Belly fat massage: Does it work for reducing belly fat?

Key takeaways:

• Studies have indicated that belly fat massage can work for reducing belly fat.
• Belly fat massage may not work for everyone who wants to burn belly fat; however, it is worth trying.
• Belly fat massage for burning abdominal fat will work better if paired with dietary changes, lifestyle adjustments and workouts. And there are techniques for doing a belly fat massage, including rubbing the belly, applying oil, and using a brush over the entire belly area.

Fat accumulation around the abdominal area is common in both genders. However, it is one of the most difficult types of fat to get rid of. Many people will go to great lengths to avoid or reduce belly fat.

When you consume too many calories without enough physical activity to burn them off, the excess calories get stored as fat in different parts of the body, including the belly, leading to belly fat. Low-quality sleep, stress, and medical procedures like a hysterectomy can also increase the chances of increased belly fat.

Fortunately, home remedies can help a person burn belly fat. One now-touted home remedy for losing belly fat is belly fat massage. There are some evidence that it may be possible to massage belly fat away. There are three types of belly fat massage that may be effective in reducing belly fat and weight gain.

This article will discuss the different types of belly fat massages for burning abdominal fat and how to massage belly fat away.

How to do a belly fat massage

To give yourself a belly fat massage, follow these steps.

1. Rub your belly

The first step to massaging away belly fat is to rub your belly. This will be done in two ways, horizontally and vertically.

Find a comfortable surface, and lie down on your back. Start with the horizontal form. First, you will massage your lower abdomen from the thigh and top of your groin and the bottom of your lower abdomen up to the bottom of your rib cage.

With your thumbs and the first two joints of your fingers, trace your lower abdomen, preferably above the thighs and on top of your groin. Grab the skin of your belly in this area and roll the skin folds between your fingers. Do this gradually.

When you are done with this section, trace from the bottom of your lower abdomen to the bottom of your rib cage.

After the horizontal massage, repeat the same movement vertically. This horizontal and vertical movement will help you loosen layers of stomach fat.

When you do this for the first time, you might wake up with soreness in the massaged area. But with continuous massage, you won't feel sore again.

2. Apply oil

This step will help get your bowels moving. Apply oil or rub it into your right or left palm. Place your palm firmly above the right side of your groin area. Move your palm up and in circles to the left side of your groin. You can repeat this for one or two minutes.

3. Use your fingertips in a firm motion

In this step, you will use the tips of your fingers. Place the tips of your fingers on the lower part of your abdomen. Press the tips of your fingers firmly and move them all the way up using a firm motion. Also, try to take your fingers under your rib cage and massage that area.

To complete this step, place the tips of your fingers in a vertical position, slightly above your belly button. Press down firmly and move your fingers up and down for 30 seconds.

4. Use a brush on your entire belly

This is the final step, and it requires a brush. Brush your entire belly using a dry skin brush. Move the brush in an upward motion. You can also do this while in the shower.

Does belly fat massage reduce abdominal fat?

Yes, different studies have indicated that belly fat massage can help reduce abdominal visceral fat.

Participants in a study of postmenopausal women received full-body massages for 6 weeks and abdominal massage twice daily for 5 days per week for 6 weeks. Each of the groups used different kinds of essential oils. At the end of the experiment, the groups that received the massage recorded a decrease in abdominal subcutaneous fat compared with those that didn't.

Another study done to check for the effectiveness of lymphatic massage on fat mass found that there was decreased subcutaneous fat after the massage.

Furthermore, belly fat massage combined with healthy lifestyles such as regular exercise and a better diet has a higher chance of reducing belly fat.

Types of belly fat massage

Belly fat can make the stomach soft and flabby, which is another reason why many people want to get rid of it. Fortunately, belly fat massage can help burn unwanted abdominal fat. There are three main types of belly fat massage that can help you achieve your flat tummy goals, which include:

• Skin fold and vacuum massage
• Aromatherapy massage
• Lymphatic massage

Skin fold and Vacuum massage

Skin fold massage helps reduce belly fat and is done with a vibrating device. It smoothens the folds in the dermis (the middle layer of the skin) and hypodermis (the bottom or fatty layer).

However, the effect of a skin fold massage is not permanent, as the folds can still reappear or increase over time.

Vacuum massage is a non-invasive mechanical massage technique. Vacuum massage uses a mechanical device to lift the skin through suction. It will also create a skin fold and mobilize the skin fold. Vacuum massage will help to restructure your collagen, release the tension in your muscles, reduce your skinfold thickness, decrease your muscle pain, and increase collagen.

To get the full benefits of a vacuum massage, you should use the services of a professional or vacuum therapist.

Aromatherapy massage

This type of massage is done with essential oils obtained from fruits, leaves, bark, seeds, and flower extracts. The use of essential oils dates back because it is believed that essential oils have healing and cleansing properties.

A study showed that aromatherapy massage could reduce abdominal subcutaneous fat. During an aromatherapy massage, your skin will absorb the essential oils, which also help to relieve different sorts of pain while providing a relaxing effect.

Lymphatic massage

A lymphatic massage is a form of treatment that improves the body's lymphatic system. A study indicated that this type of massage helps reduce subcutaneous fat.

The lymphatic system is a network of tissues, vessels, and organs that moves lymph back to your circulatory system. The lymph is a collection of lymphatic fluid, proteins, fats, nutrients, damaged cells, and foreign invaders that does not get reabsorbed into the bloodstream.

In the body, about 20 liters of plasma flow through the blood vessels daily to deliver nutrients to the cells. After delivering the nutrients, about 17% of this plasma goes back into circulation through the capillaries and body tissues. It is the work of the lymphatic system to take back the excess fluid (lymph) into the bloodstream, and the other 3% might find their way into capillaries and body tissues.

So, the lymphatic system helps maintain the body's fluid levels, absorbs fats from the digestive tract, removes waste products and abnormal cells from the lymph, and protects the body against invaders. However, excess lymph in the body contributes to weight gain, especially when you are unable to exercise.

This is where lymphatic massage comes in: it can help reduce these excessive lymph deposits, helping with weight reduction. This type of massage can also help you get rid of belly fat.

Other benefits of belly fat massage

Aside from reducing belly fat, belly fat massage has other benefits it offers the body. Some of the benefits include:

Belly fat massage can help promote lymphatic drainage

With lymphatic massage, you can improve your body's blood flow and make the lymphatic system work better.

When there is a blockage in the lymphatic system, it not only causes an increase in weight and belly fat but can also cause other health conditions like liver problems. Lymphatic massage can help prevent this blockage.

It breaks down stored fat

With a belly fat massage, you can break down the excessive fat in your body. The different types of massage, aromatherapy, lymphatic, and skin fold massage, all aim to break down excessive fat. Breaking down stored fat will not only reduce your belly fat but will also prevent other health conditions like obesity and cardiovascular diseases.

Belly fat massage can help reduce stress

Some recent studies have discovered that stress is one of the major causes of increased belly fat.

When you're stressed, you'll want to eat all the time, and eating too much food makes you gain weight. Also, when you are under stress, your body produces the hormone cortisol. Cortisol causes the excess calories in your body to be stored as fat and, in turn, causes increased weight gain.

Belly fat massage helps you feel relaxed and reduces stress, reducing your cortisol levels. When you are relaxed, you won't have the urge to eat constantly, as seen in stressed conditions.

Belly fat massage improves digestion

When your stomach is bloated, it makes your belly look swollen and fat. Correctly massaging your abdomen can improve digestion and prevent or stop constipation.

Belly fat massage gives firmness to the stomach

Massage causes skin tightening or firmness by stimulating the fibroblasts. Fibroblasts are cells that produce connective tissue like elastin and collagen. These connective tissues cause the skin to be firm.

Wrap up

Belly fat massage works effectively for some people, especially when done correctly. You can try any of the belly fat massages that best suit you. Although you can perform some of these massages yourself, they will be more effective when done by someone else, especially a professional.

Belly fat massages are considered safe as they have not been linked to side effects. However, you should keep in mind that they may not work for everyone. If you want to lose belly fat, the key remains consuming fewer calories, doing tummy-targeted exercises, and doing intermittent fasting (if your doctor approves of it).