Trouble breathing? That spare tire may be to blame.

Belly fat is the ringleader in a gang of health woes whose members wreak physical havoc -- we're talking insulin resistance, high blood pressure, bad blood fats, and out-of-whack glucose metabolism. The perfect setup for cardiovascular disease. Now abdominal fat is wanted for another crime -- taking your breath away. Walking and calorie-counting can help, but your leading defense against a bulging belly is resistance training.

Abdominal fat leaves less room for your lungs to expand and it's bosom buddies with insulin resistance, a condition that increases inflammation in your body, which reduces lung function and makes it harder to breathe. Resistance training -- any workout that makes your muscles press or pull against a weight, such as curling a can of beans or pushing your own body weight off the floor -- can help you breathe easier. You also can use stretchy tubing or gym machines to help build bulging muscles instead of a burgeoning waistline. Muscle burns more calories than fat, even when you're sleeping, which can give you the extra boost you need to say bye-bye to an expanding middle and hello to deep, satisfying breaths.