source:- bodyandsoul
A doctor developed a simple weight loss hack over a decade ago, which simply uses a towel to burn belly fat. So we asked an expert if it actually works… We’d try everything to lose belly fat these days.
From hopping on the celery juice trend, to attempting intermittent fasting or the keto diet, there’s nothing we haven’t tried. And yet, that stubborn belly fat won’t seem to budge.
But one less common method many of us haven’t tried yet, is the Japanese towel method.
Over 10 years ago, a Japanese physician named Toshiki Fukutsudzi developed a unique method to get the body in shape. The method claims to help get rid of belly fat, improve posture and strengthen back pain, simply by using a towel.
The reason Fukutsudzi says it works is because he discovered that that an extra layer of fat around the belly is actually a result of misplacement of your pelvic. By correctly exercising this area and the pelvis placement, your waistline is reduced.
How to do the Japanese towel exercise:
1. Take a medium-sized towel and roll it into a cylinder, no less than 38 cm long and approximately 10 cm wide. Wrap it with some sort of string or band so it stays put.
2. Sit yourself down on a flat, hard surface. A yoga mat on the floor will work best. Put the towel behind you.
3. Gently lie down on your back holding the towel so that it is placed at the parallel to your navel, against the small of your back.
4. Place your feet shoulder-width apart. Your toes should be touching each other.
5. Stretch your arms above your head, palms down, with your pinkies touching. Make sure your toes and pinkies are facing each other.
6. Now hold this position for at least 5 minutes.
7. Afterwards, stand up slowly as your bones and joints may have slightly moved during the exercise.
According to Fukutsudzi, you’ll notice results within a month if performed daily.
Does the Japanese towel method actually work?
But as magical as the method sounds, is this just another weight loss hack we should be sceptical about? And how much truth is behind this technique?
According to personal trainer and yoga instructor Kirsten Scott, it’s a little bit more complicated than just losing belly fat.
“All our organs and limbs, including the intestine and stomach, connect to the brain via the vertebral column,” she explains to body+soul. “It is true that misalignment of the bones, reflected in bad posture, can mean that nerve pathways are constricted.
“The part of the spine between the ribs and the small of your back is where the intestine nerves are connected, so if you slouch or push your pelvis too far back, it may result in digestion issues, such as constipation, bloating, gas and acid reflux.”
So… “while constipation and bloating make your belly appear bigger, it is not fat; it’s just the waste that is not being eliminated.”
Basically, some of the weight you may lose as a result of practising the method every day might just be a result of your food baby disappearing.