FLAT BELLY AND PROTRUDING BELLY

 It’s Not Just a Matter of Muscles

 Fat and the Flat Belly

 A Thorax That Does or Does Not Weigh on the Abdomen

 A Spine That Does or Does Not Push the Abdomen Downward

It’s Not Just a Matter of Muscles

The Nine Factors behind a Flat Belly

1. Little or no fat between the skin and the abdominals (subcutaneous fat)
2. Little or no fat between the viscera (intra-abdominal fat)
3. A certain way of inhaling with the ribs
4. A certain way of exhaling with the abdomen
5. A thorax that doesn’t weigh on the abdomen
6. A spine that doesn’t push the abdomen downward
7. Abdominal strength
8. Coordination of the abdominals
9. Good elimination

The Nine Factors behind a Protruding Belly

1. Fat between the skin and the abdominals
2. Fat between the viscera (intra-abdominal fat)
3. A certain way of inhaling with the diaphragm
4. A certain way of exhaling with the ribs
5. A thorax that weighs on the abdomen
6. A spine that pushes the abdominals downward
7. Abdominal weakness
8. Lack of coordination of the abdominals
9. Intestinal flatulence

Fat and a Flat Belly

Fat accumulates easily around the midsection. To lose it, we can:

• Experiment with food intake (go on a diet or, better yet, eat a balanced diet)
• Exercise, which contributes to burning fat (this includes abdominal exercise)
• Resort to surgery (where fat is removed by liposuction)

Specific actions relate to where the fat accumulates, and how we can get rid of it.

Fat between the Viscera

The abdominal viscera are contained in a membrane called the peritoneum. This membrane folds back on itself in several areas deep in the coils of the intestines. A large fold in front of the intestines is called the omentum or epiploon. Fat is often housed in the omentum and other deep folds of the peritoneum.

To lose this fat, we can:

• Mobilize the viscera with specific exercises
• Massage the viscera

Fat under the Skin

The skin is made up of two principal layers:

• The epidermis, which we can see and touch. It’s the most superficial layer.
• The dermis, which is deeper and thicker. It’s the most vital layer. The deepest layer of the dermis is the hypodermis, which contains the cells that can most readily store fat: the adipocytes.

Belly fat is housed just under the skin in the dermis and deep within the visceral folds in the omentum.

When we gain weight, the fat accumulates in the hypodermis in specific areas of the body, and in particular in the anterior walls of the belly.

To get rid of this fat, we can:

• Massage the areas of the skin where the fat accumulates to mobilize it.
• Stretch specific muscles, such as the external obliques and the rectus abdominis, that lie just under the skin.

When it comes to fighting fat, exercising the abdominal muscles has only an indirect effect; all physical exercise helps burn fat.

A Thorax That Does or Does Not Weigh on the Abdomen

Closing the rib cage causes two things to happen:

• The diameter of the thorax decreases because the sternum is brought closer to the spine, creating less space for everything that is contained in the rib cage. The contents are forced downward toward the abdomen.
• The capacity of the upper rib cage decreases, which redirects the viscera of the thorax toward the abdomen. The organs of the thorax have to move downward, and they tend to move toward the abdomen. The belly then sticks out, putting pressure on the abdominal wall.

For the belly to be flat, the rib cage must be open.

A Spine That Does or Does Not Push the Abdomen Downward

When we flex the spine forward, the viscera are pushed together and moved forward, pushing the belly out.

If spinal flexion takes the pelvis closer to the throat (flexion from the tail), the viscera are pushed up toward the thorax. If we eat before making this motion, it can even provoke reflux.

If spinal flexion takes the throat toward the pelvis (flexion from the head), the viscera are sent down toward the pelvis. When we are standing, this displacement of the viscera will be more intense thanks to the pull of gravity.

The spine and rib cage often move together. Flexion of the spine is often associated with the ribs dropping. (The two movements tend to be spontaneously synchronized.) This synchronization contributes to pushing the viscera toward the pelvis.

Standing Posture and a Flat Belly

A standing position with the back rounded (kyphosis) tends to cause the belly to pooch out.

Simply realigning the spine, with no thought of contracting the abdominals, helps prevent a pooching belly.