A fitness pro has shared the 'ultimate' workout that can help get rid of stomach fat and cut down the risk of heart disease.
This top exercise is the simple press-up, and it's making headlines because Cancer Research UK wants people to do 100 press-ups a day in April to raise money. They say it's hard but you can do it.
Even though press-ups need some strength, health expert Dr Michael Mosley thinks they're great for burning belly fat. Personal trainer Zana Morris told The Times that press-ups are amazing for your health because: "They're doable anywhere, at any level, with no equipment - you don't even need to wear trainers. When people talk about weight training, they're really talking about resistance training, and this is resistance training at its best. You're lifting the bulk of your body weight and, as a compound exercise, working a lot of muscles at the same time."
She also says that because it gets your heart beating faster, it can be like a "form of high-intensity interval training [HIIT]", reports Bristol Live. Fitness expert Ms Morris explained that when you do push-ups, you're working out a lot of muscles. These include your chest muscles, the front of your shoulders, and your triceps.
But if you do them right, you can also work out the back of your shoulders, your upper back, middle back, and even the long muscle that runs down your back. Plus, you're giving your tummy muscles, bottom, and inner thighs a good workout too. But she did say that doing 100 push-ups at once might be a bit much for most people. She said: "I would be very impressed if somebody could do 100 full press-ups in one go. It's an extraordinary thing to ask people to do," and warned that you could hurt your back, shoulders or wrist if you don't do them properly.
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Diet guru Michael Mosley thinks that exercises like push-ups are better than running or cycling for getting rid of tummy fat. On his Radio 4 show 'Stay Young', he said that science shows it targets the stomach area more. And that's not all - it can also help your memory, sleep and might even make you live longer.
On a podcast last year, Dr Mosley talked about how he does push-ups himself. He said: "Today I'm doing something that will not only help me stay strong but should also improve my memory, my sleep, my waistline, make me look good and perhaps even help me live longer. I've been doing press-ups.
"I try to do at least 30 of these every day, followed by at least 30 squats. Resistance exercises are the quickest and simplest way to improve your muscle mass. Gym bunnies have long known this. But it is something we should all do and that's because maintaining your muscle mass is one of the best ways to preserve your health as you get older. Unless you do resistance exercises your muscles start to decline after the age of 30."
Dr Mosley shared that studies show big changes can happen quickly with the right training. He said: "Your muscles have a remarkable ability to regenerate in response to resistance training. Studies have shown that in just 12 weeks you can increase your muscle mass by up to 10 per cent and your strength by up to 150 per cent."
Talking about belly fat, Dr Mosley explained that lifting weights is the best way to lose it. He said: "Resistance exercise can also help you lose fat particularly around your belly. Researchers at Harvard University followed around 10,000 men for 12 years and they found minute-for-minute strength training targets belly fat better than cardio.
"That's important because the fat that accumulates around your belly doesn't just sit there passively, it produces chemicals that can have a negative effect on your blood sugar levels. Muscle cells on the other hand have a positive effect. When you exercise they soak up blood sugars like a sponge. In fact one study found that for every 10 per cent increase in your skeletal muscle, there was a 10 per cent reduction in your risk of pre-diabetes.
"Which means not only does building muscle make you look and feel younger but it could also add years to your life. A recent analysis found that 30-60 minutes of resistance training a week, reduces the risk of dying from heart disease and cancer by up to 20 per cent."
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