by Mary Elizabeth Dallas
. Health reporter
Turbulence Training For Fat Loss - Weight Training Key to Battling Belly Fat as You Age: Study
Monday, (Health News) - If you want to fight the belly fat while old, the new research suggests that you need to add weight training to your exercise regimen.
Harvard School of Public Health researchers have found that combine aerobic activities with weight, or resistance, training is fundamental to preserve muscle and avoid weight gain, particularly age-related belly fat."Because aging is associated with sarcopenia, loss of skeletal muscle mass depending on body weight is insufficient for healthy aging study", author of study Rania Mekary, researcher at Harvard's Nutrition Department, said in a University news launch.
"Measurement waist circumference is a better indicator of healthy body composition among older adults," Mekary explained. "Wrapping in resistance training or ideally combining you with aerobic exercise could help older adults decrease abdominal fat while increasing or preserving muscle mass."
The long-term study was carried out between 1996 and 2008. Included more than 10,000 healthy men with 40 years or more whose body mass indices (BMI) varied widely. BMI measures body fat by looking at weight and height. The researchers analyzed the physical activity of the men, the weight and circumference of the waist to determine which exercises had the most significant effect on male waists, or the amount of fat of the belly they had.Men who made 20 minutes of weight training daily had a lower increase in belly fat than men who have passed the same amount of time involving moderate to vigorous aerobic activities such as escalation of ladder and backyard work, The study, published online dec. 22 In obesity magazine, found.
Meanwhile, men who have become more sedentary throughout the study of 12 years had a greater increase in belly fat. "This study highlights the importance of weight training in the reduction of abdominal obesity, especially among the elderly," said the senior author Frank Hu, a professor of nutrition and epidemiology, said at the launch of Harvard News. "To maintain a healthy weight and waist, it is essential to incorporate weight training with aerobic exercise."
