Beat belly fat with these easy Kegel exercises

Pelvic exercises can help protect and strengthen the muscles under the uterus, bladder and bowel (large intestine). A pelvic floor muscle training exercise is actually quite simple. It is like pretending that you have to urinate and then holding it. If performed properly, with relaxed upper abdominal and typical lower abdominal co-contraction, pelvic floor exercises will aid in achieving flatter abs and getting rid of that belly pouch, says holistic health expert Dr Mickey Mehta

Make sure you do Kegels

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Have you ever wondered why we use the phrase, “Do you have guts?” That’s because gut health not only aligns functions of and balances the gut bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract (GI) but also is the spine of our metabolic health. The gut microbiota controls almost all of our lifestyle parameters, be it blood sugar, cholesterol and hypertension. The gut is the collection and distribution centre of nutrients. A huge portion of your immune system is actually in your GI tract. A well-worked out GI system is equal to a healthy body.

Therefore, pelvic floor muscle activation training plays an important role in gut health. Pelvic exercises can help protect and strengthen the muscles under the uterus, bladder and bowel (large intestine). A pelvic floor muscle training exercise is actually quite simple. It is like pretending that you have to urinate and then holding it.
If performed properly, with relaxed upper abdominal and typical lower abdominal co-contraction, pelvic floor exercises will aid in achieving flatter abs and getting rid of that belly pouch. It should not be a surprise that the abdomen and the muscles of the pelvic floor, located between the tailbone (coccyx) and the pubic bone within the pelvis, may be related given that the abdomen is situated immediately above them. Additionally, studies have shown that women with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) benefit from pelvic exercises. In summary, such exercises help in improving digestion, reducing acidity, eliminating constipation and toxins, increasing strength and giving rise to probiotics.

Pelvic floor exercise: Sit comfortably and squeeze the pelvic muscles 10 to 15 times. Breathe normally and avoid tensing your leg, bottom or stomach muscles at the same moment. When you become accustomed to performing pelvic floor exercises, try holding each squeeze for a short period of time.

Sit-ups: Lean back and lie down. Your lower body will be stabilised if you bend your legs and plant your feet firmly on the ground. Straighten your upper body towards your knees. Exhale when lifting. Return to your starting position, slowly stoop down. As you descend, inhale.

High knees: Stand with your feet about a shoulder-width apart and your arms at your sides. Look straight, open up your chest, and engage your core muscles. Bring your right knee toward your chest, slightly above the waist level. Lower your right leg and repeat with the left leg.

Crunches: Lean back and lie down. Your feet should be placed on the ground hip-width apart. Kneel down and cross your arms over your chest. Inhale while tightening your abs. Exhale and raise your upper body while maintaining a relaxed neck and head. After taking a breath, reset your posture.The same can be done by keeping your legs on a Swiss ball.

Standing cross-crunches: Bring your hands behind your head, with elbows pointing outward. Then stand up straight. Bring your left elbow down and across your body as you twirl. Raise your right knee up and across to meet your left elbow at the same moment. Go back and repeat with the other side.

Planks: Come on fours with your hands shoulder-width apart. Straighten your leg. Start with 10 seconds and then go up to one minute as per comfort.

Mountain climbers: Start in a high plank position, wrists under shoulders and core engaged so that the body forms a straight line from head to heels. Bring the right knee up towards the left elbow, then return to plank. Then bring the left knee towards the right elbow, then return to plank. Continue alternating for 30-40 seconds.

Leg raises: Lie down on your back, then raise each leg perpendicular to your body. Alternatively, you can raise both legs to 90 degrees and bring them down slowly. You can raise both legs at 45 degrees and bring them down slowly. You can even raise your legs at 30 degrees and bring them down slowly.

Kegel exercises: Start with an empty stomach and bladder, then lie down. You can even do this in a sitting position. Tighten your pelvic floor muscles and count three to five seconds. Relax the muscles and count up to three to five seconds. Repeat five to 10 times. Kegel exercises can be done with hip raises or legs folded as well.

In the end, top these exercises up with a little bit of walking and cycling.