Cardio shrinks hidden belly fat, but mind-body exercise wins on blood sugar
Across 37 trials in adults at the earliest stage of cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome, aerobic training cut visceral fat more reliably than any other exercise type. Mind-body exercise delivered the biggest improvements in fasting glucose and HbA1c, though the authors flag that ranking as carrying limited certainty.
For you: A reason to match the exercise to the goal: steady cardio looked strongest for trimming deep belly fat here, while mind-body practice showed the biggest blood sugar improvements.
What it shows: Strong pooled evidence on the cardio finding, softer on the rest: 37 trials covering 3483 adults in the earliest stage of metabolic risk, and the blood sugar win for mind-body exercise came with limited certainty by the authors' own account.Systematic review · Front Cardiovasc Med