Although exercise is a necessary part of any effecte natural weight loss plan, too much exercise or the wrong kind of exercise can interfere with the abilty of some people to effectively burn fat. Individuals who carry most of their excess weight as lower abdominal fat often suffer from fatigue of the adrenal glands. Adrenal fatigue typically occurs as an effect of chronic stress and excessive exercise will make the problem worse and actually promote fat deposition in the lower belly.

Sitting atop each kidney, the adenal glands are small but critically important to the health of the body. The adrenal hormones control many functions in the body. For the sake of this article, we will be discussing the adrenal hormones involved in weight gain and loss. Most people are familar with the adrenal hormone known as adrenaline (also called epinephrine). Adrenaline "speeds up" the body to make it ready for sudden activity. During times of fear, excitement, or stress, adrenaline is produced and triggers increased blood pressure, elevated heart rate, rapid breathing, and increased blood flow to the muscles. Adrenaline also triggers the burning of fat for energy to support increased activity and therfore is one of several hormones that is involved in weight loss.

The other adrenal hormone involved in weight gain / loss is cortisol. Cortisol promotes the deposition of fat in the lower abdominal area. While adrenaline can only be produced for short periods of time, cortisol can be produced steadily ver long perids of time. This means that when one is under chronic stress, adrenaline will be used up long before cortisol and any fat-burning caused by adrenaline will be more than overwhelmed in the long run by the fat-depositing caused by cortisol.

Cortisol does serve positive purposes in some situations as it allows for conservation of energy when the body is subjected to harsh living conditions over a long period of time. The problem is that chronic emotional stress causes elevations in cortisol and for individuals who are under a lot of stress in their daily lives, the high cortisol release from the adrenals stimulates the deposition of fat in the lower abdominal area.

This brings us to exercise. In individuals who are under a lot of stress, the adrenals will be overworked but they will continue to produce large amounts of cortisol. Highly exertive physical exercise further taxes the adrenals and leads to even greater cortisol production. The more cortisol that is present in the blood stream, the more the body is stimulated to deposit fat in the lower abdominal area.

Many people in this situation who are determined to lose weight will see their inability to lose weight as an indication that they need to exercise harder and more often. These people may be able to continue to lose weight in general, because if you are burning more calories than you take in, you will lose weight, but they never are able to eliminate that lower belly fat. So they work out even harder, but the belly fat remains - and they become more and more fatigued and actually begin to lose strength in the muscles of the arms and legs.

The reason why weight loss occurs and why there may be a loss of strenght and/or muscle mass in the arms and legs is because cortisol will stimulate the breakdown of muscle and other tissue as a means of getting energy without burning fat. So, people who exercise heavily in the presenc of high cortisol will likely lose weight, but the loss is in the form of muscle and not fat, which ultimately slows the metabolism and makes weight loss even harder.

The result is a downward spiral of fatigue, loss of muscle mass and strength, and sometimes the development of joint problems as the body eats it's own tissues for energy - but there's no reduction in that lower abdomen fat deposit that the body holds in reserve.

So what should a person with this problem do to lose that lower stomach "pooch"? Well, first of all it is important to figure out if you actually fall into this category, because with the exception of someone who has high cortisol production and overworked adrenals, vigorous exercise is still one of the most effective weight loss measures one can take.

If you have high cortisol, there are several possible indicators. Of course, the first sign is the primary location of excess weight being in the lower abdomen. There maybe loss of muscle mass in the arms and legs, or perhaps a difficulty in building strength in these muscles. Overwork of the adrenals may also manifest with any of the following symptoms: fatigue, needing caffeine to stay alert and awake, swelling in the feet and ankles, arthritis / joint pain, salty food cravings, feeling faint or dizzy when rising suddenly from sitting, and waking up in the middle of the night.

If you do fall into this category of adrenal fatigue / high cortisol, exercise is still important, but you want the kind of exercise that helps you to handle stress, not exercise that creates additional stress. For someone with overworked adrenals, the best type of exercise is relatively low-intensity aerobic exercise for 30 to 60 minutes about 3 times per week. This is exercise you can do without getting out of breath and without feeling fatigued afterwards. Among the options for this type of exercise are walking, bicycling, swimming, yoga, tai chi, and low-intensity aerobics. Exercising outdoors seems to be particularly beneficial for stress reduction, and subsequently cortisol reduction, at least when there are no extremes of temperature to deal with.

In addition to exercise considerations, diet is also important. To help prevent cortisol-related muscle wasting, it is a good idea to eat protein. Approximately 3 ounces of high-protein foods like meat, eggs, dairy, fish, and poultry in each meal is usually sufficient. For those who do not consume animal proteins, be sure to include plenty of nuts, seeds, and beans to supply adequate protein.

If you've been working out like crazy to try to get rid of that belly fat, but all you've managed to accomplish was feeling tired, weak, and sore, by reducing the intensity of your workouts and controlling stress better, you'll likely find that the belly fat gradually shrinks away and you'll look and feel great!