One of the biggest challenges to staying in shape is the stubborn belly fat which bulges and weighs down any and all of us who don’t maintain a regular cardio workout (or have genetically gifted physiques, a pox on you all).

The problem is two pronged, not only is belly fat downright unhealthy, it also adds insult to injury by making a loud and clear appearance whenever you walk into a room. 

The internet is flooded as are all fitness magazines with magical routines, pills, powders and schedules that guarantee to spot fix belly fat. The truth is that spot reduction of fat, be it your belly, thighs or hips is a mere absurdity.

 

Fat is lost under specific conditions such as cardio training or low fat diets from the entirety of your body. The only condition under which fat loss is localized is according to genetic make-up. 

 

'"The Real Magic" The only efficient way to lose fat for a long standing amount of time is to engage yourself in a good cardio workout at least twice a week, keeping in mind that twice a week is the bare minimum.

 

The biggest obstacle for cardio is that finding time is difficult to do, in response to that the answer is pretty simple, do you want to look good or not?

 

The second problem is that efficient cardio workouts (ie. Running) are tedious, strenuous and boring, answer to that is to pick up a sport that falls in the category of cardio sports. Not only are these sports efficient cardio workouts, they also take away the boredom of running on a treadmill for hours at a time.

 

 

 

Basketball

 

 

 

Basketball is a little difficult to pick up if you haven’t been exposed to the game at a junior level but the daunting task is made up for by burning a phenomenal amount of calories.

 

The objectives of the game are straightforward and there are plenty of manuals to refer for anyone interested in picking the game up. One further advantage is that basketball allows the freedom to play with just even one opponent even though the workout is much better in a ten-player full court game.

 

All in all basketball is one of the most engaging cardio sports available.

 

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Badminton

 

 

 

Badminton is one of the easiest games to learn to play, and suits almost anyone of any age group.

 

The workout you get is exceptional but unfortunately is dependent on the opponent you choose to engage with, if you spend most of the time picking the shuttle up chances are your workout isn’t too beneficial.

 

The skills on the other hand are fairly easy to master and on a social level require basic footwork and hand-eye co-ordination.

 

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Frisbee 

 

 

 

Before you laugh, I’m not talking about tossing the Frisbee for your dog to fetch, I’m actually talking about a fully evolved sport where the objectives are similar to that of soccer and require a fairly high amount of exertion.

 

The best part about the sport is that it’s very engaging and can be played with a small to very large group of people composed of any preferred combination. 

 

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Tap Rugby

 

 

 

Rugby isn’t the easiest game to master but on a social level all you really need is a basic grasp on strategy and the ability to catch/throw the ball before/after you run at your highest speed.

 

Needless to say the workout is phenomenal with many top level athletes opting to use tap rugby as a form of conditioning training.

 

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Squash

 

 

 

Squash is seldom played in Sri Lanka but is one of the fastest games in the world and among the most difficult to play at a competitive level.

 

The obvious advantage of the game is that Squash offers a varied workout so intense to the point that it demands overall physical exertion. A simple game of squash works on the entire body and has the added benefit of being playable even by one’s self. 

 

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Rowing

 

 

Rowing is a very efficient cardio workout which offers the added benefit of providing a heavy strength training workout and possibly a resistance training as well.

 

Once again coming with the perk of requiring few members to engage in, rowing is a good way to burn the belly fat. 

 

 

 

 

 

By Dilshan Seneratne