Posted Sept 26, 2011
SHEDDING BELLY FAT — which research has shown to raise the risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes — can drastically improve a person’s health and reduce health-care costs.
Simple enough — but does the process have to be complicated and miserable?
Absolutely not, said local women who participated in a program designed to beat belly bulge with diet and exercise that’s doable in the real world.
The participants were all Auburn Montgomery employees, working under the guidance of Michele Olson, a professor at AUM and research director of the school’s Human Performance Laboratory.
The program was featured in the August issue of Prevention — the editors there regularly call on Olson as an expert on exercise and working out.
This particular program — focusing on the waistline — was a great fit for Olson. Much of her research since 2004 has been on abdominal muscles, and Self magazine has even dubbed her “Dr. Abs.”
You’ve probably heard about the popular “Flat Belly Diet,” which was developed by a Prevention registered dietitian. Editors had the idea to marry the diet with a targeted workout plan, and called on Olson for help.
“I thought, if Prevention is willing to send me this validated eating plan that isn’t crazy and is high in things that are heart-healthy, I will dig into my research and come up with a plan that will help the abdominal fat as well.”
It’s a great program, she said, and the results were terrific.
During the monthlong program back in April, the women — volunteers in the 35 to 60 age range — lost an average of six pounds and 3.5 inches from their waistlines. They also reduced their health risk one entire category — from an initial “high” risk to “moderate” risk.
And Olson said the savings in annual health costs alone are about $3,100 for the group.
Peggy Todd, a custodian at AUM who participated in the program, did very well. She lost 13 pounds overall and is eating healthier foods.
But she also got closer to some of the other women in the group through the exercise. That, in turn, helped motivate her and the others in the group to follow the program.
The program’s cardio component is centered on walking, which is doable for most people, regardless of physical ability. Walking is what Todd loves most.
“It just takes away the stress, and you just lose yourself in it,” Todd said. “I just get out there on the track and walk, and forget about everything else. It’s peaceful.”
Olson said the program uses different styles and speeds of walking.
“We do some intervals, where you walk for 20 seconds. For the next 20 seconds, you try to pick it up, if you can. If you can’t, you keep walking.”
The other two parts of the workout program, toward the end of the walking workout, are yoga — and pilates-style strengthening and stretching exercises.
The group did some lightweight work modeled after the kettlebell style of movement, an exercise Olson has studied in depth. She modified the movements and used light dumbbells instead of kettlebells, to make it less intimidating.
And that was a major part of the program as well, Olson said — to make it easy to follow and non-threatening.
“One of the major objectives was for those who maybe aren’t drawn to exercise,” she said. “It’s not in their lifestyle to go to a gym.
“Sometimes those are the individuals who need it the most.”
The participants had fun, too, Olson said, and that’s the key — making it enjoyable.
“You don’t have to prepare for a 10K to get so many benefits from moving around regularly,” she said.
Additional Facts Ab flab is nothing to laugh about
What makes belly fat so dangerous?
“Belly fat causes a lot more inflammation in our systems,” in cluding the heart vessels, said Auburn Montgomery professor Michele Olson. “Fat circulating in and out of your belly area is more likely to course across circulation through the heart, too.”
Belly fat also contributes to insulin resistance and may raise the risk of high blood pressure, blood sugar, LDL “bad” cholesterol and triglyceride levels, Dr. David L. Katz, director of the Yale University Prevention Research Center, said in a March 2009 Gannett article.
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