Connie Aronson is a ACSM Health & Fitness Inst .Certified, ACE Gold Certified Personal Traine, IDEA Elite PFT, at Koth Sports Physical Therapy in Ketchum
By Connie Aronson
For the Express
"Is there anyway I can get rid of this layer of fat around my belly? It really bothers me. What's the best exercise we can do to get rid of it today? "
It's not going to be what you want to hear, but there isn't a specific exercise that you can do to get rid of your abdominal fat. Not even 300 crunches a day is necessarily going to get rid of it! You see, when you start to do an abdominal crunch, your body needs immediate energy. Sherri Mcmillan, MSc, owner of NorthWest Pacific Training & Fitness, explains that there isn't a direct line from the abdominal muscle cells to the abdominal fat surrounding them. Instead, your liver plugs in and sends energy in the form of sugar or fat, to the abs. But that fat could have been sent from the fat anywhere else in your body, like your back or butt. The liver will then send it towards its final destination for usage. And stomach fat is usually the last stubborn fat to be mobilized. To top it off, as we get older, fat just naturally tends to accumulate around our middles.
Although just one exercise won't melt the fat off, a strengthening program that involves working the abdominals a variety of ways is a great way to get started toward your goal.
Strong abs help provide trunk stability so we can move efficiently. We can also breathe more deeply, increasing the supply of oxygen to our brains, which can be an effective mood elevator.
A good program includes training the abdominal muscles that we need for movement, that stabilize the spine while we bend and twist and access the muscles that pull our bellies in tight. Deep muscles inside the body, next to the spine, stabilize the spine. All these muscles working together are called our "core." Think of them as strong guy-wires.
Start with a traditional crunch. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Bring your navel toward your spine. This simple preparation for your crunch brings in the lateral abdominal muscles that brace the trunk and protect your back when you lift heavy objects. Raise your upper chest slowly off the ground, just a few inches, and count to three or four, and then return to the starting position. Perform a set of 12 repetitions.
The next exercise involves a twisting motion. Using the same position as the crunch, raise and twist your chest, bring one shoulder towards the opposite knee, for two counts. Look at your opposite elbow that is on the floor, the other shoulder only lifts enough to clear the shoulder blade. Hold for tow to three counts, and return slowly, two counts, to the start position, then repeat in the opposite direction.
Many Pilates exercises, as well as others, use a technique that emphasizes controlled motion of the trunk in order to allow the limbs to move freely. Lynn Millar, Ph.D., faculty at the American College of Sports Medicine, recommends the abdominal exercises, called abdominal hollowing. It can be done standing with your back lightly against a wall, with your feet placed 3 to 4 inches from the wall, or lying on your back. Without altering your back or rib position, contract your abs, pulling your stomach in. The goal is to hold the contraction for 60 seconds, breathing normally. Iyengar yoga also has a name for this abdominal toner: Uddiyana Bandha. Here the energy is made to move from the belly up to the head, and is practiced with 5 to 10 second holds.
Because the back muscles are often weaker than the abs, the next exercise uses the trunk muscles as a dynamic corset. Lie on your side, on your elbow and forearm and bend your knees, as in a fetal position. Simultaneously lift your hips off the floor, until you are in a stiff side plank. Hold for 6 counts, then begin again for a set of 12 repetitions. As you become stronger, you can progress to having a BOSU or foam square under the elbow, or straighten the legs out so that the feet are stacked.
The Japanese use the word "hara" to mean both the belly and the source of life energy. Sometimes it's referred to as a "powerhouse" in other disciplines. We sometimes say "follow your gut instincts, or "that takes guts" implying that our bellies shelter an inner source of strength. Whatever your reasons for wanting to address your belly, the truth is if you want to see a reduction in belly fat, you are going to have to do a combination of aerobic activity and muscle-conditioning exercises and eat a sensible healthy diet. This does take patience and commitment, but the rewards could just be nice fitting pants before you know it, just in time for the holidays. I have a gut feeling you're excited to start today!
Connie Aronson
