Visceral fat is considered the most dangerous type of body fat because of where it’s stored in the body. It’s found in the abdominal cavity next to many vital organs, such as the liver, stomach and intestines, and this is why it presents such a health risk. What’s important to note is it isn’t always associated with being overweight or obese. If a person has too much visceral fat they can be at increased risk of diabetes and heart disease.
So what can you do to lose visceral fat? One of the main causes of too much visceral fat is lack of exercise, so experts recommend regular aerobic exercise.
Aerobic exercise is another name for cardio and has a reputation for burning a lot of calories.
Many studies have shown aerobic exercise can help you lose visceral fat, even without dieting.
An analysis of 15 studies in 852 people looked at how well different types of exercise reduced visceral without dieting.
The study, titled ‘The Effect of Exercise on Visceral Adipose Tissue in Overweight Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis’, found moderate and high-intensity aerobic exercises were most effective at reducing visceral fat without dieting.
Five types of aerobic exercise you may want to try are:
- Brisk walking
- Running
- Cycling
- Swimming
- Zumba
While studies have shown exercise alone can get rid of visceral fat, many experts still recommend combining this with a healthy diet, as it’s more effective at targeting visceral fat than doing either one alone.
Eating a poor diet, high in sugar and saturated fat, is one of the main causes of visceral fat.
But eating plenty of fruits and vegetables is recommended as part of a healthy diet, as well as the inclusion of wholegrains.
A study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found a calorie-controlled diet with wholegrains significantly reduced abdominal fat.
This is partly because refined grains tend to leave people feeling less full and can interfere with blood sugar levels – and subsequently appetite control.