Encouraging Health

Not surprisingly, how big around you are at the waist is a good indicator of whether you have too much belly fat.

Although measurements that compare your hip and waist circumference (waist-to-hip ratio) or compare your height and weight (body mass index) are more precise and can be useful for research, your waist size alone can give you a pretty good idea of how much belly fat you have.

For most men, the risk factors for heart disease and other diseases increase with a waist size over 40 inches (102 centimeters).

To accurately measure your waist:

Place a tape measure around your bare abdomen just above your hipbone.
The tape measure should be snug — but not so tight it pushes into your skin.
Check to make sure the tape measure is level all the way around.
Relax, and measure your waist after you breathe out — no sucking in your belly!

What role does exercise play in losing belly fat?

To lose weight — and keep it off — you have to get regular exercise. This means doing something active most days of the week. Most people need at least 30 minutes a day of moderate exercise to stay healthy. But to shed the pounds in the first place, you may need longer periods of activity.

Aerobic exercise such as bicycling, swimming or strenuous yardwork — the kind of exercise that gets you breathing hard and gets your heart rate up — is the best kind of exercise to burn fat.

One great way to get regular aerobic exercise is to walk. Using a pedometer, a simple device that measures how many steps you take, can help you make sure you’re getting enough activity. For many men, walking 10,000 steps a day — plus eating right — is enough to stay at a healthy weight. Men with more weight to lose may need to walk farther. You may need to slowly build up the amount of exercise you get. Once you get the weight off, you may not need to do as much exercise to keep it off. But the more weight you lose, the more activity you’ll need to keep the pounds from coming back.

Can you reduce belly fat with sit-ups?

Sit-ups will make your abdominal muscles stronger, sure. And, you may look thinner by building your abdominal muscles because you can hold in your belly fat better. But strengthening your stomach muscles alone will not specifically reduce belly fat.

There are no particular “spot” exercises that are best at reducing belly fat. But most people do lose belly fat before losing fat in other parts of their body when they get more exercise of any kind.

Does age play a role in gaining belly fat?

Men tend to put on more belly fat as they get older. While some men struggle with their weight their whole life, a lot of men start to notice their increasing waistline in their 30s — and gradually put on pounds as the years go by. For many men, the eating and exercise habits that kept them thin in their youth are just not enough to keep the weight off as they get older. The solution? As you get older, you have to change the way you eat and how active you are to stay slim or lose weight.

Look around Encouraging Health for weight loss tips.

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