Flat stomach without exercise: These 6 routines will get you there

While exercise is beneficial for weight loss, small everyday habits can also contribute to a slimmer figure. We'll give you six tips for a flat stomach.

Whether you simply want to feel better in your own skin or achieve another goal with your body image, a flat stomach can make a big difference.

Anyone longing for a firmer midsection should follow these six tips to reach their goal quickly.

1. Reduce stress and lose weight

According to a study published in Psychosomatic Medicine, abdominal fat contains four times as many cortisol receptors, i.e., fat-promoting stress hormones, as subcutaneous fat. This fat sits directly under the skin.

This means that if you are under a lot of stress, fat tends to accumulate in your abdomen faster than in other parts of your body.

Stress not only harms your waistline but also has many other effects on the body.

Therefore, always stay happy and relaxed: exercise regularly, meditate during stressful periods, and surround yourself with people who make you laugh.

2. Prevent cravings

The optimal distribution of carbohydrates, protein, and fat in your daily total calories should be 50:30:20. This can help control hunger, satiety, belly fat, and weight.

If your basal metabolic rate – the calories your body burns daily at rest – combined with your physical activity, is, for example, 1,800 calories, you should consume 900 of those calories from good carbs (vegetables, fruit, beans, and whole grains).

The optimal distribution of carbohydrates, protein, and fat in your daily total calories should be 50:30:20. This can help control hunger, satiety, belly fat, and weight.

If your basal metabolic rate – the calories your body burns daily at rest – combined with your physical activity, is, for example, 1,800 calories, you should consume 900 of those calories from good carbs (vegetables, fruit, beans, and whole grains).

3. Focus on strength training

A study of more than 10,000 people, published in the journal Obesity, found that building muscle is an important factor for a flat stomach.

Subjects who added 25 minutes of strength training to their individual training routine gained significantly less weight around their waist over a period of 12 years than those who did the same amount of cardio exercise.

4. Dietary fiber for a feeling of fullness

Another study, also published in the journal Obesity, showed that belly fat increases less quickly when special attention is paid to fiber intake.

To find out, the researchers increased participants' daily soluble fiber intake by 10 grams. The result: The rate at which abdominal fat accumulates within five years decreased by 4 percent.

The reason: Fiber slows down digestion and helps you feel full for longer. You can get the extra 10 grams, for example, from half an avocado, 3/4 cup of black beans, 3/4 cup of oatmeal, and a red apple.

5. Listen to your body

To lose belly fat, you should pay close attention to your body and your hunger cues. Imagine a hunger scale where 1 is extremely hungry, and 10 is too full to move. Always stop eating when you reach a seven to avoid gaining extra weight.

You'll be hungry again in three to four hours. With an intake of 400 to 500 calories at each meal, you should be able to stay full for that period.

6. Ensure you get enough sleep.

According to a study published in the journal Sleep, sleeping 6 to 7 hours each night can help prevent your stomach from being burdened with excess weight.

Study participants who slept for five hours or less, or eight hours or more, had higher levels of abdominal fat (as well as an increased risk of type 2 diabetes) than those who slept for six to seven hours.

However, the negative effects were much more noticeable in short sleepers: over five years, they gained almost twice as many centimeters around their waist as long sleepers.

Researchers suspect that "extreme" sleep patterns, i.e., too much or too little sleep, influence the feeling of hunger and the hormonal balance, thereby disrupting the calorie balance.

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