I swam for years and always kept in great shape.
I quit for 2 years. After turning 41, which was 7 months ago, I started back up again. I swim 5 days a week for an hour, mostly freestyle. I'm in great shape again everywhere except for this stomach fat I can't seem to lose. Can anyone recommend any good workouts that can get rid of this?
Parents
Former Member
There are several factors that can get involved, especially something as emotionally sensitive as stomach fat. Anyway, I think I am correct that the body does not remove fat from a particular area because of exercise of that area. Fat can be removed, as we all know, and excercise will increase the demand by the body's muscles for the body's resources, when compared to fat. Thus, Bert, you lost fat and converted it to muscle (or just lost the fat.)
The confusing thing is that fat is not lost equally from all parts of the body; some parts of the body tend to keep fat no matter what you do, other parts lose it at the first sight of diet or activity. For example, I have a nice little place of fat storage on the sides/back of my waist (you know, the love handles). I had it when I was 21 and swimming 10,000 yards a day, and doing several hundred situps a day, and I have it now. On the other hand, the fat on the front of my stomach went away pretty quickly when I started swimming again. But swimming, situps, running, or cycling, I would have lost the same fat from the same areas.
But abdominal exercises help in other ways. As mentioned, they tend to improve posture and the ability to hold the stomach in - that improves appearance and has the appearance of removing stomach fat, and may even reduce waist size. Also, the muscles may become more prominant - that six pack may overwhelm the remnants of the six packs you drank during the off season!
But I hope this is my last comment in a diet thread.
There are several factors that can get involved, especially something as emotionally sensitive as stomach fat. Anyway, I think I am correct that the body does not remove fat from a particular area because of exercise of that area. Fat can be removed, as we all know, and excercise will increase the demand by the body's muscles for the body's resources, when compared to fat. Thus, Bert, you lost fat and converted it to muscle (or just lost the fat.)
The confusing thing is that fat is not lost equally from all parts of the body; some parts of the body tend to keep fat no matter what you do, other parts lose it at the first sight of diet or activity. For example, I have a nice little place of fat storage on the sides/back of my waist (you know, the love handles). I had it when I was 21 and swimming 10,000 yards a day, and doing several hundred situps a day, and I have it now. On the other hand, the fat on the front of my stomach went away pretty quickly when I started swimming again. But swimming, situps, running, or cycling, I would have lost the same fat from the same areas.
But abdominal exercises help in other ways. As mentioned, they tend to improve posture and the ability to hold the stomach in - that improves appearance and has the appearance of removing stomach fat, and may even reduce waist size. Also, the muscles may become more prominant - that six pack may overwhelm the remnants of the six packs you drank during the off season!
But I hope this is my last comment in a diet thread.
