Exercise helps to eliminate visceral fat

Is exercise a good way to lose weight? it appears not. The reason why exercise may not lead to much weight loss is it can increase muscle – which weighs more than fat.

That’s not to say it doesn’t affect the fat in your body in a positive way, and I’m talking about visceral fat. This is the fat that lies around your organs rather than under your skin.

A recent study by researchers from Liverpool John Moores University and Radboud University in the Netherlands evaluated 117 recent studies, looking at the effects of fitness programmes, calorie reduction or both – and the effects on weight and body composition.

They found that even in the absence of any change in weight, carrying out an exercise programme resulted in a 6 per cent reduction in visceral fat.

This is important as a growing body of evidence shows excess visceral adipose tissue [visceral fat] may result in more detrimental obesity-related health effects than excess body weight.

So, I’m going to carry on with my exercise programme, decreasing my visceral fat being another health benefit of exercise. The list is continually growing and hopefully will be a motivator for some to start and for others not to give up. We can’t always see the benefits but they are there!