.

Thus, to lose weight from your belly you need to have an exercise regime that focuses on overall weight loss. Besides that, you also need to engage in certain physical activities that will help you tone down the muscles of the area.

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How many sit-ups a day to burn belly fat?

If you combine sit-ups with other exercises, you can easily lose weight from all over your body (Image via freepik)

As mentioned already, sit-ups alone cannot help you reduce belly fat. However, they may help you to tone down your muscles in the area, which may sometimes look like you are reducing weight around your stomach.

If you are someone who is starting off on your fitness journey, you can initially start with 20 to 30 per day and then slowly increase the number based on your convenience. Couple it up with a few other exercises that can help you to lose overall fat from your body.

A few exercises that can help you lose weight around your belly and other places in your body include crunches, planks, mountain climbers, jumping jacks, burpees, lunges, leg raises, and jumping jacks. You can either make these exercises a part of your daily routine or you can perform them based on your requirements and convenience.

However, just doing these exercises won't necessarily bear the desired results. You also have to couple it up with a calorie-deficit diet that will allow you to lose the extra fat faster.

Besides this, you also need to maintain a healthy lifestyle, that will allow your body to go through these periods of extreme training without it being completely exhausted and worn out.

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How to perform a sit- up?

To perform a sit-up, you need to first lie flat on your stomach (Image via freepik)

Some people tend to get confused between sit-ups and crunches, however, the way the two are performed, is a bit different.

To perform a sit-up first, take a yoga mat and lie flat on your back. After that, raise your legs and bend them at a 90-degree angle. Now keeping your core tight raise yourself from the sleeping position onto a sitting position. Return back to your initial pose after that.

Repeat this 20 to 30 times if you are just starting off, and then slowly increase the number as the days go by.

If you want to increase the difficulty level of the same, you can do all of this by keeping weights on your stomach or in your hands while you do the exercise.

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What are some of the benefits of performing sit-ups?

Sit-ups can help you improve your posture in the long run (Image via freepik)

Given its wide range of benefits, it is a good decision to include sit-ups in your exercise routine.

It helps you lose fat: When combined with a range of other exercises, sit-ups can help you lose weight from all over your body.

It helps you to develop core strength: The exercise requires you to keep your core tight while performing it. This results in strengthening your core in the longer run.

Improves posture: Performing this exercise can help you improve your posture in the long run.

Improves your flexibility: Since the exercise requires you to actively change positions while lying on your back, it contributes towards your flexibility to a great extent.

Can help with back pain: Performing the exercise more regularly can help with your back pain.

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Therefore, to sum it up, sit-ups alone cannot lead to weight loss. But, when you combine it with other exercises it is bound to eventually lead to overall weight loss.