Whether you call it a beer gut, spare tire, pot belly or paunch, abdominal fat is unsightly. More than displeasing to look at, abdominal fat can be dangerous and can signal certain health conditions. Although it is sometimes difficult to target certain areas of excess fat on the body through exercise, some exercises will strengthen abdominal muscles and decrease your stomach and waist measurements. However, aerobic exercise helps decrease fat everywhere on the body, including the waist and stomach.
Abdominal Fat
That extra fat around your middle comes with additional health risks. According to the American Council on Fitness, for every 1-inch increase in waist size for men, blood pressure increases by 10 percent and cholesterol by 8 percent; HDL, or good cholesterol, decreases by 15 percent; and triglycerides and risk of metabolic syndrome both increase by 18 percent. For women, excess abdominal fat increases the risk of breast cancer and need for gallbladder surgery. To measure your waist, place a tape measure around your bare abdomen just above the hipbone and pull it snugly around you, making sure it is level all the way around. Relax, exhale and measure your waist. For men, a waist size larger than 40 inches increases risk; for women it is 35 inches.
Belly Exercises
To tighten and tone belly muscles, try the hula hoop, stomach crunch and holding in your belly muscles. A hula hoop is a round plastic tube with a hole in the middle. Spending 10 minutes a day twirling the hoop around your waist helps burn fat there. You can break your routine into smaller units of time of two-minute intervals while watching TV or listening to music. For the stomach crunch, lie on your back with knees facing the ceiling. Put your hands behind your head, take a deep breath and tighten your stomach muscles. Slowly rise up a few inches off the ground, using your stomach to pull you up. Repeat 10 times, break and do two more sets of 10. The nonsurgical tummy tuck is this: breathe in and hold your belly in as long as possible. Do anytime all day long to tighten muscles.
Get Moving
Whether it is standing, pacing or walking, any movement of your body instead of sitting helps burn calories. Both cardiovascular exercise and strength training on a regular basis are necessary for increasing metabolism and burning fat all over your body. American Council on Exercise reports higher intensity exercise has been shown to be more effective at reducing the amount of stomach fat than either low or moderate-intensity exercise, but high-intensity exercise does come with risks. Check with your doctor before beginning any exercise program, but especially an intense one.
Other Help
Reducing your caloric intake is a necessary component of permanent weight loss. Try increasing your intake of fruits, vegetables and whole grains while decreasing sugar, junk food and alcohol. Reduce stress in your life because it creates hormonal conditions that favor the storing of abdominal fat. Talk with a trusted friend or seek counseling, exercise regularly to let off steam, get plenty of good-quality sleep, and stay away from people and situations that drain your energy, advises ACE.
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