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A fat-burning leg workout routine can reduce extra pounds in the midsection of the body (belly fat).
Along with a proper diet and calorie restriction, a fat-burning leg workout routine reduces extra pounds in the midsection of the body as a part of overall weight loss.
Abdominal fat is a type of visceral fat that collects in and around the abdomen. Visceral fat resides in the deep layer around the abdominal organs and possesses a greater health risk than subcutaneous fat (fat under the skin).
A small amount of abdominal fat is normal, but an excess makes a person more likely to develop conditions, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type II diabetes, heart diseases, dementia, and certain cancers, including breast cancer and colon cancer.
A person with normal weight and body mass index may have excess visceral abdominal fat that could be the reason for various health risks.
What are the benefits of lower body workouts?
Leg muscles belong to the biggest muscle group of the body, the “quadriceps muscle group.” Leg workouts are an essential part of an overall weight loss program.
Here are a few benefits of regular leg workouts:
- Workouts of this type mainly aim to sculpt the lower part of the body.
- Stronger legs will significantly improve the performance of other workouts, including cardio training sessions, such as running, walking, and jogging.
- Contributes to overall weight loss.
- Helps avoid lower back pain.
- Helps build muscle mass.
- Provides a balanced and symmetrical look.
What are the best workouts for abdominal fat?
There is a wide range of exercises to lose abdominal fat, but moves that involve multiple muscle groups, such as squats, lunges, and deadlifts, burn a lot of calories during a workout session.
Some of the simplest yet highly effective exercises to melt abdominal fat include:
- Aerobic or cardio exercises: Include at least 30 minutes of regular aerobic exercises, such as
- High-intensity interval training (HIIT): Includes short bursts of intense exercise combined with lower intensity moves and rest periods, such as
- Pushing
- Pulling
- Squatting
- Deadlifting
- Abdominal crunches: Involves all the abdominal muscles but primarily the rectus abdominis muscle and the obliques, which builds muscle mass and tightens the abdomen.
- Leg lifts: Leg raise improves the strength and flexibility of hips and lower back.
How many times a week should you work out to lose abdominal fat?
Experienced athletes and personal trainers recommend a leg workout three times per week, usually for 15 to 20 minutes.
A leg workout should never be done on more than five consecutive days because the body needs periods of rest to rebuild the muscle tissues that have been stressed by exercise.
About 3,500 calories are needed to be burned to lose one pound. Eating whole, healthy sources of proteins, increasing physical activity, avoiding alcohol and smoking, and maintaining a healthy sleep pattern could help shed off unwanted pounds and improve health status and self-esteem.
What are the causes of abdominal fat?
The causes of excess abdominal fat may include:
- Poor diet: Consuming more calories than a person burns.
- Age: As people age, muscle mass declines, and metabolism slows down.
- Genetics: A family history of excess fat could be the cause.
- Menopause: A decrease in the “estrogen” hormone level adds up to weight gain.
- Less physical activity: Lack of movement and regular exercise routine may lead to fat deposition.
- Sedentary lifestyle: Insufficient physical activity has a detrimental effect on health.
- Sleep patterns: Sleep deprivation can lead to overeating and thus, excess fat gain.
- Stress: Cravings for high-fat, carb-heavy foods can be triggered by cortisol, a hormone released during stressful moments.
- Smoking: Smokers gain more visceral fat than nonsmokers.
- Alcohol consumption: Alcoholics are more vulnerable to excess fat deposition.
- Trans fat: A diet including fast foods and bakery items increases fat deposition.
- Medications: Some diabetes drugs, antidepressants, steroids, and epilepsy medicines can cause weight gain.