Burn that belly flab

In a recent poll, readers told us that their tummy was their biggest fitness concern and the place they most wanted to firm for summer. So here it is, our guide to why you have belly flab, and what you need to do to get rid of it...

The bad news: belly fat is not easy to shift... but you already knew that right? You can crunch until the cows come home, but if your six pack is sitting under a layer of fat, you've still got a layer of fat!

But after all, if it's worth having, it's worth working for, isn't it?
Why is belly fat so darn stubborn?

Fat that sits on the belly is often referred to in health circles as deep belly fat, or technically speaking 'visceral fat' which means fat that surrounds the organs in the abdomen. This fat is the most dangerous to have on any part of the body and has been linked to a number of health problems such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes .
So, a flabby belly is not just an unsightly muffin overhang to your jeans, worse it is a warning flag of potential health risk to come. And visceral fat is not just for overweight people, like cellulite it can plague slim people as well if they are unfit.
So do you have dangerous deep belly fat or just a little bit of a love handle?

Find out if the size of your belly is a sign of things to come... grab a tape measure. With a relaxed stomach, wrap the tape around your belly so that the bottom of the tape sits at the top of your hip bone. Keep the tape straight and snug, but don't let it dig into your skin. Women shouldn't be too concerned if their waist is less than 88 cm (34.5 inches) around and for the men, a waist circumference of less than 100 cm (39 inches) means you're unlikely to have problems with insulin resistance. However, anything above these figures may put you at a higher risk.

Here's something you probably didn't know - stress is a contributor to the size of your belly. And it's slightly more complicated than the old 'I just ate a packet of Tim Tams 'cos I've had a bad day'... Because the body has such great blood supply in the abdominal region, it also has more receptors for the stress hormone known as cortisol. Cortisol levels go through natural peaks and troughs throughout each day, but when you are constantly under stress they stay at the same high level, and it's at this constant that more fat is accumulated in the stomach region due to the number of receptors there.

So, does that mean that losing your ab-flab is going to take more than just exercising? In a word, yes - you also have to now look at your stress levels. Meditation, yoga, relaxing walks - whatever it is that helps you de-stress start doing it now and do it often. We have a selection of great articles on managing stress so be sure to check out our Wellness section for advice.

Supplementation can also help you deal with stress , so look at your intake of the B vitamins, and make sure you take 'good fat' supplements such as flaxseed oil or omega 3's as these help balance your metabolism, and allow your body to deal with stress more efficiently. Omega 3's also help reduce your risk of obesity, heart disease and type-2 diabetes.

OK, so let's say you have your stress under control, your diet is good - lots of fresh fruit and veggies, not so much alcohol and processed carbs, but you still have belly flab...
Let's get physical!!

Research from Duke University reveals that exercise is a more effective way to lose belly fat than diet alone, but it's the exercise type that really matters and cardiovascular exercise is the way to rid the abdomen of this visceral fat. According to Duke University researcher William Kraus, MD, "All exercise helps prevent fat gain... but to lose abdominal fat, you have to work harder." Cris Slentz, an exercise physiologist at Duke University Medical Center, has found that a brisk, 30-minute walk six times a week will only just keep visceral fat at bay, so if you already have a spare tyre then more strenuous activity is required to get rid of it. It comes as no great surprise that the researchers discovered that people who perform regular higher-intensity workouts were able to significantly lower their abdominal fat levels and lose weight relatively quickly.

Unfortunately, those that merely partook in low-intensity exercise (such as walking at an easy pace) for 30 minutes per day, five days a week did not lose any belly fat -- in fact they gained an average of 1 1/2 pounds over the course of the 8-month study!

How hard did the belly fat losers work? On a scale of 1-10 in effort, the successful losers aimed for an effort of 6 to 8. That's about what you would muster for brisk walking uphill, jogging on flat terrain, or pedaling a bike about 12 MPH.

Beginners should start with 10 to 15 minutes and slowly work their way up till they are achieving a longer exercise duration - ideally aiming for 30-45 minutes. If you are going to get serious about fighting the flab then you will need to commit to a cardiovascular regime to burn off the deep fat.

Walkers:
Take that relaxing walk up to a jog. If it helps, set yourself lamp-post goals (Jog to the next lamp-post and then power walk to the next) until you get your fitness levels up. As your fitness levels increase you could try holding light arm weights to add resistance, and increase the duration of your workouts by five minutes at a time.

Treadmillers:
If you are one of those many people that power walks on the treadmill while reading the latest gossip mag, then it's time to step it up girlfriend. Complete your warm up as usual, but after that five minutes is up you have to up the pace of your jogging. A slow thudding jogging motion is still equivalent to a walk regardless of what you try to convince yourself. And, if you can focus on the teeny little words in a magazine or book then you certainly aren't getting enough bounce in your workout to burn fat. Try using a music player loaded with your favourite music if you need a distraction. Most treadmills enable you to programme challenges into your routine such as sprint intervals or hill climbs and these are ideal for fat burning.

Joggers:
There's no denying that jogging is a pretty good all-round fat burning exercise, however there is a difference between the sight-seeing jogger and the 'my-heart-is-thudding' jogger. Be honest with yourself. If you are a sight-seer then it's time to take it up a notch. You can do this by incorporating sprints into an interval session - you might jog for four minutes, sprint for one minute and repeat several times. You can also challenge yourself by taking yourself to new terrain. Jogging a flat park is pleasant, but not as much of a fat burner as tackling a hill or a sandy beach.

Tone, tone, tone:
And in addition to cardiovascular exercise, weight-training is still going to be essential to truly tone that tum. As a guideline, you should perform three to five different types of abdominal exercises two to three days a week. Make sure you have a day of rest in-between each workout. Beginners should start by doing two sets of 10-15 repetitions of each exercise and work up to three sets of 20 repetitions.

If you're thinking you can get away with just crunches, think again. The abdominal area consists of five major muscles and they all need to be worked. The best way to work them is to incorporate a lot of variety to your exercises - it will challenge your muscles.

Safety:
It is important for your safety to ensure correct form when working your abdominal muscles. Don't pull on your neck or head - if you are doing crunches while lying down imagine there is a tennis ball between your chin and chest and maintain this gap. Keep your legs still - your abs should do all the work. Keep your belly button pulled in, and put your mind in your muscles, feel them working.

Ab exercises:
Crunch side bend combo
Target: Upper abs and obliques.
To do: Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on floor and hands behind ears. Curl up until your shoulder blades are off the floor, then bend at the waist to the left - imagine you are aiming your elbow to your toes. Straighten torso back to centre, then bend to your right. Straighten torso to start position, lower and repeat.

The bicycle
Target: Rectus abdominus and obliques
To do: Lie on your back on the floor with your fingers laced behind your head. Bring your knees in towards your chest and lift the shoulder blades off the ground. Remember, the strain is to come from your abs not your neck. Straighten your left leg to a 45-degree angle while turning your upper body to the right, bringing the left elbow towards the right knee. Switch sides and continue with a pedaling motion.

Vertical leg crunch
Target: Rectus abdominus and obliques.
To do: Lie on your back on the floor with your legs straight up and your knees crossed. With hands behind your ears, lift your shoulder blades off the floor, contracting your stomach. Slowly lower and repeat.

Long-Arm weighted crunch
Target: Upper abs
To do: Lie on your back on the floor with knees bent and feet flat on floor. Hold a light dumbbell in your hands and extend your arms straight back behind your head. Raise your shoulder blades off the floor while keeping your shoulders still and arms straight. Beginners should lose the dumbbell and just use the weight of their arms as resistance.
Perform 15 repetitions.

+ More fitness tips at Gloss

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