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Top 5 Ways to Burn Stubborn Belly Fat

Do you have belly fat that doesn’t seem to be going anywhere? Do you want to get rid of it? I CAN’T HEAR YOU 👂… Do YOU want to get rid of it?!

Ok then! We’re going to flip that stubborn belly fat on its head!

It’s time to get serious about small changes you can make that have a BIG impact on that belly.

It’s also important to remember that toning up your belly involves taking care of your body with nutrition, fitness and mental well-being.

There is no easy solution, or magic 8 ball. If there were, we’d all be out of a job ;), but with hard work, community support and commitment, you’ll see the results you want.

First, let’s start off with the basics. There are two types of belly fat (as if 1 kind wasn’t bad enough!) and it’s important to be able to distinguish between them:

  1. Visceral Fat: it’s known as a “deep” fat that’s stored further underneath the skin than “subcutaneous” belly fat. It’s a form of gel-like fat that’s actually wrapped around major organs, including the liver, pancreas and kidneys.
  2. Subcutaneous Fat: known as the ‘pinchable’ stuff, it hibernates just beneath your skin and you can grasp it with your fingers.

So, how do you know if you should be concerned or not? According to Harvard Women’s Health Watch and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, if you are a woman and your waist measures 35 inches or larger, you are at risk for health problems from visceral fat.

No matter your waist size, you ARE more than just a number. It’s important to make changes in negative habits or routines now, to protect you in the future.

With that in mind, we’ve put together 5 tips to help you trim down, boost up and live a happier, more mindful life.

1. Relaxation Techniques

You hear it all the time, for good reason. Yoga, meditation, baths, breathing exercises, etc. help lower the stress hormone cortisol. Consistently high levels of cortisol can lead to weight gain, inflammation and cravings.

2. Sleep

Say it, live it, breath it: I need 8 hours of good sleep every night. Sleep has a huge impact on every aspect of your daily life. Short sleep durations is one of the strongest risk factors for obesity. It’s also linked to lack of motivation, poor immune system, a bigger appetite and lack of attention. All of these factors play a part on fat storage in your body and on your belly.

3. WTF (What The Fiber)

Deprivation typically leads to failure, so why deprive yourself when you can indulge? Plan to get 35-40g of fiber a day. Fiber makes you feel full, making you less likely to reach for highly processed, low nutrient value foods. Fiber also helps control cravings and with a decrease of sugars and processed foods, you’ll be minimizing your amount of visceral fat.

4. HIIT

High intensity training (ahem, #kaiafit) is known as the belly fat blaster. Working out with high intensity intervals—short periods of time where your heart rate really gets up there and you find yourself panting through your mouth and needing recovery —shakes up your metabolism and forces your
body to go into sugar and fat stores to find the necessary energy to not only get through the interval, but also for several hours following the workout. In other words, in order for your body to come back to its normal place (“homeostasis”), it requires extra time and extra oxygen which leads to extra fat burn. It’s that simple.

5. Abs? Yes Please

If you’re working on reducing your visceral &/or subcutaneous fat, all of the above are key. While strictly doing sit-ups or other abdominal exercises aren’t burning that intra-abdominal fat, they will help you tone up your midline while you’re getting good sleep, eating more fiber and doing your HIIT workouts. Plus, a strong core supports better posture, lessens the likelihood of injury, and overall makes you feel pretty badass.

Have any questions or comments? We would love to hear from you! Email us kaia@kaiafit.com or leave us a comment
below!

XOXO, Coach Angela

MEET COACH ANGELA:

Coach Angela is our Head of Franchise Support and Development on the Corporate team AND an amazing Kaia FIT Coach. Angela began as a certified trainer, quickly moved up the ranks to an elite Kaia coach. She then owned Kaia FIT Boulder, before deciding to join the Corporate team full-time to provide education for our coaches and owners, to help them take their businesses to another level.

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Kaia Tri is a ten-week triathlon training program with workouts three times a week, which is an optional extra during our spring and summer CORE sessions. We swim, bike, and run, with some cross-training classes too. By being able to set a personal pace, our triathlon training program is suited to beginners tackling their first race and intermediate athletes looking to improve their finish time.

Our mock triathlons run several times to familiarize women with the course route. We finish the season with a Triathlon Training Camp which includes paddle boarding and power workouts. The next day is our exhilarating and fun Triathlon race day for all Kaia Tri women to enjoy working out in a beautiful location. Friends are welcome too!

SANDBAG

Kaia Sandbag combines traditional fitness with unconventional training methods. With sandbags, the weight shifts and moves in an unpredictable fashion. This piece of equipment is integrated into our conditioning & strength building workouts to simultaneously develop strength, power, endurance, mobility, and balance – with an additional emphasis on developing overall core strength and stability.

New to sandbag training? No problem! Beginners are always welcome.

TRX SUSPENSION 

TRX® Suspension Training® body-weight exercise simultaneously develops strength, power, endurance, mobility, durability, balance, flexibility, and core stability. Whether you’re younger or older, out of shape or a pro athlete, injured or at the top of your game, TRX Suspension Training meets you where you are and takes you where you want to go. TRX Suspension Training leverages gravity and the user’s body weight to enable hundreds of exercises that can be instantly scaled for any user to reach any fitness or training goal. The easily-scalable nature of TRX Suspension Training makes it a practical solution wherever you are on the fitness continuum.

Need a little extra boost to keep your body guessing? Our TRX/Cardio class is an excellent complement to any Kaia FIT session. TRX workouts, which can be used by anyone at any level, builds true functional strength and improves flexibility, balance and core stability all at once. Mixed with cardio, the classes give every member the perfect balance of challenge and success.

*TRX classes not available in all areas. Please contact us your local studio.

CROSS-TRAINING

Our trademark Kaia Cross-Training™ classes are a unique mix of cardio, functional movement, and both weighted and non-weighted exercises.

Cross-Training benefits:

Each day brings a new workout. We have an elite group of advanced coaches who infuse each workout with their own flair and focus, meaning you’re never going to repeat a workout, avoid burn-out, and fitness plateaus.

Keeping the body guessing is key to sculpting lean muscle mass. We also have a 3-part modification foundation: Balance (non-impact); Strength (mid-impact) and Kaia (high impact). Each exercise has its own progression so that everyone can feel successful.

As a part of our program, we also offer nutritional guidance to help you make healthy food choices and keep your fitness on track.

What are you waiting for? Join us today!

BARRE

Our barre-based class is a unique combination of postures inspired by ballet, yoga, Pilates and Kaia. Using the barre as a prop to balance, you’ll complete a series of isometric holds combined with high reps of small range movements to elongate and tone your major muscle groups.

In addition to the barre, classes incorporate pilates balls, yoga blocks, and/or resistance bands for increased endurance, challenge and focus. Following each set of holds, you’ll rest and recovery with a short series of stretches and poses to increase flexibility prior to advancing.
Kaia Barre is a low-impact class that perfectly complements our program offerings. Meet us at the barre and try your first class for free!

Participating locations may vary. See the schedule page for more details.

DANCE 

Our dance fitness class is rooted in traditional dance. We use those foundational moves and offer a class that is easy enough for beginners yet challenging enough for the more seasoned dancer. The simplicity of the routines allows you to keep moving with ease. Although this is a workout, it feels more like a dance party with your girlfriends.

RUNNING 

Improve your speed, skill, endurance, stamina, and strength with our Kaia running program. The program works on developing running skills that can increase speed, endurance, and overall fitness. The program is designed for you to run at your pace and and help you see improvements every step of the way.

The Kaia training is a simple, progressive program designed for women of all ages and all fitness levels. Whether you are a walker, jogger, or runner, you will be able to join this program and move at your own pace. Research has shown that even 20 to 30 minutes of running (two to three times per week) is enough to help you lose or maintain weight and improve many other important health markers, i.e. your cholesterol, blood pressure and insulin response.

Don’t be intimidated by the Kaia Run program name, each class will have walkers, joggers and runners. Keep in mind that the first mile is the hardest mile you will ever run. Once you get off the starting block, things only get easier. All you have to do is be patient and disciplined in your training, and that is where Kaia

POWER YOGA

Kaia Yoga combines mind and body with a power yoga and core-strengthening weekly workout with Pilates-style techniques. We focus on balance, strength, and cardiovascular fitness through stretching, strength training and dynamic movement to improve overall fitness levels.

By creating long, lean muscles, Yoga promotes improved coordination, greater flexibility and a fuller range of motion, with a strong body that’s less prone to injury. Yoga keeps the mind centered and reduces stress through positive thoughts and a sense of mindfulness, which also inspires mental strength and confidence.

Yin Yoga, or restorative yoga, is a quiet contemplative practice. It targets the deepest tissues of the body, our connective tissues – ligaments, joints, bones, and the deep fascia networks of the body. Poses are held for 1 minute or more and transitions between poses are gentle and slow. This class is an excellent compliment to our other classes, provides dedicated stretching, and is known to reduce stress and anxiety.

6-WEEK BRIK BOOTCAMP

Our BRIK Bootcamp sessions are offered three times a year and are designed to help you reach your health and fitness potential, and you’re welcome to start anytime!

Our BRIK Bootcamps are six weeks long and feature classes daily.* This programming fits in seamlessly with our regularly scheduled classes, and it’s as easy as 1-2-3:

  1. Register for BRIK Bootcamp HERE (included for Platinum & Gold Memberships)
  2. Book your classes through our branded app and Show Up
  3. Let our expert coaches do the rest!

These sessions offer great results in weight and body fat loss and an increase in strength and cardiovascular endurance. Our nutritional support will boost energy, help you de-bloat, increase sleep quality, and enhance your overall glow.

BRIK Bootcamp includes:

In between BRIK Bootcamp, we offer a variety of classes to meet you at your level! We also have nutrition and fitness challenges, in addition to fun opportunities to spice up your routine. What are you waiting for? Join us today!

CYCLE

Cardio based, calorie torching workout with certified spin instructors. It’s a party on a bike!

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