30-Minute Exercise to Battle Winter Belly Bloat
While winter can have its good moments, it often can lead to poorer nutrition and lower activity levels. Between the cold, the shorter days, and the holiday gatherings, many of us find that we are forced to battle bloated stomachs all winter long. The sedentary winter lifestyle and rich food can lead to weight gain and a slowed-down digestive system so that your belly traps water and fat, leading to a bloated look. This exercise is perfect for brushing off the winter funk and fighting that bloat. Plus, it’s a quick workout that is perfect for your living room so that you don’t have to venture outside to start keeping your NYE resolutions.
The moves:
Planks: Planks are probably one of the most-dreaded exercises because of how tough they are but that burn you get in your abs when you do these? That’s because they’re super effective! Planks activate your abs instantly so that you get your money’s worth. Simply lay on the floor and prop yourself up on your forearms and toes. Hold the plank for at least 30 seconds before giving yourself a rest; repeat.
Burpees: The first step in getting your belly back is to get your digestive system moving and cardio helps with that. Since cardio is an absolute necessity for this workout and since this is at-home friendly (so you don’t have to go run outside or at the gym), burpees are the perfect option. Tough and fast enough to get your blood pumping while still activating your abs, these are worth a little pain. In swift movements: bend over and put your hands on the floor while bending your knees, jump your feet back straight into a planking position, hop your feet back up, and stand.
Bridges: Bridges are another exercise that activates your core but also works your glutes for a little bonus. Lay on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-distance apart. Lay your arms down along your sides with your palms flat on the floor and lift your hips up to create a straight line with your torso. We recommend holding that position for at least 30 seconds but, if you prefer movement rather than endurance, you can slowly lower your hips back to about an inch above the floor and raise them again several times during your bridge.
Scissors: If you’re looking for a great core exercise that doesn’t require you to hold yourself up on your arms, scissors are the answer. You get to lie on your back but don’t let that fool you; this move can bring the burn just as much as any of the others in this exercise routine. Lie on your back with your hands under your lower back/glutes for support. Extend your legs straight out, point your toe, and lift them off the ground about an inch. From there, lift one leg slowly into the air and then back down; repeat with the other leg.
Mountain Climbers: Mountain climbers can be a bit of a challenging workout as well. The movement associated with this move can help get your digestive tract moving like cardio can but it also majorly activates those abs. Start on the floor in push-up position. Instead of doing a push-up, lift one knee upward toward your chest in a straight motion and then extend it back; repeat with the other leg. You can do this move slow to help build tension in your muscles or you can speed it up for a bit more cardio.
The Workout Routine: each set is 15 minutes – we recommend 2 sets for a 30-minute workout
- Planks: two 30-second planks with 15 seconds of rest after each one
- Burpees: 90 seconds of burpees followed by a 30-second rest; repeat once
- Bridges: two one-minute bridges with 15 seconds of rest after each one
- Scissors: 30 seconds of scissors followed by a 10-second rest; repeat twice
Mountain Climbers: two 45-second rounds of mountain climbers a 15-second break between