If you've been fighting with stubborn lower belly fat, your exercise program could be to blame. In individuals who hold most of their weight in the lower abdomen below the waist, a common underlying cause is fatigue of the adrenal glands due to chronic stress. In people suffering from adrenal fatigue, too much exercise or exercise that is highly intense can cause further adrenal fatigue and result in the release of a hormone that causes more fat to accumulate in the lower belly.
Sitting atop each kidney, the adenal glands are small but critically important to the health of the body. The adrenal hormones control many functions in the body. For the sake of this article, we will be discussing the adrenal hormones involved in weight gain and loss. Most people are familar with the adrenal hormone known as adrenaline (also called epinephrine). Adrenaline "speeds up" the body to make it ready for sudden activity. During times of fear, excitement, or stress, adrenaline is produced and triggers increased blood pressure, elevated heart rate, rapid breathing, and increased blood flow to the muscles. Adrenaline also triggers the burning of fat for energy to support increased activity and therfore is one of several hormones that is involved in weight loss.
The other adrenal hormone involved in weight gain / loss is cortisol. Cortisol promotes the deposition of fat in the lower abdominal area. While adrenaline can only be produced for short periods of time, cortisol can be produced steadily ver long perids of time. This means that when one is under chronic stress, adrenaline will be used up long before cortisol and any fat-burning caused by adrenaline will be more than overwhelmed in the long run by the fat-depositing caused by cortisol.
From a survival standpoint, cortisol serves the purpose of providing emergency storage of fat for energy when the body is under stress for a long period of time. For human cultures in which the primary source of stress is physical stress, this fat storage can help keep people alive during extended periods of living under harsh conditions. Unfortuately, emotional stress stimulates cortisol production as well, and for many people who live stressful lives, their ongoing cortisol production will tend to cause weight gain in the lower abdomen.
Now we come to exercise. In a person who is under a lot of emotional stress and who has chronically overworked adrenal glands, cortisol levels will be high and adrenaline will have long since been used up. Under these circumstances, if you add heavy physical exercise as an additional stressor to the body, the result will be even more cortisol release from the adrenals. The high levels of cortisone result in more and more fat storage in the lower belly.
Because of the difficulty in getting rid of the lower stomach bulge, many people will try to exercise more and harder. Many times such individuals will lose weight overall yet still not be able to reduce the size of the belly. Some will try to work out even harder, all the while becoming more fatigued and possibly even losing muscle mass.
Cortisol's job is to store fat to conserve energy for survival under long-term harsh conditions. To meet immediate energy needs, cortisol will stimulate the breakdown of muscle and other tissue. This means that although a person with high cortisol may be able to lose weight by exercising, the weight being lost is muscle rather than fat.
The result is a downward spiral of fatigue, loss of muscle mass and strength, and sometimes the development of joint problems as the body eats it's own tissues for energy - but there's no reduction in that lower abdomen fat deposit that the body holds in reserve.
You may be wondering what you can do to get rid of your belly fat if you do have this problem of high cortisol. First, it is a good idea to be certain that your main issue is in fact adrenal-related, because if it is not, intense exercise is one of the best things you can do to lose weight.
If you have high cortisol, there are several possible indicators. Of course, the first sign is the primary location of excess weight being in the lower abdomen. There maybe loss of muscle mass in the arms and legs, or perhaps a difficulty in building strength in these muscles. Overwork of the adrenals may also manifest with any of the following symptoms: fatigue, needing caffeine to stay alert and awake, swelling in the feet and ankles, arthritis / joint pain, salty food cravings, feeling faint or dizzy when rising suddenly from sitting, and waking up in the middle of the night.
In cases of adrenal fatigue, exercise is still necessary, but it is important to do activities that do not overstress the body. The best approach is to do about 30 to 60 minutes of low-intensity aerobic exercise about 3 days per week. Low-intensity aerobic exercise includes just about any form of exercise you can do that does not leave you gasping for breath and does not leave you fatigued and sore. Among the best options are walking (particularly outside if there is not a lot of pollution and there are no temperature extremes), swimming, bicycling, and low-intensity aerobics.
In addition to exercise considerations, diet is also important. To help prevent cortisol-related muscle wasting, it is a good idea to eat protein. Approximately 3 ounces of high-protein foods like meat, eggs, dairy, fish, and poultry in each meal is usually sufficient. For those who do not consume animal proteins, be sure to include plenty of nuts, seeds, and beans to supply adequate protein.
If you have been frustrated with that roll of belly fat and have been working hard to get rid of it only to wind up weak, fatigued, and sore, if you'll change your exercise approach, maintain your protein intake and do whatever you can to reduce stress, that stubborn abdominal fat will go away over time and you'll be thrilled to look and feel great!
Sitting atop each kidney, the adenal glands are small but critically important to the health of the body. The adrenal hormones control many functions in the body. For the sake of this article, we will be discussing the adrenal hormones involved in weight gain and loss. Most people are familar with the adrenal hormone known as adrenaline (also called epinephrine). Adrenaline "speeds up" the body to make it ready for sudden activity. During times of fear, excitement, or stress, adrenaline is produced and triggers increased blood pressure, elevated heart rate, rapid breathing, and increased blood flow to the muscles. Adrenaline also triggers the burning of fat for energy to support increased activity and therfore is one of several hormones that is involved in weight loss.
The other adrenal hormone involved in weight gain / loss is cortisol. Cortisol promotes the deposition of fat in the lower abdominal area. While adrenaline can only be produced for short periods of time, cortisol can be produced steadily ver long perids of time. This means that when one is under chronic stress, adrenaline will be used up long before cortisol and any fat-burning caused by adrenaline will be more than overwhelmed in the long run by the fat-depositing caused by cortisol.
From a survival standpoint, cortisol serves the purpose of providing emergency storage of fat for energy when the body is under stress for a long period of time. For human cultures in which the primary source of stress is physical stress, this fat storage can help keep people alive during extended periods of living under harsh conditions. Unfortuately, emotional stress stimulates cortisol production as well, and for many people who live stressful lives, their ongoing cortisol production will tend to cause weight gain in the lower abdomen.
Now we come to exercise. In a person who is under a lot of emotional stress and who has chronically overworked adrenal glands, cortisol levels will be high and adrenaline will have long since been used up. Under these circumstances, if you add heavy physical exercise as an additional stressor to the body, the result will be even more cortisol release from the adrenals. The high levels of cortisone result in more and more fat storage in the lower belly.
Because of the difficulty in getting rid of the lower stomach bulge, many people will try to exercise more and harder. Many times such individuals will lose weight overall yet still not be able to reduce the size of the belly. Some will try to work out even harder, all the while becoming more fatigued and possibly even losing muscle mass.
Cortisol's job is to store fat to conserve energy for survival under long-term harsh conditions. To meet immediate energy needs, cortisol will stimulate the breakdown of muscle and other tissue. This means that although a person with high cortisol may be able to lose weight by exercising, the weight being lost is muscle rather than fat.
The result is a downward spiral of fatigue, loss of muscle mass and strength, and sometimes the development of joint problems as the body eats it's own tissues for energy - but there's no reduction in that lower abdomen fat deposit that the body holds in reserve.
You may be wondering what you can do to get rid of your belly fat if you do have this problem of high cortisol. First, it is a good idea to be certain that your main issue is in fact adrenal-related, because if it is not, intense exercise is one of the best things you can do to lose weight.
If you have high cortisol, there are several possible indicators. Of course, the first sign is the primary location of excess weight being in the lower abdomen. There maybe loss of muscle mass in the arms and legs, or perhaps a difficulty in building strength in these muscles. Overwork of the adrenals may also manifest with any of the following symptoms: fatigue, needing caffeine to stay alert and awake, swelling in the feet and ankles, arthritis / joint pain, salty food cravings, feeling faint or dizzy when rising suddenly from sitting, and waking up in the middle of the night.
In cases of adrenal fatigue, exercise is still necessary, but it is important to do activities that do not overstress the body. The best approach is to do about 30 to 60 minutes of low-intensity aerobic exercise about 3 days per week. Low-intensity aerobic exercise includes just about any form of exercise you can do that does not leave you gasping for breath and does not leave you fatigued and sore. Among the best options are walking (particularly outside if there is not a lot of pollution and there are no temperature extremes), swimming, bicycling, and low-intensity aerobics.
In addition to exercise considerations, diet is also important. To help prevent cortisol-related muscle wasting, it is a good idea to eat protein. Approximately 3 ounces of high-protein foods like meat, eggs, dairy, fish, and poultry in each meal is usually sufficient. For those who do not consume animal proteins, be sure to include plenty of nuts, seeds, and beans to supply adequate protein.
If you have been frustrated with that roll of belly fat and have been working hard to get rid of it only to wind up weak, fatigued, and sore, if you'll change your exercise approach, maintain your protein intake and do whatever you can to reduce stress, that stubborn abdominal fat will go away over time and you'll be thrilled to look and feel great!
About the Author:
For more information, please visit our site on natural weight loss. Dr. George Best has been in private practice as a holistic healthcare provider in San Antonio, Texas since 1992. Click here for other unique 'natural weight loss' articles.
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