Physical Health Guide

They may be called love handles but there’s nothing lovable about them; that flab you carry around your waist is not just an unpleasant sight, it’s also a dangerous health hazard. The fat that settles around your abdomen is a sure indicator that you are susceptible to high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol levels and cardiac diseases. Even if your body weight and your BMI are within healthy levels, you’re at risk if you carry a pot belly.

People with sedentary jobs usually see a marked increase in their waistlines after they’ve spent a few months at their desks or behind their computers. Both men and women are equally prone to develop love handles, with men tending to grow a pot belly as well. Flabby waists are hard to get rid off, especially if they’ve been hanging around your abdomen for a while; they’re stubborn and put up a strong fight to the last milligram, even if you embark on a full-fledged exercise and diet strategy.

The trick is to prevent your waist from going to waste by maintaining an active lifestyle with enough overall exercise for your entire body. And even if you already have those love handles, you can start working out to shed those excess pounds. It’s a long and arduous road, but the rewards at the end of the journey are definitely worth it. Here’s how you can keep those pounds of fat from settling around your abdomen and waist:

• Choose an all-round exercise that works your whole body and not just your middle region. Abdominal crunches DO NOT help in making your stomach flat, though they do help in strengthening and toning your stomach muscles. Aerobics, jogging, rowing, swimming, and playing vigorous games like tennis, badminton, squash, basketball and soccer help in bringing down your overall weight and in taking off the fat around your waist.
• If you’re a gym enthusiast, choose exercises like bench presses, dumbbell presses and squats that work your legs, chest and back.
• Side bends help in toning and firming the muscles around your waist. Bend sideways with your feet spread slightly apart and knees straight. Repeat as many times on both sides.
• Twisting your upper body also works in getting your waist back in shape. Stand with feet apart and twist your torso to one side and then to the other.
• Eat the right food; avoid saturated fats and include more vegetables and fruits in your diet. You don’t have to starve or deprive yourself of anything that’s tasty; all you need to do is eat balanced meals at the right time. Skipping one meal and gorging on the next may give you the same calorie count but it’s not the best treatment for your stomach or your waist.
• The most important factor in getting back to shape is staying in shape once you get there. This can only be achieved by a sensible combination of a healthy diet and a good exercise routine.

Before you start any exercise regimen, consult your doctor. And once you do, don’t waste any time, get to work on getting your waist back into shape!

Sarah Scrafford is an industry critic, as well as a regular contributor on the subject of RN. She invites your questions, comments and freelancing job inquiries at her email address: sarah.scrafford25@gmail.com.