Somatic Exercises for Belly Fat Loss 

If you want to lose belly fat, somatic exercises may not be the first thing that comes to mind, but they can be very helpful. These exercises include things such as progressive muscle relaxation, yoga and Pilates, martial arts, dancing, and even walking (5).

These types of exercises are more focused on things such as movement repatterning, emotional release, and helping the body deal with any physical trauma it has experienced (5). 

Somatic exercises focus on the mind-body connection and repairing the body at a deeper level than typical exercises. 

While somatic exercises may not specifically target belly fat or help you sculpt your abdominal muscles, they promote a healthy body and encourage positive movement patterns that may make it easier for you to complete exercises that will target belly fat. 

Losing weight and belly fat is just as much a mental journey as it is a physical one, and somatic exercises can significantly improve your mentality. They can also help improve your emotional and psychological well-being, which may result in making you feel more motivated to engage in physical activity in general. 

What Are the Benefits of Somatic Exercises?

Engaging in somatic therapies and exercises such as yoga is a great way to use a body-centered practice to help connect what you’re experiencing in life to physical movement. 

Somatic exercise can be a matter of moving your own body through activities such as dance or having your body physically manipulated by an experienced professional. Moving your body in the right way can repair, heal, and encourage the development of new skills and movement capabilities (5).

These changes can both restore and support your body and a strong body and mind can better handle intense exercise.

Stress Relief

Taking the time to focus on exercises that help the mind and body connect can be a great way to relieve stress. When engaging in somatic exercise, you’ll encourage your body to engage in movements that are slow and gentle while encouraging mobility (6). These exercises may seem simple, but they can get your heart rate up while encouraging the release of tension throughout your body (2).

Somatic exercise also encourages mindfulness, which helps you tap into your inner self, and mindfulness can help you lower levels of anxiety and stress.

If you tend to use food as a coping mechanism and you eat to relieve stress and anxiety symptoms, you may find that utilizing another outlet such as somatic exercise can help you lose belly fat. This is because you’ll likely start eating less as you move your body more and reduce stress through that movement. 

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Pain Relief

One of the main ways somatic exercises can help relieve pain is by improving body awareness. It helps you be more in touch with your body and aware of what is comfortable for your body and what is too much. 

As somatic exercises can also help relieve tension within your body and make movement easier, you’ll likely also feel more comfortable when doing other exercises. By combining both somatic exercises and traditional exercises you may burn more calories, which may result in losing belly fat. 

By introducing your body to exercise from a somatic approach, you’re also more likely to reduce your risk of injury so you can stay healthy and engage in regular physical activity, leading to a higher caloric burn (3).

Improved Flexibility and Balance

Many somatic exercises require the ability to engage in slow and controlled movements. Completing movements like this regularly can improve core strength and improve your postural awareness. 

While a stronger core doesn’t necessarily mean you will lose body fight, it does mean you’ll be more capable of engaging in activities that require core strength. If you’re interested in running to lose belly fat, a strong core and increased body awareness can improve running mechanics and make it easier to run pain-free. 

Do Somatic Exercises Help You Lose Belly Fat?

Doing somatic exercises is unlikely to directly contribute to losing belly fat, but there are many other benefits that can improve your ability to lose fat. Generally, somatic exercise may encourage you to stay consistent with your fitness routine and feel more confident, which may motivate you to keep up your hard work. 

When you feel strong and happy, it tends to be easier to get off the couch and do a workout. Somatic exercises can contribute to a reduction in stress, which will likely improve your mood and motivation to move your body and burn more calories. 

If you’re always feeling stressed, then it’s likely that you have high levels of the stress hormone known as cortisol. Research has shown that high levels of cortisol can result in an accumulation of abdominal fat (3).

That being said, If you engage in somatic exercise regularly, you may see your stress level decrease and your cortisol levels and belly fat may also reduce (4). This is due to the positive impact somatic exercise has on both your physical and mental well-being. 

Read more: Somatic Healing Techniques: A Holistic Approach to Physical and Emotional Recovery

Which Exercise Burns the Most Belly Fat?

As far as somatic exercises go, there aren’t any that will directly burn belly fat. However, engaging in yoga, Pilates, and dance activities for extended and regular periods of time will increase your caloric burn and may result in a caloric deficit (1). Ultimately, a caloric deficit can contribute to the loss of belly fat. 

Unfortunately, there is no one specific exercise you can do to burn belly fat. The best way to burn belly fat is by combining a variety of styles of workouts, following a healthy diet, and reducing your stress levels. 

A combination of somatic exercises, High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), cardio, and strength training may help you lose belly fat due to the impact these things have on calorie burn and mental well-being (1). 

Does Somatic Exercise Really Work?

Doing somatic exercise is a great way to improve your health using a holistic approach. When added into your weekly routine along with other healthy practices you can expect to see positive results in many areas of your life. 

Somatic exercises may improve your health by:

• Helping you feel less stressed
• Improving movement patterns and releasing tension, resulting in pain reduction
• Improving your ability to feel comfortable in your body 

These are just a few of the positive impacts somatic exercises can have on your life. All these things can also encourage you to move your body more often and in a purposeful way, resulting in a plethora of long-lasting health benefits. 

The indirect benefits of somatic exercise work to improve your life and fitness habits. 

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The Bottom Line

Doing somatic exercises can be a great way to get more in touch with your body, increase core strength, and improve your mental wellness and stress levels. 

You’ve learned about 3 ways that somatic exercise may improve your health and the reasons you may see an improvement in your health and wellness after incorporating somatic exercise into your routine. 

Although somatic exercise cannot directly target belly fat, reducing stress, being more comfortable in your body, changing your diet, and moving your body more consistently can improve your chances of losing belly fat. Luckily, somatic exercises can improve these other areas of your life by improving your mental health and physical state. 

If you want to lose belly fat, incorporating somatic exercise is an excellent way to improve your mindset and reduce pain before you get started on your health and fitness journey.