Just like good and bad cholesterol, it turns out there’s good and bad belly fat, too.

A new study from the University of Michigan has uncovered that regular aerobic exercise can lead to healthier belly fat tissue, offering significant benefits for those with obesity. The research, led by a professor of exercise physiology at the University of Michigan School of Kinesiology, Jeffrey Horowitz, challenges conventional perceptions of body fat and its impact on health.

“Fat is really misunderstood,” Mr. Horowitz told NBC News. “The fat we have, especially that which is stored under our skin, is a really important place to store our energy.”

Published in the journal Nature Metabolism, the study involved 32 participants, evenly split between men and women, who were either overweight or had obesity. Half of the participants had been exercising regularly — at least four times a week — for an average of 11 years, while the other half led more sedentary lifestyles.

The researchers took samples of fat tissue from each participant’s belly to analyze blood flow, markers of inflammation, and the rigidity and fibrousness of the tissue. The findings indicated that regular exercisers had healthier subcutaneous fat, the type stored just beneath the skin, compared to their sedentary counterparts. This fat exhibited less rigidity and fibrosis, allowing it to expand and store fat more efficiently. This is one of the body’s primary energy sources.

Interestingly, the study showed that these expanding fat cells are beneficial for health. When subcutaneous fat cells are flexible, they can store fat under the skin, preventing it from being stored as visceral fat — a more dangerous type of fat that surrounds organs and is linked to higher risks of heart disease and diabetes.

The study also demonstrated that fat tissue in regular exercisers showed reduced inflammation and increased blood vessel formation, indicating enhanced fat metabolism.