Medical Edge: Belly fat linked with increased risk of serious health problems

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: What is it about belly fat that makes it more dangerous than fat in other places? I'm considered to be at a healthy weight. But I do have somewhat of a belly, which concerns my physician. Isn't it just a normal part of getting older?

Belly fat is more dangerous than other types of fat because it's associated with an increased risk of developing a range of serious health problems. Although belly fat can be more of a problem as we get older, it doesn't have to be part of the aging process. Regular exercise and a healthy diet can help you shed belly fat and keep you healthier as you age.

Belly fat is not the fat that lies just under the skin (subcutaneous fat). Instead, it's the fat that actually lies inside your abdomen and surrounds internal organs, such as your kidney and spleen. This is called visceral fat.

Subcutaneous fat and visceral fat are biochemically and functionally different. Visceral fat is more dangerous because it's more likely to produce substances that can damage your heart and blood vessels, and possibly interfere with your body's ability to use insulin. A large amount of belly fat can increase your risk for a number of diseases and medical conditions, including heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, some types of cancer, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and sleep apnea.

Even though the belly fat that's dangerous is located within your abdomen, there is a strong correlation between your waist size and visceral fat. For most men, the health risk factors associated with visceral fat increase with a waist size greater than 40 inches. For women, a waist measurement of 35 inches or more typically indicates an unhealthy concentration of belly fat.

A formula called the body mass index (BMI) that compares your weight to your height may also be used to help assess body fat. The drawback to that method, though, is that your total weight includes muscle and fat. BMI measures both, without distinguishing between the two. You could be very muscular and have a high BMI. But the more muscle you have, the lower your overall cardiovascular risk. So a high BMI alone doesn't automatically mean your health risks are increased. To be meaningful when assessing body fat, BMI should be used along with a comparison of your waist and hip circumference (waist-to-hip ratio), as well as your overall waist size.

Exercises For Lower Abdomen - News


Medical Edge: Belly fat linked with increased risk of serious health problems

The same techniques that work for other kinds of fat can help you get rid of excess belly fat. Eat a healthy diet, decrease your portion sizes and exercise every day. Sit-ups and other exercises targeted at your abdomen help tone your abdominal muscles



Get Into Shape With Pilates Exercises
Get Into Shape With Pilates Exercises

Pelvic Curl- This exercise engages thе abdominals, back аnd leg muscles. From neutral position, inhale а deep breath. As уou exhale engage the abdominal muscles and push yоur bellybutton dоwn towаrds yоur spine. Press уоur lower back flat agаinst thе



Embarrassing problems during pregnancy

This is a common occurrence. It happens due to the ligaments and muscles in the lower abdomen stretching to make room for baby. The kegels or pelvic muscle exercises are known to reduce this problem. Before you prescribe this for yourself,



Exercises to improve your golf game

To do the exercise, place the back of your shoulders on a flat bench with hips lower than your belly button. Using an appropriate-sized dumbbell, extend the weight overhead, using flat palms. Let it gently go behind your head but keep your hips down.



Pilates: an Exercise in Balance

Moving on the exhalation will enable greater core stability at the hardest part of the exercise, and prevents breath holding (Valsalva). 3. The 'girdle of strength': This incorporates three main areas - the back, the abdomen and the buttocks.




A good ab workout that will work my lower abs also? | ABS System

To get a real good ab workout, you need to hit the 3 main parts: the upper abs, lower abs, and those obliques(sides). To make it real basic, to work the upper abs, those are the crunches. Anything where your legs stay and your core comes up. Obliques are anything that works those sides(roman situps,etc.) And to hit the lower abs, those are exercises where you bring your legs up(leg lifts, bicycles, crunches with your legs in the air). Because you have to work to keep your legs up and it’s really hitting those lower abs.


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Exercises For Lower Abdomen - Bookshelf

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The 12- minute total-body workout

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Clinical Applications of Neuromuscular Techniques: The lower body

Do up to 10 cycles of this exercise daily. To tone lower abdominal muscles • Lie on the floor with knees bent and arms lying alongside the body. ...

Morning yoga workouts

Morning yoga workouts

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The Abs Diet, The Six-Week Plan to Flatten Your Stomach and Keep You Lean for Life

The Abs Diet, The Six-Week Plan to Flatten Your Stomach and Keep You Lean for Life

The editor-in-chief of Men's Health magazine explains how to lose up to twenty pounds and create the washboard abdomen that every man wants, offering a six-week ...

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Yoga Exercises for Lower Abdomen Video – 5min.com
Yoga Exercises for Lower Abdomen - Focus on the front of your belly in this yoga series, including the reduction of lower belly pooch.

Exercises To Flatten The Lower Abdomen | LIVESTRONG.COM
Exercises To Flatten The Lower Abdomen. The muscles of the lower abs stabilize your spine and torso. Any abdominal exercise that places your body ...

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Exercises For The Lower Abdomen Without Equipment. Lower ab definition can seem impossible to achieve. Some of this is because we store fat in our ...

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Lower Ab Exercises
The lower ab exercises and associated hints and tips that you'll find ... Performing exercises quickly is far from the best thing you can do for your lower abs. ...
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