Excess fat in the belly is to blame for a lowered self-esteem and a number of health problems. According to the Harvard Medical School, abdominal fat, known as visceral fat, increases the risk for insulin resistance and high cholesterol. From an anatomical standpoint, excess abdominal fat also increases the chances of lower back pain. This disrupts daily movement patterns and can potentially lead to a trip to the doctor.
Reason for Pain
The lower back contains an intricate network of muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones. When you have good posture, a lean stomach and strong core muscles, which help stabilize the spine, you reduce your chances of back pain. Belly fat, however, causes stress on the lower back due to its weight. When you constantly have excess weight in the front of your body, it causes your back muscles to work overtime and you also have a tendency to develop poor posture. All these factors create a favorable environment for back pain.
Calorie Reduction
The goal with excess belly fat is to promote a caloric deficit to lose weight. When you deprive yourself of calories, your body will turn to stored fat from all locations for energy. This in turn will reduce your belly fat and back pain in one fell swoop. A good rule of thumb is to cut back by 500 to 1,000 calories a day. This reduction will promote 1 to 2 lbs. of weight loss a week. Select foods that have a low-energy density. A low-energy-density food contains a lot of volume but not a lot of calories. Base your diet around fruits, vegetables, lean meats, low-fat dairy, whole grains and beans.
Exercise for Weight Loss
Spot reduction is the idea that you can lose weight in one area by doing a single exercise repeatedly. When it comes to belly fat, for example, people are often fooled into believing that multiple sets of crunches performed daily will shed the weight. This is entirely false. Exercise is an important part of the belly fat weight-loss plan, but not how you might imagine. The best approach is to incorporate both weight training and cardio in your regimen. Cardiovascular exercise, such as running, brisk walking and elliptical training, burns calories efficiently while you do it. Weight training builds muscle, which increases your metabolism when you are at rest. Target all your major muscles when doing weight training to gain a maximum amount of muscle fiber. As far as cardio goes, exercise long enough to reap weight-loss benefits. This can take 60 to 90 minutes of training performed five days a week, notes the American College of Sports Medicine.
Core Strength Exercises
The core is the area that runs from just under the shoulders to the pelvis on the front and back of the body. Strengthening the muscles in this area as you lose weight will help give more support to your spine and further reduce lower back pain. Include exercises like crunches, planks, pelvic tilts, back extensions and bird dogs. Bird dogs work the lower back and abs simultaneously and they are performed from an all-fours position. Line your hands up under your shoulders and position your knees under your hips. Steadily raise your right arm and left leg out so they form a straight line and hold for a second. Slowly lower your limbs, repeat on the other side and continue to alternate back and forth.
Notes to Consider
Before you start any new workout program or make alterations to your diet, discuss it with your doctor. This is the case especially if you are on any type of heart medications or have range-of-motion issues. Your doctor might also prescribe a pain-relieving medication depending on the severity of your backache.
References
- The Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide: Abdominal Fat and What to Do About It
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Low-Energy Dense Foods and Weight Management: Cutting Calories While Controlling Hunger
- Amerian Council on Exercise; Why Is the Concept of Spot Reduction Considered a Myth?
- American College of Sports Medicine: Physical Activity and Public Health Guidelines
- American Council on Exercise: Bird-Dog
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