eMedicineLive

Anyone who wants to lose weight knows that belly fat is the easiest to put on but the most difficult to lose. It is a stubborn fat deposition which is so dangerous for health but just refuses to go away. However, scientists have just found our best bet to lose belly fat. According to a study done in Duke University Medical Center, the researchers found that aerobic exercise is better to lose belly fat as compared to resistance training as well as a combination of resistance training and aerobic exercise.

 

The study followed 196 obese and sedentary individuals between the ages of 18 and 70 years over a period of 8 months. During this period, they were randomly divided into three groups and were made to do aerobic exercises, resistance training and 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. According to Duke exercise physiologist, Cris Slentz, Ph.D., and the lead author of the study, the results were most remarkable with aerobic training. Burning of fat ultimately boils down to the amount of exercise a person gets and the amount of calories he burns. Working out at a low intensity simply means more time to burn the same amount of unhealthy fat.

 

As per Slentz, the location of fat deposition in the body is more important than the amount of fat. Belly fat is believed to be the most dangerous as it is not confined to just under the skin. Rather, it is located deep within the abdominal cavity and fills the spaces between internal organs. Also called the liver or visceral fat, it increases the risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, and certain kinds of cancer. Aerobic exercise is beneficial in burning this fat. It also improves fasting insulin resistance, and reducing liver enzymes and fasting triglyceride levels which are known risk factors for diabetes and heart disease.

 

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