Can You Do Ab Exercises Even When Your Stomach Isn't Flat & You're Doing Cardio?

If you have a bit of a spare tire of fat around your midsection that you're trying to reduce through regular cardio sessions, don't be discouraged about the prospect of adding ab exercises to your workout regimen. Even if you won't see the signs of your efforts until you burn off your excess fat, you're boosting your overall health in several ways.

  1. Cardio Exercises

    • Cardio exercises, also known as aerobic exercises, are an effective way to burn calories to help you lose fat around your stomach and throughout your body. This type of exercise is ideal because it encompasses a wide variety of activities, including walking, running, in-line skating, jogging, cross-country skiing and jumping rope. A single cardio workout can help you burn several hundred calories to work toward the calorie deficit required to experience fat loss. Aim to get at least 300 minutes of cardio per week to help you lose weight.

    Muscle Strengthening

    • A cardio workout might be the focal point of your fitness regimen if you wish to lose weight, but muscle-strengthening exercises, including those that strengthen your abs, are a vital component of any workout. Incorporate at least two days of muscle-strengthening exercises in your workout, and focus on all of your major muscle groups, not just your abs. By working all of your major muscles, you'll help keep your body in symmetry. Building muscle also forces your body to burn more calories, which contributes to fat loss.

    Ab Exercises

    • Switching your ab exercises is an effective way to keep your workouts interesting and avoid the monotony that comes with repeatedly performing the same exercise. According to the American Council on Exercise, the bicycle exercise, in which you lie on your back and pedal your feet in the air, generates the most activity in your abs. Other effective ab-building exercises to consider include vertical leg crunches, traditional crunches, ab wheel rollouts and front planks. Incorporate as many ab exercises as desired into your workout.

    Core Exercise Benefits

    • It might feel pointless to strengthen your abs if you still can't see them beneath your stomach fat, but building your abs does far more for your body than improving your appearance. Harvard Medical School notes a strong core helps you accomplish a wide variety of daily movements, including turning and bending. Strong core muscles can lessen low-back pain, improve your balance and help you have a more upright posture.