Today over two-thirds of adult Americans are considered overweight or obese, according to the American College of Sports Medicine. Excess body fat can limit your movement and increase your risk of disease. However, carrying the weight around your midsection can be even more dangerous. Abdominal fat does not only lie below the surface of your skin but can be around your internal organs as well. A consistent exercise program can help you reduce the size of your gut.
Cardiovascular Exercise Recommendations
It is important to include cardiovascular exercise to burn calories and burn excess body fat. Perform cardio five to seven days per week to significantly impact your weight and body fat. Build up the duration until you are doing 30 to 60 minutes at each session. Keep your intensity moderate to high to burn off the most calories possible. This will also help to strengthen your heart and lungs as well as lower blood sugar to prevent cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes. You will lose fat from all over your body, including your gut.
Resistance Training Recommendations
Adding lean muscle tissue to your body will raise your metabolism and help you lower your body fat percentage. Since you cannot lose weight in just one place, perform at least one exercise for each major muscle group two to three days per week. Choose a challenging weight and do one set of eight to 12 repetitions per exercise. Focus on proper form and technique. After two to four weeks, you can add a second set of each exercise for increased benefit. Increase the weight as the exercises become easier.
Abdominal Training
Even though abdominal training will not get rid of body fat, you need to exercise these muscles to tone and tighten them in order to support your spine. Your core is resistant to fatigue and does not need as much rest as the rest of your body, so you can train your abs every day, according to Dr. Len Kravitz of the University of New Mexico. Choose five to 10 different exercises that challenge flexion, rotation and side bending. Perform one set of each and do eight to 12 repetitions, focusing on form and technique. Change the exercises every three to four weeks.
Considerations
Losing body fat can be challenging. Aim for 1 to 2 lbs. of fat loss each week to sustain the results. If you lose weight too quickly, you may lower your metabolism and end up gaining the belly fat back. In addition, for the best results, cut a moderate amount of calories from your diet -- approximately 10 to 20 percent. Combining diet with exercise will take more weight off your body.
References
- "ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription"; American College of Sports Medicine; 2010
- MayoClinic.com: Belly Fat In Men: Why Weight Loss Matters
- MayoClinic.com: Belly Fat in Women: Taking -- and Keeping -- It Off
- "Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning"; National Strength and Conditioning Association; 2008
- University of New Mexico: SuperAbs Resource Manual
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