Visceral fat can be extremely harmful in large quantities, and it raises a person’s chances of developing a number of conditions. But a certain exercise which has gained popularity in recent years can help combat this. According to studies and health experts, high intensity interval training (HIIT) could help you lose your visceral fat.
“HIIT significantly reduced total, abdominal, and visceral fat mass, with no differences between the sexes.
“High-intensity training was more successful in reducing whole body adiposity, while lower intensities had a greater effect on changes in abdominal and visceral fat mass.
“Our analysis also indicated that only computed tomography scan or magnetic resonance imaging showed significant abdominal and/or visceral fat-mass loss after HIIT interventions.”
The study concluded that HIIT is a time-efficient strategy to decrease fat-mass deposits, including those of abdominal and visceral fat mass.
What is HIIT?
HIIT is an umbrella term for workouts that involve short periods of intense exercise followed by recovery periods.
This cycle is continued till the end of the class, but typically last between 10 minutes to half an hour.
Activities during HIIT can include biking, body weights and cardio.
According to research, belly fat can be reduced more successfully when training at a higher intensity.
Nuffield Health’s Senior Personal Trainer, Phil Goulding said: “HIIT is a form of cardiovascular exercise. HIIT can be further broken down into two main categories SIT (sprint interval training) and HIT (high intensity training).
“HIT is much more appropriate to the general public or average gym goer.
“This involves work periods ranging from 30 seconds to three minutes working between 80-100 percent of your maximum heart rate with shorter recovery periods than SIT.
“As a rule of thumb, I would recommend your recovery period should be at least the same as your work interval and can become shorter as you get fitter.”
Source: Daily Express
