Subcutaneous fat, the fat that you can feel and grab, lies between your skin and abdominal walls. When this fat accumulates, it becomes loose and flabby, which causes stomach rolls to appear. Not only are stomach rolls unsightly, they increase your risks of developing preventable diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease and some cancers. You cannot eliminate this fat by simply exercising your abdominal area. However, you can slim your waistline by making dietary changes and by performing exercises that will shed weight throughout your body.
High-Intensity Aerobics
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High-intensity aerobic training will burn both visceral fat, which is stored within your abdominal cavity, and the subcutaneous fat that surrounds your abdominal walls. Aerobic exercises can decrease your overall weight when performed regularly, causing your stomach rolls to slowly disappear. Harvard Health Publications suggests performing 30 to 60 minutes of cardiovascular exercises daily to lose weight. Brisk walking, swimming, cycling, jogging and skating are moderate to high-intensity aerobic activities that will help you to shed visceral and subcutaneous stomach fat.
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Stair Climbing
According to Nutrihealth.com, climbing stairs burns an average of 75 calories within 15 to 20 minutes. Stair climbers have a high aerobic capacity, which can help you achieve your desired body weight quickly. However, climbing the stairs outside of your home, inside of a tall building or at an outdoor stadium provides cardiovascular benefits as well. Climb stairs for 30 minutes three times each week to not only shed pounds, but also to drastically reduce your risk of developing diseases associated with having excess stomach fat.
Interval Training
Alternating between high and low-intensity workouts increases endurance. This allows you to perform aerobic exercises for longer time periods, thus raising your body's potential to burn stomach fat. According to "The New York Times," a study conducted in the Journal of Applied Psychology determined that two weeks of interval training doubles endurance and limits exhaustion. Choose a cardiovascular exercise, such as running, and alternate between high-intensity and low-intensity movements. Run at a fast pace for five minutes, and jog for two minutes, repeating this process until you run for at least 30 minutes at least three times weekly.
Circuit Training
According to "Fitness" magazine, circuit training allows individuals to burn 30 percent more calories than regular aerobic training. During circuit training, you switch from one high-intensity movement to another high-intensity movement for a set period of time. Circuit training often combines strength building and cardiovascular exercises. For your strength training exercise, choose an activity that works your abdominal muscles. Switch between abdominal exercises, such as crunches, and high-impact cardiovascular movements, such as jumping jacks to shed pounds while toning your abdominal muscles.
- Harvard Health Publications: Abdominal Fat And What To Do About It
- Ace Fitness: Why Is The Concept Of Spot Reduction Considered A Myth?
- Shapefit.com: Aerobics Exercises -- Aerobic Cardiovascular Training
- NutriHealth: Climb Stairs -- Lose Weight
- The New York Times: A Healthy Mix Of Rest And Motion; Peter Jaret
- FitnessMagazine.com: Circut Training Workout -- Burn 30 Percent More Calories