The best way to burn belly fat is through aerobic exercise

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The best way to burn belly fat is through aerobic exercise | Mail Online

Wasting time with weights? The best way to burn belly fat is through aerobic exercise
By Jessica Satherley

Last updated at 12:56 PM on 30th August 2011

Breaking a sweat with weights in an effort for the perfect six pack might be a waste of time.

As a new study has found that the best way to burn belly fat is through aerobic exercise.

When researchers monitored people who did aerobics for eight months, compared to those who did just weight lifting, the former group lost almost 20 times as much fat around their stomachs.

The aerobics group lost around 2.5 square inches of belly fat, and a group that combined both aerobic and weight lifting lost only 1.5 square inches.

Researcher Cris Slentz at Duke University in North Carolina, USA, who undertook the study, said: ‘Resistance training is great for improving strength and increasing lean body mass.

But aerobic exercise is better for losing belly fat because it burns more calories.’

The study also concluded that those who combined weight lifting and aerobics didn’t see any further health benefits than those who only did aerobic, in terms of insulin resistance and liver fat, Live Science reported.

The researchers therefore found that aerobic exercise alone is more beneficial for obese and overweight individuals.

Researchers defined ‘belly fat’ as visceral fat, which is found deep in the stomach that surrounds the internal organs, as opposed to subcutaneous fat that is found underneath the skin.

Visceral fat poses more of a threat to health, as it lies closer to the organs and is associated with diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.

The study at Duke University, which will be published in the American Journal of Physiology Endocrinology and Metabolism, looked at 196 overweight, sedentary adults between the ages of 18 and 70, who were divided into the three exercise groups.

Mr Slentz added: ‘When it comes to increased health risks, where fat is deposited in the body is more important than how much fat you have.

‘What really counts is how much exercise you do, how many miles you walk and how many calories you burn.

‘If you choose to walk at a lower aerobic intensity, it will simply take longer to burn the same amount of unhealthy fat.’


Read more: The best way to burn belly fat is through aerobic exercise | Mail Online

[Ela]

Thank you for posting this. It makes sense and just very timely article for me as I did lose weight but unfortunately mostly not in the right places.

[NickP]

IMHO - I don't agree. While exercise and moving are beneficial, too much cardio adds stress to the body. A HIT strength work out is probably the best form of exercise.

These are the same people that promote "calories in, calories out" for weight loss. This philosophy has failed miserably for us.....

[hamish]

Reduce the fat you're eating or join slimming world. I did and I have lost 60 lb in 14 weeks. And my waist has gone from 42 inches to 34. Exercise has helped this as well however. Exercise on it's own was not working at all!

[Ela]

Reduce the fat? And eat what? I mean - this is a diabetic forum after all.

[sumi]

Hmmmm, how do you lose a square inch of fat??

[MCS]

The extent of aerobic exercise I do is walking about 2-4 miles a day. I have lost 60lbs in 5 yrs most of it with in the last 2 yrs. Diet change, and resistant starch I feel have been the biggest asset in reducing my belly fat. Hey I got abs now.

[hamish]

Reduce the fat? And eat what? I mean - this is a diabetic forum after all.

Perhaps we're talking at cross purposes then. I'm type 1 and have been since age 5. Clearly type 2 is a different kettle of fish.

[NickP]

Reduce the fat you're eating or join slimming world. I did and I have lost 60 lb in 14 weeks. And my waist has gone from 42 inches to 34. Exercise has helped this as well however. Exercise on it's own was not working at all!

Hey Hamish,

I have lost over fifty pounds on a Low Carb-High Fat diet. I eat all the fat I can get my hands on (I try to eat 70% of my calories from fat).

Have you read Dr Bernstein's Book - Diabetes Solution? - He is also a Type 1, and recommends a very low carb diet.

Congrats on your weight loss. Everyone is different.

A low fat diet did not work for me, I was hungry all the time. When I went to a LCHF diet, I am never hungry and my body is now using Fat for fuel instead of Glucose. It is a great diet!

[Caravaggio]

[QUOTE=NickP;706292]IMHO - I don't agree. While exercise and moving are beneficial, too much cardio adds stress to the body. A HIT strength work out is probably the best form of exercise.
QUOTE]

Too much cardio - I think that the key here is "too much". As in many things, too much of anything is not good and will likely result in harmful stress. The other side of the coin is "too little/few". The question of course is what is too much or too little/few, but that's for each individual to decide for himself as what is too much for one may be too little for another.

As for the study, I don't find it personally enlightening as I have always believed in a combination of cardio and strength training. For me, cardio and strength training should go together as they serve different functions. But what's more important is just doing what one likes to do, and listening to one's body. These days too few people know how to sensibly listen to their own bodies.

[hamish]

Thanks Nick. When you say too much cardio puts stress on your body, what sort of cardio are you talking about? If someone is fit then that statement would seem odd. If they're not then may be not so odd!

[HelenM]

The Mail article misses out the amount of exercise done

The eight-month study followed 196 overweight, sedentary adults (ages 18-70) who were randomized to one of three groups: aerobic training; resistance training or a combination of the two. The aerobic group performed exercises equivalent to 12 miles of jogging per week at 80% maximum heart rate. The resistance group performed three sets of 8 - 12 repetitions three times per week. All programs were closely supervised and monitored to ensure maximum effort in participation.

also

Aerobic exercise also did a better job than resistance training at improving fasting insulin resistance, and reducing liver enzymes and fasting triglyceride levels. All are known risk factors for diabetes and heart disease.

.

Burn Belly Fat With Aerobic Exercise
The researcher goes on to say that he thinks that more moderate exercise will have the same effect, but would take longer. For me I think that 12 miles is almost a maintenance level.
I put on fat and get a visibly larger stomach after a couple of weeks of doing less than about 12 miles running a week. (3 runs of 4 miles) . My insulin resistance also increases , and I have higher fasting levels (actually this starts rising after about 3 days without some substantial exercise) . I also start to need more bolus insulin for meals.
Conversely, If I get above 20 miles a week (or add extra activities like a days hiking or cycle ride to the basic 3x4 miles a week) then unless I eat more I lose weight quite quickly, I get a flatter stomach and I have to cut my insulin considerably.

[Mich]

"The best way to burn belly fat is through aerobic exercise"

Arrrgh! I knew someone would find that out some day.

[DeusXM]

Reduce the fat? And eat what? I mean - this is a diabetic forum after all.

Well, here's the point. If you are dieting to lose weight, then generally, you'll be eating less. So I'm not really sure you 'need' to replace the fat. You just carry on with what you were eating before, but with less fat.

And you're absolutely right this is a 'diabetic' forum. The problem is, despite the valiant efforts of a small, vocal minority with their own agenda to say otherwise, there are multiple routes to a healthy diet with diabetes. Discussing cutting down fat on a 'diabetic' forum is not necessarily bad advice. Hamish has obviously found cutting down fat works for him; Nick has found the opposite has worked for him. Both approaches are valid and they both should be congratulated on finding ways that have helped them reduce their weight and improve their health.

[hamish]

Very well worded, and thanks. If it works, it works, if it doesn't try something else! ;-)