Want to tone your abs by summer? 4 things you need to start doing right now

Review your diet

Trainer Stephanie Mansour said that bloating and weight loss are influenced by what you eat. You won’t see results if your diet is filled with sugar, refined starches, and saturated fats.

Review your diet and add whole grains, lean protein, and plenty of healthy vegetables. These small changes can help you feel lighter in just a few weeks. It’s also important to watch portion sizes and drink plenty of water.

Reduce bloating

Bloating is often caused by certain foods or combinations that are poorly digested or promote gas formation. Here are the main culprits:

• Legumes (beans, peas, and lentils) – contain oligosaccharides that are difficult to digest
• Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage) – contain complex carbohydrates
• Dairy products (milk, cheese, ice cream) – if you are lactose intolerant
• Carbonated drinks – contain carbon dioxide
• Fatty foods – slow down digestion, cause heaviness
• Baked goods (especially white flour) – may cause fermentation in the intestines
• Artificial sweeteners (sorbitol, mannitol) – often found in dietary products
• Onions, garlic – contain fructans that cause gas

How to avoid bloating:

• Eat slowly – swallowing air while eating contributes to bloating
• Avoid overeating
• Drink still water, especially between meals
• Reduce the amount of heavy or fatty foods
• Regular physical activity – helps bowel function
• Try probiotics – restore gut microbiota

If you suspect a particular food causes bloating or indigestion, eliminate it for a week and assess how you feel.

Adjust your exercise routine for fat loss

Once you've assessed your diet, it's time to review your exercise routine. If you’re currently focused mainly on cardio, it’s time to add some strength training.

Building and maintaining muscle mass is important for everyone to retain strength and mobility with age. But if you're overweight, combining full-body strength training with cardio is the best plan for overall fat loss.

A sample workout plan for weight loss might look like this:

• Monday – long walk
• Tuesday – strength training
• Wednesday – HIIT workout
• Thursday – strength training
• Friday – bike ride
• Saturday – strength training
• Sunday – long walk

Do a core workout daily

One thing you can add to your daily routine is abdominal exercises.

The large muscles of the arms and legs need at least one day of rest between strength training sessions to recover, but the smaller core muscles can be trained every day.

You may be interested in:

• 6 evening exercises that relax the body better than a massage
• Top 5 common home workout mistakes that nullify all efforts

This material is for informational purposes only and should not be used for medical diagnosis or self-treatment. Our goal is to provide readers with accurate information about symptoms, causes, and methods of detecting diseases. RBС-Ukraine is not responsible for any diagnoses that readers may make based on materials from the resource. We do not recommend self-treatment and advise consulting a doctor in case of any health concerns.