If you’ve recently given birth or gone through weight changes, you may notice a sagging stomach with excess skin and fat that hangs down from your abdomen. This is called “apron belly” because it resembles an apron around the waist, and it can cause self-consciousness and distress. If you’re feeling affected by your apron belly, we’re here to help. Take a look at how to get rid of an apron belly with 11 tips and workouts.
What is an Apron Belly?
An apron belly, or pannus stomach, refers to excessive tissue and skin that hangs over the lower abdomen, much like an apron does. It can appear after pregnancy, excessive weight gain, or significant weight loss. The size of an apron belly can vary greatly. It’s diagnosed when a flap of skin reaches the pubic hairline, however, some cover the entire genital area, and can even reach to a person’s knees in severe cases. An apron belly can sometimes cause discomfort and even skin infections, as well as emotional distress.
What Causes an Apron Belly?
An apron belly can occur due to factors like genetics, significant weight loss, giving birth, or the natural aging process. Essentially, it occurs when the belly and fat surrounding the internal organs expands due to weight gain or pregnancy, resulting in additional fat deposits in the omentum (a structure in the abdomen that protects the visceral organs). Hormonal changes and the aging process can also lead to an apron belly. Our skin loses elasticity and becomes less firm as we age, making it more prone to sagging. Hormonal changes can also impact the distribution of fat in the body, leading to more fat storage in the lower belly. An apron belly can increase the risk of certain types of cancer, including ovarian cancer, and has been associated with type 2 diabetes.
How to Prevent Getting an Apron Belly
1. Regular Exercise
We preach this in a lot of our posts, but regular exercise benefits your body in so many ways, and is key to a flat, toned tummy. Try to include 30 minutes of aerobic or cardio exercise into your daily routine to help reduce belly fat and liver fat. Whole-body exercises will speed up your metabolism and reduce body fat, and weight training is awesome for reducing fat and building muscle mass.
2. Limit Your Alcohol Intake
Alcohol is high in calories and likely to increase abdominal fat. It contains almost as many calories as pure fat, and many alcoholic drinks are high in sugar, meaning lots of empty calories. When you drink alcohol, your liver prioritizes breaking down alcohol rather than fat, so while light to moderate alcohol intake won’t cause fat gain, heavy drinking can lead to weight gain over time.
3. Prioritize Proper Nutrition and Sleep
Weight loss works best when you combine daily movement with proper sleep and nutrition. When all these things work together, your body is in an optimally healthy state and can more easily maintain and lose weight. Eat a healthy diet rich in fruits and veggies, lean protein, healthy carbs and fat, and whole grains, and aim to get seven to nine hours of deep, uninterrupted sleep each night.
How to Get Rid of an Apron Belly
1. Surgery
The only foolproof way get rid of a large apron belly is through surgery. If your apron belly is negatively impacting your life (affecting your mobility or leading to constant skin infections), your doctor may recommend having a panniculectomy, a surgery that removes the pannus or sagging skin. However, if your apron belly isn’t as severe, there are a number of things you can do natural to decrease your apron belly.
2. Cardio & Strength Training
Cardio exercise and strength training can help you burn fat and build muscle, resulting in a flatter stomach area. High intensity cardio is great for burning calories and keeping your heart healthy, and strength training is best for fat loss and muscle building. Try to get in at least half an hour of moderate-intensity exercise four to six days a week, and two to three days of strength training is ideal.
3. Focus on Your Core
Your core muscles support your spine and help you maintain good posture. Strengthening your core can help tighten the muscles in your lower abs, reducing the appearance of an apron belly. Exercises like planks, Russian twists, and bear crawls should regularly be part of your workout routine. Full body compound exercises, such as squats, lunges, overhead presses, and deadlifts also engage the core and should also be utilized in your strength training routine.
4. Prioritize Healthy Eating
A healthy diet can play a big role in reducing an apron belly. Focus on eating a balanced diet with plenty of fruits, veggies, lean proteins, and whole grains. Avoid processed and fast foods, sugary drinks, and foods high in saturated fats. Consuming a healthy diet can help you lose weight, reduce inflammation, and improve your belly’s appearance.
5. Increase Your Water Intake
Drinking lots of water can be an effective way to reduce an apron belly (in conjunction with the above tips). Increasing your water intake increases the amount of calories the body burns, a process known as resting energy expenditure. Aim to drink half your body weight in ounces of water per day.
3 Apron Belly Workouts
1. 20 Minute Intense Standing Lower Belly Fat Workout | Low Impact | growwithjo
This workout is full of exercises that help tone the lower belly and create a tighter tummy. These standing exercises activate all the right muscles, working the muscles below the fat that’s sitting on your lower belly. It features low impact cardio and core exercises that will give you a burn and tighten things up!
2. Pilates Flat Stomach in 14 Days | Belly Fat Burn | 5 Min Workout | Lilly Sabri
If you want to spice things up with an intense core burner, try out this at-home workout! It’s only 5 minutes, but that’s all you need to help you tone and lose belly fat. All of the exercises target the abdominal muscles, including leg pull-ins, pilates 100s, and leg hovers. Combine this with cardio and strength training and your apron belly will start to disappear.
3. Lose Hanging Belly Fat | Intense Standing Lower Abs Workout, No Squats/Lunges | Hana Milly
This is another standing workout to help lose hanging belly fat or an apron belly. She takes you through a range of helpful exercises and gives a dumbbell option if you want to add more of a challenge. This workout will get your heart rate up, tone your tummy, and help you lose weight!
We hope you found these tips and workouts helpful for banishing an apron belly!
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