Why Is My Stomach Bigger From Exercise?

Exercise is supposed to be the cure-all for belly fat, so it can be more than discouraging when you spend days or weeks sweating it out at the gym only to find your pants felt looser when you spent your extra time on the couch. Not to worry. You're still doing the right thing for your health, and your waistline, by starting a regular exercise program. In many instances, temporary expansion can be a normal precursor to a giant shift in the opposite direction. In rare cases, it could indicate you need to make some changes to your routine.

Increased Muscle

Exercise programs, especially those targeted at toning your core, build lean muscle as they burn calories. It's possible that your stomach appears larger because abdominal muscles now take up more room in your abdomen. If you gain abdominal muscle faster than you lose belly fat, you could experience a slight increase as those muscles expand. If this is the case, the increase should be slight and continued exercise will even everything out once your fat loss exceeds your muscle growth.

Inadequate Cardio

Crunches, sit-ups and other abdominal exercises build muscle but they're not effective ways to lose belly fat. You cannot lose fat in just one area with targeted exercises. You must burn calories in addition to building core strength if you want a flatter stomach. Combine strength training with at least 20 to 30 minutes per day of sweaty, heart-pumping exercise such as walking, running, swimming or dancing. The combination of the two exercises together will help even out any increase caused by muscle gain.

Weight Gain

Exercising doesn't guarantee weight loss. The only way to guarantee you'll lose weight is to regularly burn off more calories than you eat. If you haven't been monitoring your caloric intake, you could be gaining body fat from overeating. There are two ways to correct this problem. First, you can keep track of the calories you consume and make sure you aren't eating too many. Second, you can increase the amount of exercise you do to offset the increase in consumed calories. A combination of both methods may be most effective.

Fluid Retention

Fluid retention can cause your stomach to look and feel bigger. That bloat may come from gas, dehydration, the onset of your menstrual period or medical conditions that affect fluid regulation in your body. Increase your fluid intake to rule out dehydration and to flush excess water weight from your bloated tissues. See your doctor to rule out a larger problem if bloating and swelling persist.

Medical Condition

Occasionally, medical conditions such as gas, constipation, tumors, hernias and muscle injuries cause your belly to swell or look larger and more extended. Keep your doctor in the loop about changes in your body so that she can discover and treat medical conditions early. Take a pregnancy test if you've had unprotected intercourse, even if you had a period, just to be sure.