Belly fat, or visceral fat, can be dangerous for your health and seems to be a growing trend. In an article for USA Today, George Blackburn, associate director of the division of nutrition at Harvard Medical School, notes that men whose waists measure more than 40 inches and women whose waists measure more than 35 inches are at greatest risk for developing health problems. Fortunately, adding regular exercise to your routine can significantly decrease hazardous belly fat.
Cardiovascular Exercise
Cardiovascular exercise is a great way to get rid of belly fat as well as fat throughout the rest of your body. By performing cardio regularly for extended periods, you can create a caloric deficit. Over time, this deficit will result in fat loss. Running, swimming, cycling, brisk walking and group aerobics classes are all great choices that work all of the large muscle groups. Perform the same activity everyday or mix it up to prevent boredom and burnout, just make sure you're moving your body on a regular basis. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that overweight adults get at least 45 minutes of exercise per day to facilitate weight loss and prevent weight regain.
Strength Training
Strength training itself is not a huge calorie burner, but the resulting muscle mass is. Muscle is a metabolically active tissue, which means that unlike fat it requires energy simply to maintain itself. The more muscle mass you have, the higher your resting metabolic rate will be. This leads to a greater caloric deficit on a daily basis, even on days you don't work out. Opt for exercises that work multiple muscle groups at once such as a barbell squat, deadlift, lunge and shoulder press. Strength train only every other day to provide your body with adequate time to recover and repair itself. Perform two to three sets of eight to 12 repetitions of each exercise, using a challenging amount of weight.
Push Situp
Push situps primarily work your rectus abdominis muscles, which run down the center of your belly. Position yourself on an incline bench with your head at the low end and your feet secured beneath the roller pads. Begin with your back against the bench and hold a barbell or dumbbells directly above your shoulders with your arms extended. Keeping the weight positioned above your shoulders, contract your belly to lift your torso off the bench as high as possible. Carefully lower back to the starting position. Complete two sets of 10 to 20 repetitions.
Saxon Side Bend
This exercise targets the oblique muscles located on the sides of your belly. These muscles act as a girdle to hold the contents of your abdomen in place. The stronger they are, the narrower your waistline will appear. To perform a side bend, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a 1- to 5-lb. dumbbell in each hand. Extend your arms above your head, keeping a slight bend in your elbows. With your back straight, lean to the right as far as possible without twisting your torso. Pause here, then slowly return to the upright position. Repeat the bend to your left. Perform two sets of five to 10 repetitions to each side.
References
- USA Today: Belly Full of Danger
- "ACSM's Resources for the Personal Trainer", Second Edition; Nicki Anderson, et al.; 2007
- ExRx.net: Dumbbell Push Sit-up
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