(Natural News) So here’s the truth: Most people think that achieving their ideal weight is nothing more than a pipe dream – especially with the challenges they will face to lose just a single pound.

The challenge, of course, is staying the course of a healthy diet and exercise. For those who do, however, the rewards are nothing short of amazing: better health, improved self-confidence, and even a slimmer figure.

Then there’s belly fat. Often the last to go, it’s the bane of everyone’s existence.

If you could use a leg up to achieve your weight loss goals, reflexology is a safe and natural way to drop those extra inches – so you can finally fit again in those jeans from years ago.

Burn belly fat with reflexology

Reflexology has been widely used as a complementary therapy for various conditions, which range from headaches, sinusitis, and anxiety to chronic diseases including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.

When used together with exercise and a healthy diet, reflexology can improve organ function by stimulating “reflex points” on the ears, face, hands, and feet. It’s also a relaxing activity, thanks to reflexology’s ability to stimulate thousands of nerve endings which brings the body to a deep state of calmness.

The practice is also very similar to acupuncture: Major acupuncture points exist in the hands and feet, which are the easiest locations to stimulate the meridians. The tips of the toes and the fingers, in particular, are where the skin is thinnest, making it ideal locations for influencing energy flow in the body. These points are also linked to the brain and the nervous system. Proper stimulation of these points can help in influencing energy flow and help in healing the body.

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Massaging these points will help you relax and energize specific points in the body.

• Outside of the big toe: This stimulates the hypothalamus which governs appetite and thirst.
• Middle of the big toe: This influences the pituitary gland, responsible for hormone regulation in the body.
• Bottom of the big toe: This point is connected to the thyroid gland, which regulates metabolism.
• Ball of the foot: The point addresses both the diaphragm and solar plexus, which helps with stress relief.
• Inner edge of the soles: This helps in stimulating the adrenal glands, which helps in providing energy.
• Near the bottom of the sole: This stimulates nerves in the intestines and the colon, which reduces bloating and helps with digestion.

A few sessions with a reflexologist will allow you to start your journey toward your weight loss goals. Before starting therapy, it’s recommended to rub both feet together to prepare. After the therapy, rubbing the forefoot (the top of the foot) and the ankle bones is beneficial from improving digestive health.

Exercise is still the best way to get a flat belly

Having a flat belly isn’t just for vanity. Losing it means that a person is less likely to develop chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer – which are all linked to belly fat and a larger waistline. Indeed, you can’t go wrong with a healthy diet and reflexology, but at the end of the day, it’s physical activity that helps in burning stubborn belly fat.

“One of the biggest benefits of exercise is that you get a lot of bang for your buck on body composition,” explained Kerry Stewart, the director of clinical physiology at Johns Hopkins Medicine.

According to Men’s Health, some of the best exercises to lose belly fat include burpees, mountain climbers, medicine ball slams, and kettlebell swings. Here are just some more benefits that you can get with kettlebells.