The Best Strength Workout to Reduce Belly Fat and Inflammation
You know exercise is good for muscles, bones, joints, as well as your heart and lungs. You probably know that it's good for your blood pressure, cholesterol, and mental health. It also happens to be a terrific anti-inflammatory: A 2017 University of California San Diego Medical School study found that as little as a 20-minute session of moderate intensity exercise (subjects walked on a treadmill) can stimulate the immune system and trigger an anti-inflammatory cellular response. So a little goes a long way.
But different types of exercise deliver different benefits. Strength training or resistance training is unique because directly working muscles affects your body in different ways than, say, jogging. For example:
–You grow stronger. This is obvious, of course, but consider the day-to-day benefits of greater strength: Every day activities become easier. You can lift, move, and even climb stairs with lesser effort.
–Your joints are healthier and your body performs better overall.
–Muscle tissue aids the body in glucose management, so if you're overweight and insulin resistant, adding muscle can help regulate your blood sugar.
–You look great. Oh yeah. The buffer you get, the better you look.
–Oh, and strength training helps reduce inflammation in the body (you knew we were getting to that eventually, right?). And this works at any age: A 2015 study in AGE Journal studied 65 women, age 60 and older, who had not exercised in the previous six months. Researchers put them into two groups, one participating in a single phase, 8-week strength training program, and the other in a 3-phase, 24-week program that was more advanced. In the end, both groups saw gains in strength, obviously, but also significant reduction in c-reactive protein inflammation— – 23 percent in the novice group, 55 percent for the advanced. Another study in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise showed similar results. A group of 102 sedentary people was broken out into aerobic training, strength training, and control groups. Both exercise groups saw their CRP levels drop, but the strength training group's numbers (32 percent) dropped twice the amount as the aerobic group (16 percent).
So why not give strength training a try?
Here's a program that's simple, virtually free, and requires a few square feet and nothing but your bodyweight.
The 3-3-3 Workout
It's called 3-3-3 . . .…
–3 EXERCISES. Pick from the suggestions in this article.
–3 MINUTES. Perform each exercise for one minute.
–3 TIMES. Complete the 3-exercise circuit 3 times.
We recommend you do this workout at least 3 times a week, leaving a day in between to do some cardiovascular exercise like brisk walking or biking.
It's that easy. The total amount of exercise per strength-training session is 9 minutes, but you can go at your own pace. If you can't do a full minute of each exercise, that's fine. Work to your fitness level (you'll get better!). Need extra rest between minutes? Take it. The idea here is to challenge your muscles, not set world records.
These ideas are here for three reasons: They're generally well-known (no exotic moves to learn), hit multiple muscle groups in your body in a short time, and require no equipment and little space. You'll find many of these target some of the largest muscles/muscle groups in your body: Glutes, quads, hip flexors, core.
Jumping Jacks
Stand with your feet together and your hands at your sides. Simultaneously raise your extended arms above your head and jump up just enough to spread your feet out wide. Without pausing, quickly reverse the movement and repeat. Keep your ankles locked by pulling your toes up, and bounce on the balls of your feet.
Multidirectional Hop
Stand with your knees slightly bent. Jump forward 12 inches and land on your right foot. Hop backward to the start, landing on both feet. Repeat on your left foot. Next, do the sequence going sideways. Continue through the allotted time.
Plank
Assume a push-up position but with your weight on your forearms. Brace your abs, clench your glutes, and keep your body straight from head to heel. Hold for the allotted time. And for a bonus challenge here, try a single-leg, single arm plank: Assume a push-up position but with your weight on your forearms. Brace your abs, clench your glutes, and keep your body straight from head to heel. Raise your right leg and hold it for fiv5e5 seconds. Then lower it and raise your left leg for 5 seconds. Alternate legs for the allotted time.
Bodyweight Split Jump
Place your hands on your hips and assume a staggered stance, left leg forward. Slowly lower your body as far as you can, and then jump with enough force to propel both feet off the floor. Switch legs in midair and land with your right leg forward. That's 1 rep. Switch leg positions with each jump.
Forward Lunge
Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Step forward with your right leg and lower your body until the top of your right thigh is parallel to the floor and your left knee comes close to the floor. Pause, then return to the starting position. Alternate legs for the allotted time. And for a bonus challenge here, try a compass lunge. Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Step forward (or "north") with your right leg and lower your body until the top of your right thigh is parallel to the floor and your left knee comes close to the floor. Push back to standing and repeat the exercise while hitting points on the compass (northeast, east, etc.). NOTE: Northern lunges are forward, southern are reverse, east and west are side lunges. When you hit "due south," switch legs and continue until you reach north again. Do as much as you can in the allotted time.
Reverse Lunge with Rotation
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Step back with your left foot and lower your body into a lunge as you rotate your upper body to the right. Return to the starting position. That's 1 rep. Alternate legs and rotation for allotted time.
Push-Up
Get down on all fours, placing your hands slightly wider than your shoulders. Straighten your arms and legs. Lower your body until your chest nearly touches the floor. Pause, and push yourself back up. Repeat for the allotted time.
Burpee
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Squat as deeply as you can and place your hands on the floor. Kick back into a push-up position. Bring your legs back to a squat and jump up. Land and repeat.
Hip Raise
Lie face-up on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Raise your hips so your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Clench your glutes as you reach the top of the movement. Pause, and then lower your body back to the starting position. And for a bonus challenge here: Lie on your back with your right foot flat and your left leg raised so it's in line with your right thigh. Push your hips up, keeping your left leg elevated. Pause and slowly return to the starting position. Switch legs halfway through the allotted time.
Mountain Climber
Assume a push-up position. Your body should form a straight line from your head to your ankles. Without allowing your lower-back posture to change, lift your left foot off the floor and move your left knee toward your chest. Return to the starting position, and repeat with your right leg. Alternate the move with each leg quickly.
Air Squat
Stand with your hands on the back of your head and your feet shoulder-width apart. Lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Pause, then return to the starting position. Repeat for the allotted time.
Bulgarian Split Squat
Stand in a staggered stance, your left foot in front of your right 2 to 3 feet apart. Place just the instep of your back foot on a bench or chair. Pull your shoulders back and brace your core. Lower your body as deeply as you can, keeping your back foot on the bench. Keep your shoulders back and chest up through the movement. Pause, then return to the starting position. Halfway through the prescribed time, switch feet.
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