Heredity, hormonal changes or aging may cause women to have increased abdominal fat as they grow older. Menopause tips the scale further. Unfortunately, gaining fat over the abdomen has bad health implications. Abdominal fat is worse than fat over other body areas like the hips, arms and legs.
Why abdominal fat is dangerous
As you age, your metabolism tends to slow down. As less fat is burned off, more of it slowly gets deposited in the wrong places. Menopause adds its own twist — the fat gets deposited over the abdomen. This shift in body fat distribution can escalate alarmingly if proper measures are not taken.
Too much abdominal fat increases the risk of heart disease, breast cancer, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, gallbladder problems, high blood pressure, colorectal cancer. Indians particularly suffer from an increased propensity for metabolic syndrome, which is due to insulin resistance.
Is it just ‘love handles’?
This fat is not restricted to ‘love handles’ or rolls of fat that you can grab on the front and sides of your abdomen. The treacherous fat is the fat that lies inside the abdomen. This type of fat is called visceral fat and lies inside the abdomen, surrounding the abdominal organs.
Fat located between the skin and the abdominal wall is more visible but also less likely to be a health risk. Some women experience a widening waist even without gaining any weight. Even in women of normal weight, too much fat concentrated in the midsection is unhealthy.
Get that measuring tape out
Don’t put it off. Check your waist size now. To measure your waist, run a tape measure around your midsection at about the level of your umbilicus. Breathe normally and don’t hold your tummy in. Hold the tape lightly against the skin, taking care not to press your skin in. In a woman of healthy weight, a waist measurement of 85 centimetres or more indicates an unhealthy concentration of abdominal fat. Maintaining your waist size at half your height in centimetres is an excellent health measure.
Battling the bulge
Brisk walking is the secret weapon in the battle of the bulge. Walk 30 to 45 minutes, at least five days a week. Healthy eating is your second weapon. Increase portions of complex carbohydrates such as fruits and vegetables, and reduce simple carbohydrates like rice and sugar. Drastically reduce your portion size.
Exercises for toning abdominal muscles
Abdominal hollowing
Get down on all fours. Let your tummy hang down as you take a deep breath. Let your breath out, and at the end of your exhalation, pull your navel inward and upward toward your spine. Hold for 10 seconds and then rest for 10 seconds. Work up to 10 to 15 repetitions. During each effort, your spine position should not change and you should breathe freely. You can also do this standing up.
Pelvic tilts and pelvic lifts
Lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent. Flatten your back against the floor by tightening your abdominal muscles and bending your pelvis up slightly. Hold for five to 10 seconds. Repeat five times and work up to 10 to 20 repetitions.
For pelvic lifts, lie on your back with your knees bent and your arms relaxed by your sides. Tighten your lower abdomen and lift your buttocks up off the floor, with your feet pressing down on the floor. Hold for five to 10 seconds. Repeat five times and work up to 10 to 20 repetitions.
