Expert's opinion
The article is a subjective view on this topic written by writers specializing in medical writing.
It may reflect on a personal journey surrounding struggles with an illness or medical condition, involve product comparisons, diet considerations, or other health-related opinions.
Although the view is entirely that of the writer, it is based on academic experiences and scientific research they have conducted; it is fact-checked by a team of degreed medical experts, and validated by sources attached to the article.
The numbers in parenthesis (1,2,3) will take you to clickable links to related scientific papers.
7 Morning Workouts To Lose Belly Fat 2024: What You Should & Shouldn’t
It’s no secret that losing belly fat can be an utterly frustrating process. You can try all there is to try, but it almost feels like that annoying belly fat is here to stay. While we don’t necessarily advocate for a get-slim-quick solution, there are a few scientifically proven morning hacks you can try each morning for better results.
Implementing these strategies the right way will go a long way in helping you shred some of that belly fat in the quickest and healthiest way possible. These five fat-burning pills may also have a similar effect.
7 Morning Hacks For A Flat Belly: Do’s and Don’ts
You are dead wrong if you always thought that it’s always the conventional means that help you lose belly weight faster. The following are some of the best morning hacks to trim that belly and restore your slim figure in no time:
- Drink warm water on an empty stomach
- Sip on a hot cup of tea
- Get up in good time
- Clear your mind and just relax
- Do NOT skip breakfast
- DO NOT include salt in your breakfast
- Perform some light belly workouts
Morning Workouts To Lose Belly Fat With 7 Simple Tips
Drink Warm Water On An Empty Stomach
Most of us are accustomed to starting our days with heavy breakfasts in the form of bacon, eggs, bread, cereals, and other starchy foods. What you may not know is that these foods are the biggest contributors to your ever-growing belly fat.
In that respect, recent studies[1] reveal that sugary foods often lead to high levels of liver fat. That’s why you need nothing more than healthy drinks or a simple cup of water when you wake up each morning with an empty stomach.
Keep in mind that staying hydrated is a crucial strategy for seamless weight loss. Drinking a cup of water before indulging in the first meal of the day helps to suppress your appetite. You’ll find yourself eating limited and healthier portions.
If you’re not accustomed to drinking water in the morning, try using a reusable water bottle for the first two weeks or so.
Sip On Some Hot Organic Coffee
Black coffee has always been known as a healthy weight-loss companion[2]. When consumed in moderation and without too many sweeteners, coffee is great for your abdominal health.
Coffee bursts with nutrients such as magnesium, antioxidants, potassium, and niacin. These are essential in improving your digestive health, boosting better heart functions, and supporting muscle health.
Coffee also has caffeine, which helps to boost metabolism, improve energy balance, and promote the burning of belly fat. Caffeine improves your basal metabolic rate (BMR) as well. BMR refers to the speed at which you burn calories as you sleep at night.
Organic black coffee contains a significantly low-calorie deficit. It has no more than five calories per serving which helps suppress your appetite and makes you more mindful of the kinds of food you consume. Coffee gives off a feeling of satiation that prevents you from consuming heavy foods in the morning.
While it’s tempting to add sugar and milk, you need to keep your coffee as low-calorie as possible.
Get Up In Good Time
According to a 2013 study[3], short sleep time is often associated with a boost in food intake. Abnormal eating behaviors of this kind play a considerable role in abdominal fat development.
It’s recommended to sleep for at least 8 hours per night. When your body doesn’t get enough rest, your cortisol levels (the stress hormone) gradually increase and urge you to put something in your stomach. Cortisol also communicates to your body that it needs to store more fat.
What’s more, you need to do away with anything that might be affecting your quality of sleep. It could be your devices (phone, tablet, laptop), alcohol, noisy pets, and so on. If possible, try taking a shower before bed. Quality sleep will help trigger your body’s thermostat and get rid of that beer belly since you’ll have to do away with alcohol.
Taking a cold shower[4] at night will help you sleep faster and keep you relaxed and lower your cortisol levels.
Sip On Chamomile And Ginger Tea
If you don’t do coffee, chamomile, and ginger tea are worthy alternatives. Brewing either of these in the morning helps you unwind and relax. They keep you in a clear state of mind that significantly lowers the production of the stress hormone.
Both ginger and chamomile are also preferred beverages for supporting belly loss by enhancing better digestion.
When combined with lemon, ginger, or chamomile, detox tea has varieties of benefits[5]. These magical concoctions melt your belly fat and cleanse your body. Lemons are rich sources of oxidants and Vitamin C. Their high acidity helps digestion and keeps your liver safe from fat accumulation.
Ginger helps lower blood sugar levels, which further affects your ability to eat healthily and lose weight.
Chamomile tea, on the other hand, is a rich source of potassium and calcium. Chamomile flushes out toxins and helps to relax your stomach. All of these reduce your appetite, thereby enabling you to burn fat by eating less than usual.
DO NOT Skip Breakfast
If you’re trying to lose weight by going without the most important meal of the day, you’re only making things worse. Based on new research[6], you have a higher chance of increasing your visceral fat if you constantly skip breakfast.
The study further concluded that having a healthy breakfast in the morning lowered the risk of belly fat accumulation. A fat-free, sugar-free breakfast also reduces your risk of life-threatening conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and obesity.
In the study[7], 347 people between the ages of 18 to 87 were assembled. Each of them had the same height and weight. The study concluded that 26 percent of the participants gained weight after infrequent breakfast consumption, while 10.9 percent maintained their weight.
It’s worth noting that breakfast should not be an optional meal. Keep your morning meals consistent and healthy. From there, you can expect a drastic change in your belly fat efforts.
DO NOT Include Salt In Your Breakfast
Too much sodium in your body isn’t the best thing, especially if you’re trying to burn belly fat. Salt is not only bad for your health, but it also increases your chances of developing high blood pressure[8]. High blood pressure also increases your risk of heart disease or stroke.
Most of us eat processed foods in the form of cereals that have high percentages of dietary sodium (slightly more than 70%). You’d do well to consume healthier alternatives such as quinoa, muesli, chia pudding, and so on.
If it’s necessary for you to buy cereals for one reason or another, pay attention to the nutrition facts label to determine the level of sodium in the product. Maybe you don’t do cereals, but you do eggs and bacon instead. For these, ensure that you put minimal amounts of salt or do without it entirely.
Perform Some Light Belly Exercises
The sooner you incorporate belly workouts into your morning routine, the sooner you can cut down on your belly fat.
Take note, however, that belly fat exercises are only practical once you decide to limit your calorie intake. Take in calories that your body can burn without storing a considerable chunk of it in the form of visceral fat.
For this, you’ll need to maintain a balanced diet and morning exercise for a flat tummy more than usual. Here are a few straightforward workouts to help you melt your belly fat faster:
- Vertical leg exercises
- Walking
- Crunches
- Cycling
- Zumba
Vertical Leg Exercises
Daily leg raises are great for the obliques and your abs as well. This form of exercise helps to build stronger abs, burn belly fat, boost strength and stability, and also tone your body.
Vertical leg raises isolate your rectus abdominis muscle completely, thereby toning your stomach and giving it better form. Accomplish a full vertical leg exercise by lying down on your back and placing your palms below your hips.
Gradually raise your legs at a 90-degree position. All the while, your knees should be straight, and your feet should be toward the ceiling. Hold that position, then lower your legs as you exhale. Do this for as long as you like every morning.
Walking
Walking to the bathroom and back to bed doesn’t count as exercise. Get into your workout gear, step out, and take a 30-minute walk. Regular walks backed by a balanced diet do wonders, especially if you’re really keen on shedding that extra belly fat.
Walking also makes you more alert and gives you the rare opportunity to soak in some Vitamin D. The rate at which you choose to walk is entirely up to you. Just make sure you keep your heart rate up and pause for regular breaks if need be.
Walking is a relatively simple physical activity that yields optimal results in regard to fat-burning when done consistently.
Crunches
Crunches are among the best morning exercises to lose belly fat. They’re pretty fun to do, and they put more emphasis on your stomach’s core muscles compared to any other abdominal exercise. Crunches help to melt excess belly fat while building your abs at the same time.
Get into position by lying flat down on your mat. Keep your knees bent and your feet flat on the mat. Lift both of your hands, then place them under your head (or cross them on your chest). Gently lift your torso and lie down again. Repeat the process about 15 times.
Cycling
If you cycle to work every day, you’re on the right track to melting away all that belly fat. Cycling increases your heart rate and burns a higher number of calories than lighter exercises.
Aside from losing fat in your abdominal area, cycling also helps you lose fat around your waist and thighs. It’s honestly a better alternative to walking. It puts pressure on your abdominals, your back, and your core muscles.
By the end of your cycling session, you’ll be in the best of moods since cycling also triggers the release of endorphins and adrenaline. These are key in alleviating depression and preventing stress.
Zumba
And finally, try cardio exercises such as Zumba. You’ve probably heard of it before. Zumba is a fun physical activity that literally anyone can do. They’re high-intensity and capable of transforming your figure in the shortest time, provided you do it every morning.
Zumba aids in restoring cardiovascular fitness, lowering blood sugar/cholesterol levels, and also melting belly fat fast. Experts advise you to do Zumba for approximately 2.5 to 5 hours every week, based on the intensity at which you do it.
The more you do Zumba, the more you learn new dance moves. This fun exercise targets all points of your body and helps a great deal in diminishing your belly fat in the subtlest way possible.
Before joining a Zumba class, however, consult your physician, especially if you have a health condition that could hinder your progress.
Final Thoughts
Good things take time. Despite being labeled as ‘hacks,’ everything on this list requires a reasonable level of commitment and consistency. Once you decide to make a healthier lifestyle, there’s simply no going back.
Shedding belly fat is never an easy process. Regardless, you need to keep a clear mind and practice patience. Do all the above subconsciously without expecting a positive change in the near future.
When you least expect it, you’ll notice a positive change in your waist area, and you’ll find the motivation you need to keep going!
+ 8 sources
Health Canal avoids using tertiary references. We have strict sourcing guidelines and rely on peer-reviewed studies, academic researches from medical associations and institutions. To ensure the accuracy of articles in Health Canal, you can read more about the editorial process here
- Schwarz, J.-M., Noworolski, S.M., Wen, M.J., Dyachenko, A., Prior, J.L., Weinberg, M.E., Herraiz, L.A., Tai, V.W., Bergeron, N., Bersot, T.P., Rao, M.N., Schambelan, M. and Mulligan, K. (2015). Effect of a High-Fructose Weight-Maintaining Diet on Lipogenesis and Liver Fat. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, [online] 100(6), pp.2434–2442. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25825943/
- Tabrizi, R., Saneei, P., Lankarani, K.B., Akbari, M., Kolahdooz, F., Esmaillzadeh, A., Nadi-Ravandi, S., Mazoochi, M. and Asemi, Z. (2018). The effects of caffeine intake on weight loss: a systematic review and dos-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, [online] 59(16), pp.2688–2696. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30335479/
- St-Onge, M.-P. (2013). The Role of Sleep Duration in the Regulation of Energy Balance: Effects on Energy Intakes and Expenditure. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, [online] 09(01), pp.73–80. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23319909/
- Buijze, G.A., Sierevelt, I.N., van der Heijden, B.C.J.M., Dijkgraaf, M.G. and Frings-Dresen, M.H.W. (2016). The Effect of Cold Showering on Health and Work: A Randomized Controlled Trial. PLOS ONE, [online] 11(9), p.e0161749. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5025014/
- Miraj, S. and Alesaeidi, S. (2016). A systematic review study of therapeutic effects of Matricaria recuitta chamomile (chamomile). Electronic physician, [online] 8(9), pp.3024–3031. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5074766/
- Sievert, K., Hussain, S.M., Page, M.J., Wang, Y., Hughes, H.J., Malek, M. and Cicuttini, F.M. (2019). Effect of breakfast on weight and energy intake: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. BMJ, [online] p.l42. Available at: https://www.bmj.com/content/364/bmj.l42
- Ferrer-Cascales, R., Sánchez-SanSegundo, M., Ruiz-Robledillo, N., Albaladejo-Blázquez, N., Laguna-Pérez, A. and Zaragoza-Martí, A. (2018). Eat or Skip Breakfast? The Important Role of Breakfast Quality for Health-Related Quality of Life, Stress and Depression in Spanish Adolescents. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, [online] 15(8), p.1781. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6121474/
- Grillo, Salvi, Coruzzi, Salvi and Parati (2019). Sodium Intake and Hypertension. Nutrients, [online] 11(9), p.1970. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6770596/