What’s the secret to looking younger, being healthier and having more energy? A small waist improves your looks and cuts your risk of diabetes. Find out how and learn 5 fun belly-blasting moves. Plus, test your diabetes IQ with our quiz…
Plain and simple, your belly fat is getting in the way of a fuller, healthier life.
Ab flab has been linked to depression in women. And it increases the risk of heart disease and diabetes.
True, excess weight any place in the body is bad for your health, so why concentrate on belly fat? It’s harmful because it tends to settle around vital organs (like the liver) and block the body’s ability to use insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar levels.
But there’s good news: A 2009 study by the University of Illinois showed that moderate exercise — about 30-45 minutes a day — improved insulin sensitivity, cut down on liver fat and reduced inflammation in the belly — even without changes in diet.
Exercise also reduces the size of abdominal fat cells just under the skin, another risk factor for diabetes.
So get moving today! It’ll improve your health, not to mention your love life.
The History of Belly Fat
Since prehistoric times, men and women have sized up potential mates based on their waist-to-hip ratio, says Dr. Mehmet Oz, co-author of You: On a Diet (Free Press) and You: Being Beautiful (Free Press).
A protruding abdomen on a woman signaled that she was pregnant (and off the market) or infertile because of a hormonal imbalance. Either way, belly fat was a sign that she wouldn’t be an ideal mate.
In men, a large abdomen suggested low testosterone levels. It's because excess belly fat converts testosterone to estrogen, which can lower sex drive, Oz says.
Bottom line: We’re programmed to respond to mates based on their body’s reproductive potential. So shedding belly fat is good not only for your health and confidence but also for your love life.
Measure Your Belly Fat
To find out if your belly fat poses health problems, first calculate your waist circumference.
Grab a tape measure and follow these steps:
Wrap the tape measure around your waist at your belly button.
Write down that measurement.
Next, determine the optimal measurement for your height by dividing your height in inches by two. For example, if you're 5'4" (64 inches), then your ideal waist circumference is 32 inches.
Generally, women's waists should measure 32.5 inches; men's 37 inches.
Having even a slightly larger waist can make a big difference: Every two extra inches around your waist can lower lifespan by up to 17%, according to The New England Journal of Medicine.
Reducing waist circumference is “the single most obvious thing we can do that reverses chronic illness in this country," Oz says.
Now that you’ve measured your belly fat, it’s time to lose it!
Try these 5 workouts to trim and tone your abs muscles:
Scissor Kicks
This fast-paced move will strengthen your lower abs and inner thighs.
Step 1: Lie on your back with your legs extended. Place your hands flat on the ground with palms down, wedging them under your butt slightly to create leverage.
Step 2: Raise your feet about a foot off the ground. Kick your feet back and forth from side-to-side, imitating the movement of scissors. Focus on your lower abdomen as you complete 12-15 reps. (Be sure to breathe steadily throughout the workout.)
Step 3: Rest for 15-30 seconds.
Step 4: Repeat the set three times.
Weighted Oblique Twist
Here’s a great move to work the muscles that run along your sides, from your lower ribs down.
The weighted oblique twist will strengthen your obliques, which in turn will help fortify your core and lower back, improve your posture and help prevent injury from any bending or twisting movement.
Step 1: Sit on the ball, holding a dumbbell just under your chin. Walk your feet forward until your hips are slightly lower than your chest. Keep your abs tight and chin up. Turn to one side to begin the exercise.
Step 2: Slowly twist your torso to the other side through a count of 10.
Step 3: Hold and squeeze for 2 seconds at the maximum tension point.
Step 4: Then twist to the other side through a count of 10 seconds.
Step 5: Repeat three times without resting.
Side Plank
This move will strengthen your abdominals, back and shoulders. Be sure to breathe normally as you perform it.
It’ll test your balance skills, but most importantly, it will stabilize your torso, helping you do simple tasks, such as lifting items and opening doors. Doing side planks will also improve your performance in any sport.
Step 1: Lie on your side with your legs extended and left arm resting in front of you. Prop up your upper body with your right forearm against the floor.
Step 2: Exhale as you lift your hips off the floor, balancing your body weight on your right forearm and outer edge of your right foot.
Step 3: Hold for 30 seconds.
Step 4: Switch sides and repeat for a total of 4 reps.
Flat Lifts
This move will tone and trim your abs as well as strengthen your back and pelvis.
Step 1: Lie on your back, extend your legs and suspend your feet just above the floor. Rest your arms at your sides with palms against the floor.
Step 2: Exhale and tighten your abdomen as you lift both legs, creating a 45-degree angle between your legs and the floor.
Note: Don’t allow your lower back to arch away from the floor.
Step 3: Continue to breathe normally as you hold the move for 5 seconds.
Step 4: Lower your legs to the floor.
Step 5: Rest for 20 seconds and repeat three times, for 4 repetitions total.
Oblique V-Up
The Oblique V-Up will strengthen your lower ab muscles. Give it a try!
Step 1: Lie on your side with your legs extended and left arm resting in front of you. Prop up your upper body with your right forearm against the floor.
Step 2: Raise your legs, keeping them together, about four to six inches off the ground. But don't raise your upper body to meet the movement. Focus on your obliques as you raise the legs.
Step 3: Hold for 15-30 seconds.
Step 4: Switch sides and repeat for 4 reps total.
Want more? Meet Jorge Cruise.
How Much Do You Know about Diabetes?
In the United States alone, 23.6 million people have diabetes. And 5.6 million of them don’t even know it. Unfortunately, misinformation about diabetes is rampant – and mixing up the facts about this disease can have dire consequences.
More from Jorge Cruise
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