Abdominal fat is unattractive and a mark of poor metabolic health. It is linked to heart disease, stoke, type 2 disease, and poor sexual satisfaction. A University of Virginia study found that middle-aged women who exercised intensely for 16 weeks lost more abdominal fat that those who exercised at a low intensity. The low-intensity group trained at 50 – 60 percent of maximum effort (e.g., walking), while the intense exercise group did a combination of walking and jogging . Begin your program with the easy exercise, and increase the intensity gradually to maximize belly fat loss.
(Medicine Science Sports Exercise, 40:1863-1872, 2008)