2020-04-01 Woman\'s Day

WOMANSDAY.COM / APRIL 2020 87

Your microbiome isn’t the only reason

why your middle matters.

VISCERAL FAT

While your microbiome affects many

aspects of your health, the fat around your

gastrointestinal tract also plays a huge

role. Visceral fat, the kind that surrounds

organs like the intestines, stomach, colon,

and pancreas, is especially dangerous.

“In general, this fat is linked with heart

disease, diabetes, high blood pressure,

and cancer,” says Ian J. Neeland, M.D.,

an assistant professor of medicine at

UT Southwestern Medical Center. To

reduce visceral fat, focus on doing aerobic

exercise like running, swimming, or

biking. A Mayo Clinic study by Dr. Neeland

and his colleagues showed that this type

of exercise could reduce visceral fat even

if people didn’t change their diets or

lose much weight.

ABDOMINAL MUSCLES

No discussion of belly health would

be complete without mention of the

abdominal muscles, or core. These

muscles across the front and sides of

your torso work together to stabilize your

spine and protect your internal organs.

Your abs also help you sit upright, roll

over, and remain balanced while walking.

An easy way to keep your core strong

is to practice good posture. When sitting,

standing, or walking, simply pull your

belly button toward your back so you feel

your abdominals contract. To take your

ab workout to the next level, try some

planks: For each, hold yourself in the top

position of a push-up for up to a minute.

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