A jiggly belly is a physical flaw many people wish they could replace with a flawless six-pack. Unfortunately, it is impossible to exercise away excess abdominal fat without considerable changes to your diet, fitness and weight. To trim your middle, it is necessary to reduce body fat in all areas of the body by combining regular exercise with a nutritious diet. Although it takes effort, shedding pounds and improving fitness benefits your health in the long term.
Abdominal Obesity
An excess of fat in the abdominal region that is disproportionate to the distribution of fat in the rest of the body is called abdominal obesity and is a serious risk factor for a number of diseases including diabetes, hypertension and dyslipidemia. Along with the traditional body mass index or BMI calculation, the National Institutes of Health recommends measuring your waist circumference to determine whether you have abdominal obesity. Use a measuring tape to measure your waist circumference at the level of your navel. A circumference above 40 inches for a man or 35 inches for a woman indicates high risk.
Spot Training
Unfortunately, it is impossible to trim only your waist without overall weight loss. When you perform crunches, situps and other core exercises, you strengthen the abdominal muscles. However, those muscles are still covered by a layer of subcutaneous fat which only shrinks with weight loss. The amount of time it takes to shrink your belly fat depends on several variables including your activity level and diet.
Safe Weight Loss
For most overweight individuals, it is safe to plan on a 1- to 2-lb. loss each week. At this rate, you can lose up to 8 lbs. a month, some of which will be abdominal fat. To achieve this goal, commit to calorie reduction and regular exercise. Examine your current diet and exercise habits. Focus on how many calories you consume each day and how often you exercise. By taking an honest inventory of your health habits, you to find ways to improve your diet, ramp up your fitness routine and achieve your goal of a shrinking waistline.
Getting Started
Aim for at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise such as walking, running or cycling most days of the week. On nonconsecutive days, include weight training in your fitness routine. Don't forget core exercises that tone your midsection as you shed pounds. Improve your diet with small changes such as snacking on fresh fruit and vegetables and cutting out fast food meals. Consult your physician before beginning a diet and exercise program, particularly if you are already overweight and at risk due to abdominal obesity.
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