January 20, 2010 Connect Special

    The holiday season is a time of year with many traditions, from family outings to the local Christmas tree farm to get-togethers over holiday meals to gift exchanges with coworkers. One such tradition that many would like to avoid is packing on a few extra pounds during the holiday season. While that's certainly the healthiest decision to make, it's also the most difficult, particulary for those who find themselves spending ample time attending the host of holiday-themed social gatherings throughout the season.
    If you're not happy with your body, there are ways to slim down. For example, you could be targeting stubborn belly fat.

The Skinny on Belly Fat
    Belly fat has been linked to an increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke and other life-threatening conditions. Individuals with belly fat are twice as likely to die prematurely as people without it. Plus, a person doesn't have to be overweight to have belly fat and be at risk.
    Belly fat is caused by a combination of factors, including heredity, personal diet, lifestyle, and a slowing metabolism that comes with aging. A comprehensive 10-year European study discovered certain statistics:
    * A man with a waist of 40 inches or more, and a woman with 35 inches or more were most at risk of belly-fat induced premature death.
    * Each 2-inch increase in waist circumference was associated with a 17 percent increase in mortality in men and a 13 percent increase in women.
    * Waist-to-hip ratio is also a factor. A waist-to-hip ratio of greater than 0.9 for men and 0.8 for women is generally considered high risk.

Conquering Belly Fat
    It may seem like reducing belly fat would be a challenge. However, healthcare experts report that visceral body fat actually responds very well to a regular exercise routine and healthy diet. Here are some steps to reduce belly fat.
    * Strength training: Strength training can burn more calories than aerobic exercise alone and may foster faster burning of fat, including belly fat. Exercises that target the abdomen can help strengthen those muscles and promote a flatter-looking stomach when the fat starts to melt away.
    * Healthy diet: Read food labels and take the steps to make healthier choices in foods. Replace saturated fats with unsaturated fats. You won't just see results with belly fat -- you'll be healthier overall, too.

Going beyond weights
    However, getting fit does not have to include weight training. While weight training can be a valuable means to get healthier and shedding pounds, there are a host of other exercise options that can lead to very positive results.
    * Spinning. Spinning is a popular and valuable alternative exercise option. However, because it can be so demanding, spinning can be a tough routine for those making a lifestyle change. Once you've gotten into an exercise groove, spinning might be something to explore. Often set to aggressive, pulsating music, spinning involves riding a stationary bike through demanding courses featuring hills and other difficult terrain. Interested? Check out 180Fitness and N Shape Fitness Center for their classes.
    * Aqua aerobics. For those who enjoy time in the pool, see if your gym offers an aqua aerobics class. This might not be as readily available at most gyms as spinning classes are, as lots of gyms don't even have pools. For those who love swimming, look for a gym that does have a pool, and chances are, that gym will offer some derivation of aqua aerobics which consists of intense cardio movements mixed with some strength training. The chief benefit of a good aqua aerobics workout is that it will work all your muscle groups with low impact on joints -- making it ideal for seniors. Interested? Be sure to ask the RAC for their pool schedules.
    * Abdominals. Few people look at their abs and don't think they could use some work. That said, nearly every gym offers a class focusing strictly on abdominal exercises. These usually range anywhere between 15 and 30 minutes in length. Anything longer than that might cause painful and unnecessary muscle strain, so beware of ab classes that might be longer than 30 minutes, especially if you've only recently gotten back into exercise. Check out 180Fitness and N Shape Fitness Center for information on their classes.
    * Fusion. For those who subscribe to the idiom that "variety is the spice of life," fusion classes (also known as total body conditioning) classes could be the perfect fit. That's because such classes are a combination of other classes. Because they combine so many different elements, these classes tend to run a little longer in length, oftentimes exceeding an hour in length. The benefit of these is that they build up your cardiovascular as well as muscular strength.

Local help
    Want to shed those pounds but can't do it alone? You're in luck!
    180Fitness in College Plaza is open seven days a week. Monday thru Thursday, it's from 5 a.m. to midnight while on Friday its' 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday it's open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. while Sunday the hours are 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. They also offer childcare for parents, and tanning services are also available.
    For women who don't like to exercise with a lot of other people, there's Contours Express located at 112 Parker Ave. in Brooklet. It's a women's fitness and weight loss center that's part of a global network. They're open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and then close for lunch hours during the week before re-opening at three p.m. and closing at 7 p.m. Monday thru Thursday. Fridays, they close at 6 p.m. and on Saturdays, they're open from 8 a.m. to 12 pm.
    For those with tough schedules, check out N Shape Fitness Center. It's open 24 hours and is located at 739A Northside Dr.

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