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14 Healthy Ways to Tone Your Lower Belly

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medically reviewed by Dr Anju Lal

Dr Rinku Somani

Updated on October 26, 2024

Belly fat, alarming, is it? Well, there's no reason you need to reduce belly fat unless you've been instructed to do so by your healthcare specialist. 

For many people, belly fat is perfectly healthy. And it's extremely common (especially in women) to have belly fat in the lower abdomen, just below the belly button. (remember, fat is just stored energy). 

That said, we understand some people want to tone their mid-section. If that's you, keep reading for some of our favourite tips from fitness and nutrition experts.

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Tip 1: Follow the 80/20 Guideline for Nutrition vs. Exercise

It's impossible to reduce fat from specific spots in your body. However, research suggests that you can reduce lower belly fat when you reduce your overall body fat percentage.

This is done by following a diet of whole or non-processed foods that contain protein, healthy fats, and micronutrients. You'll want to ensure you eat fewer calories than you burn daily. Be careful not to overdo it and cut too many calories or do so too quickly. Doing so is unhealthy. Slow and steady weight loss is optimal for long-term success.
 

“As a nutritionist, I tell my clients that you can work your core all you want, but if your nutrition isn't 80 per cent, you will not see any results.”

-Dr Anju Lal, Health Coach Certified in Therapeutic Nutrition and Dietics

 

Dr Lal speaks to the concept generally accepted by the fitness and nutrition community: Weight loss is 80 per cent proper nutrition and 20 per cent exercise.

Tip 2: Fill Your Diet With Whole Foods

Another 80/20 rule can be applied to your diet itself. Before checking out, peek at your cart—only about 20 per cent of the contents should be in a box. 

For the most part, boxed foods, like crackers, cookies, and frozen meals, are processed and include little nutrients and excess sugar. Conversely, about 80 per cent of your cart should include real foods, such as meat, vegetables, whole grains, and fruits.

Tip 3: Cook at Home as Often as You Can

When dining out, you rarely know exactly what ingredients are included in your meals, but cooking at home gives you much more control over what you eat. If you're trying to eat a healthier diet to reduce fat, cooking at home is a big help. Another pro of eating at home? You'll most likely save a bunch of money, too.

Tip 4: Challenge Yourself to Some Planks

If you're competitive, challenge yourself to 30 days of planks. Planking is a simple but effective exercise for training your lower belly.  When you do planks, they completely focus on strngthening the core muscles like  the rectus abdominis (abs) transverse abdominis (deep abs), obliques (side abs), erector spinae (lower back) and the pelvic floor muscles. Moreover, a stronger core muscles promote better posture, reducing the appearance of a larger belly.

Be mindful to focus on consistency first, then build from there.

Tip 5: Embrace Yoga

Yoga isn't just about tranquillity and flexibility; it's a secret weapon against stubborn lower belly fat! 

Yoga turns your body into a fat-burning powerhouse by engaging core muscles, firing up your metabolism, and soothing your digestive system. Its stress-busting magic keeps pesky cortisol in check, preventing stress-induced munchies. It's not just a workout; it's a lifestyle shift towards a flatter, firmer tummy! 

Tip 6: Focus on Your Core

Everything in your body is intrinsically connected. Technically, you can't target just your lower abs with exercises or nutrition tips. What you can do is work your core from all angles. So you work not only the rectus abdominis, aka your six-pack muscles, but also your transverse abdominis ( the deep core muscles) and your obliques.
To accomplish this, work on core exercises across all planes of motion, such as side planks and C-curve exercises. Pair your core workouts with some regular cardio to burn fat.

Tip 7: Move Your Body Every Day

Daily movement is healthy and typically makes you feel better, too. Make sure to move your body in some way, shape, or form every single day, and remember that this exercise doesn't necessarily require a trip to the gym. It can be anything from walking a certain number of steps to taking the stairs instead of the elevator. If you want to burn more calories than you consume, you need to get moving at least once a day.

Tip 8: Check Your Hormones

If you struggle to lose lower belly fat, underlying hormone imbalances could play a role. 

According to Nirva Health Experts, the top two culprits behind stubborn belly fat are excess cortisol or estrogen dominance. 

Typically, hormone imbalance issues don't happen overnight. They are the result of insulin resistance, malnutrition, lack of exercise, and a high-stress lifestyle.
If you consistently work out and eat healthy but still haven't lost belly fat, too much cortisol can be a result of adrenal fatigue and cause weight gain and bloat around the lower belly.
 

Tips to Consider for Hormonal Balance:

  • Eat regularly (every three to five hours or so) and skip the fasting—the body stores more belly fat when skipping meals. This could be because the body experiences higher cortisol/stress from starvation and, as a coping mechanism, stores more belly fat (like insulation), not knowing when the next meal will come.
  • Focus on balanced meals and avoid eating protein or carbs alone. Your body uses macronutrients—protein, carbs, and fats—for optimal fuel, and skipping one can work against your metabolism.You'll also want to prioritize adding stress-reduction activities into your day. 
  • Try incorporating a daily meditation practice or yin yoga and limiting time on devices to reduce stress and calm your nervous system.

Tip 9: Prioritise Protein

Excess fat stores—particularly stubborn belly fat—can result from blood sugar imbalances. Even non-diabetics struggle with blood sugar, but many of us don't know it. 

To minimize belly fat, it's important to keep your blood sugar healthy throughout the day, making it possible by prioritizing protein.
What to do? Start consuming a palm-sized serving of high-quality protein at every meal and snack. (This is equal to three or four ounces). This could include chicken, fish, eggs, or Greek yoghurt. This will fuel your muscles for everyday activity and exercise and ensure your blood sugar stays stable without the highs and lows that cause energy crashes and inevitable belly fat accumulation.

Tip 10: Fill Up on Fibre

Fibre is important for optimal digestive health as it aids in motility and regularity, which minimize bloating, gas, and constipation.
Vegetables are a great source of fibre and should be a key component of your diet, even if you're not trying to lose belly fat. Consume 4-6 cups of vegetables each day. 

Although carbohydrates have received their fair share of 'mixed reviews' from nutrition gurus as of late, the best carbohydrate sources are chock full of fibre and offer a host of benefits to our overall physique. 

The prebiotic fibre found in oats, potatoes, quinoa, and brown rice is excellent for optimal gut health and should be incorporated into your diet regularly.

Tip 11: Cut Back on Your Alcohol Consumption

The phrase "beer belly" doesn't spring out of nowhere: Alcohol consumption can indeed contribute to belly fat. All types of alcohol, regardless of advertising, are a concentrated energy source derived from carbohydrates like grains or fruit. 

Alcohol is significantly more calorie-dense than carbs or proteins, and liquid calories are deceptive because they have lost natural food fiber, resulting in low satiety. This means you can consume a lot of calories without feeling full.

Tip 12: Skip the Sodas

Drinking sodas and sweetened beverages is like injecting sugar through a syringe. These products are what we call ultra-refined, [with] no fibre or nutrients to slow the rise of blood sugar.

Once you drink the sweetened beverage, a whole cascade of events happens fast. Insulin is released to cover these sugars, and the more insulin secreted, the more efficient the body is at storing fat. Yet another reason to keep that water bottle full.

Tip 13: Reduce Your Intake of Inflammatory Foods

The foods we consume can cause inflammation within our bodies. This can then contribute to lower belly fat.

Some foods that promote inflammation include the saturated fats in meat and dairy products, processed food, fast food, fried food, palm oil, and more. 

Saturated and trans fats damage blood vessel walls, triggering the immune response associated with inflammation. This encourages blood fats, like cholesterol, to stick and become embedded in the artery wall, leading to atherosclerosis, the underlying cause of heart disease, stroke, and even some forms of dementia. 

But we have some good news—many foods can help inhibit inflammation, such as the fats in fish oils, nuts, and flaxseed (known more formally as omega-3 fatty acids), olive oil, many fruits and vegetables, mushrooms, nuts, soy, whole grains, tea, and spices like turmeric and ginger.

To lower inflammation and reduce belly fat, focus on unprocessed foods, such as colourful fruits and vegetables, 100 per cent whole grains, nuts and seeds, legumes, fatty fish such as salmon, and low-fat milk products. Then, watch portions and exercise daily.

Tip 14: Get Your Sleep Schedule in Order

Most of us know how a poor sleep schedule can change our mood and functioning. But did you know it can also impact your waistline? 

The average adult needs about seven hours of deep restorative sleep each night, which is critical to maintaining the health of our brain, heart, immune system, mood, motivation, and energy and preventing excess belly fat.

To that belly fat point: Our bodies interpret a lack of sleep as a serious threat. For survival, many stress hormones are secreted, causing our body to conserve fat for energy, preparing for the worst because it does not know when we will get to rest from danger.

Sleep disorders can also contribute to losing sleep—and, by extension, gaining belly fat. Sleep apnea is an underdiagnosed but common serious sleep disorder related to belly fat, atrial fibrillation, heart failure, hypertension, memory loss, difficulty concentrating, cognitive decline, depression, decreased immunity, and premature ageing. 

Wrapping Up

Remember to tone your lower belly, it's a marathon, not a sprint. 

These 14 expert tips offer a holistic approach to toning your overall health, not just your belly. Each strategy plays an important role in a healthy weight loss journey. Before starting, don't forget to get a whole-body evaluation from your healthcare professional.

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