The trainer named the reasons for an unsuitable stomach with a healthy lifestyle

Very often, visitors to fitness halls face a problem: they go to the gym, combine strength and cardio, try to eat right - the muscles grow, but the stomach and sides remain in place. Akulina Bakhturina, head of the Teacher Training department and senior coach of the LEVITA international network of ballet and stretching studios, told Izvestia on August 26.

"We must remember that fat cannot be removed locally. The press can be strengthened, but not "burn" fat in this area by twisting. The body gets rid of fat in an individual sequence, and the belly is often the last to go. Another common reason is an abundance of stress and insufficient recovery. Even with a good workout and nutrition schedule, chronic stress and lack of sleep slow down progress. The level of cortisol increases, which is associated with the accumulation of fat in the abdominal area," she explained.

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Nutrition is also an important aspect. You can eat generally healthy food, but ignore the hidden calories in snacks, drinks, and nuts. Or overeat carbohydrates after training, lacking protein and fiber. It's even worse if you limit yourself too much, provoking regular breakdowns.

"An unobvious fact is that if the body adapts, then the weight will freeze. If you train according to the same pattern for a long time, then a plateau may occur. It is not necessary to increase the load — sometimes it is enough to change the rhythm or type of activity," the expert added.

According to her, it is necessary to start fighting the problem with dietary adjustments, but without extremes. Do not drastically reduce calories, but keep a deficit of 5-10% of the norm. You need to eat enough protein (1.5 grams per 1 kg of body weight), as well as add more vegetables and whole foods to your diet. It's important to pay attention to snacks and drinks that add extra calories but go unnoticed. You should not completely forbid yourself any products, because this will inevitably lead to a breakdown.

In addition, workouts should be moderate. Two or three strength training sessions per week and one or two cardio sessions for 20-40 minutes. Gentle fitness with stretching and yoga is also important.

"Many people forget that it is necessary to recover after sports. That is, to arrange days without sports at all. You need to try to keep stress under control. At least seven to eight hours of sleep and one hour a day without a screen, work and tasks. We need to find something that relieves tension, such as breathing, walking, socializing, and water," Bakhturina said.

In order for the stomach to become more toned, it is important not only to "burn fat", but also to stop living in overload mode. Sometimes the body keeps resources "in reserve" precisely because a person tries too hard, the expert concluded.

Earlier, on August 21, a nutritionist at Level Kitchen, a nutritionist, and an expert in the field of healthy nutrition, Tatyana Meshcheryakova, spoke about the permissibility of eating sweets and fast food with a healthy diet. She noted that it is necessary to maintain a balance of nutrients and energy, but to know the measure and take into account the total calorie content.

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