Exercises to Lose Subcutaneous Fat

Regular cardiovascular exercise is one way to reduce subcutaneous fat.

Subcutaneous fat is the fat just beneath you skin that you can measure by pinching it between your fingers. Regular exercise and a reduced calorie diet can help you lose subcutaneous fat. Cardiovascular and strength-training exercises both help to burn fat while you build muscle and strengthen your heart, lungs and reduce your risk of disease.

Subcutaneous and Visceral Fat

Your body fat is either visceral or subcutaneous. Subcutaneous fat is the fat that is stored beneath your skin, whereas visceral fat is stored deep in your body and can surround the organs in your abdomen. Visceral fat has been associated with chronic disease, including Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some types of cancer. Subcutaneous fat may also contribute to insulin resistance, which can lead to diabetes. Insulin resistance means your liver and muscles do not respond to insulin, which can cause your blood sugar to rise.

Spot Reduction

Reducing the amount of subcutaneous fat in just one area of your body is essentially impossible. Crunches, situps and planks will strengthen your core muscles, but won't reduce subcutaneous fat from your waist. However, resistance training one section of your body will increase muscle mass in that area. The only way to burn fat is to exercise regularly doing both cardiovascular exercise to burn fat for energy and strength training to increase lean muscle mass.

Cardiovascular Exercise

Harvard Health Publications recommends regular physical activity and a healthy eating plan, which includes proper portion sizes and eliminating or substantially reducing processed, sugary and fattening foods, to burn subcutaneous fat for energy and reduce fat all over your body. Cardiovascular, or aerobic, exercise burns calories using fat as energy. Cardio also increases your metabolism and keeps it elevated for a short time after exercise, so you continue to burn fat after your workout. Any activity that increases your heart rate and makes you sweat is cardiovascular exercise. Some examples include brisk walking, step aerobics, jogging, playing tennis or even vigorous yard work, such as mowing the lawn or raking leaves.

Strength Training

Strength training is an important part of your overall subcutaneous fat-loss plan. MayoClinic.com suggests regular strength training to help reduce your body fat while increasing lean muscle mass. Lean muscle requires more calories and burns those calories more efficiently. As you build more muscle, you will burn more fat. Strength training includes body-weight exercises, such as pushups, squats, crunches and planks. You can also lift weights or use resistance bands to increase your muscle mass and strength. Your strength-training program should work all major muscle groups, and always include a five- to 10-minute warm-up and cool-down. MayoClinic.com suggests you strength train two or three times per week, for roughly 30 minutes, with a day of rest between sessions.

References

• Sports MD: The Fallacies of "Spot Reducing" and Truth About Fat Loss
• Yale Scientific: Targeted Fat Loss: Myth or Reality?
• American Council on Exercise: Why is the Concept of Spot Reduction Considered a Myth?
• Harvard Health Publications: Abdominal Fat and What to Do About It
• MayoClinic.com: Metabolism and Weight Loss: How You Burn Calories
• American Council on Exercise: 6 Strategies for Losing the Spare Tire
• MayoClinic.com: Strength Training: Get Stronger, Leaner, Healthier

Resources

• Medicine and Science in Sports and Medicine: Subcutaneous Fat Alterations Resulting From an Upper-Body Resistance Training Program