The #1 Habit to Break to Reduce Visceral Fat

The Plank Challenge may be all over social media. But there’s another reason to burn off belly fat that has nothing to do with sculpting killer abs. Belly fat, technically known as visceral fat, can spell bad news for your health. 

If you’ve never heard of visceral fat before, this type of fat burrows deep into your abdomen, where it surrounds organs like the liver and intestines. That doesn’t just make your belly rounder. Visceral fat also cranks out inflammatory proteins that increase the risk of chronic illnesses like heart disease, diabetes, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and some cancers.

However, your lifestyle habits can have a big impact on the amount of visceral fat you carry. If you’d like to trim belly fat and improve your health in the process, read on to learn the No. 1 habit to break to reduce visceral fat.

Being Too Sedentary is the Biggest Habit to Break

If you’re sitting down reading this, then stand up immediately. Then get ready for this … being too sedentary is the No. 1 habit you need to break ASAP to reduce visceral fat. 

Why? Most of us are not nearly active enough (and spend way too much time sitting!). While physical activity guidelines recommend engaging in at least 150 minutes of activity per week, less than half of us actually meet these recommendations.

Yet, research reveals that increasing physical activity may be one of the best ways to stop the progression of diseases triggered by excess body fat. “By increasing movement, you can build lean body mass, which helps to increase overall resting metabolism, promoting more favorable body composition,” says Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, CDCES. “Movement also enhances fat metabolism and regulates insulin levels, helping the body burn stored fat more effectively.”

Exercise Strategies On How to Reduce It

Burning visceral fat may require some strategies. Here are some expert tips on how to do it:

• Start Small: Visceral fat may be stubborn, but you don’t have to run a marathon to get rid of it. “If you’re new to regular movement, start with just 10 to 15 minutes of an activity you enjoy, like a walk around your neighborhood, dancing or yoga,” says Patricia Bannan, M.S., RDN. “Fit in movement throughout the day in small ways, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking farther away, or taking the long way to the coffee machine at work to add more steps to your day,” adds Palinski-Wade.
• Buddy Up: The best way to make it a habit is to repeat it daily until it’s as normal as brushing your teeth. Bannan recommends teaming up with a friend to make your movement habit stick. “Celebrating small wins, like reaching a daily step goal, can build momentum and make it easier to stay active in the long term,” she says.
• Set a Timer: “Every 30 to 60 minutes, set a reminder to stand up, stretch or walk around for a couple of minutes,” says Bannan. “This breaks up long periods of sitting and helps stimulate circulation and muscle activity.”
• Pace Around the House: Palinski-Wade recommends walking while talking on the phone instead of sitting. “This way you are using time you already have to fit more movement into your busy day,” she adds.
• Pump Some Iron: “Strength training is one of the best things you can do to offset visceral fat,” says Palinski-Wade. “Aim to add strength training one to two times per week, focusing on major muscle groups to improve strength and lean body mass.”
• Mix Up Your Workouts: Strength training isn’t the only way to burn visceral fat. Research has found that three aerobic or interval workouts per week are also effective for reducing belly fat.

Other Tips for Reducing Visceral Fat

Yes, moving is key, but there are even more steps you can take to lose visceral fat. 

• Log Those Zzz’s. “Just one poor night of sleep can increase appetite and insulin resistance, making you more likely to eat excess calories and triggering your body to store more visceral fat versus burning it,” says Palinski-Wade. In addition to practicing good sleep hygiene, these healthy sleep habits can also help with weight management.
• Chill Out. “Mindfulness activities, such as mindful eating or stress-reducing practices, like meditation or deep breathing, can help lower cortisol levels, a hormone linked to visceral fat accumulation,” says Bannan. “Managing stress through mindfulness can be an effective way to support your body’s ability to burn fat, particularly in the abdominal area.” 
• Enlist Fiber. “Adding more fiber to your diet can help to balance blood sugar, which in turn can lessen insulin resistance that stores visceral fat,” says Palinski-Wade. “In addition, dietary fiber helps to curb appetite and may promote weight loss, further lowering visceral fat levels.” Plus, high-fiber foods are often rich in antioxidants, which may offset inflammation and reduce stress hormones.
• Don’t Skimp on Fat. It may sound counterintuitive, but in order to lose visceral fat, you have to eat healthy fats. “Fatty fish is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to reduce inflammation and improve fat metabolism,” says Bannan. “Including salmon or other fatty fish, like mackerel, sardines, herring or trout in your diet a couple of times a week can support your efforts to reduce visceral fat while also promoting heart and brain health.”

Our Expert Take

There’s no magic pill to reduce visceral body fat. However, nutrition experts agree that simply moving more can improve your body composition and reduce visceral body fat. And you don’t have to log hours in the gym to see results. While strength training and aerobic activity are excellent ways to burn belly fat, going for regular walks with a friend or scheduling movement breaks into your workday are great ways to incorporate more activity into your day. The goal is to rack up those 150 minutes of physical activity each week. And if you still want to do the Plank Challenge, well, that’s great too!