Spot reduction, the idea that exercising one area of the body will reduce fat in that area, is a popular concept in exercise, but most medical professionals and exercise specialists don’t believe it’s possible. While strength training specific muscles can help with weight loss and improve appearance, the best way to get rid of fat is through cardiovascular exercise. Combining aerobic exercise with resistance and flexibility training can address the body’s total need for fitness and make problem areas less of a problem.
Spot reduction is a concept in exercise that keeps many exercise products, such as machines and training programs that target a specific body part, very popular. The idea behind this concept is that exercising in one part of the body will reduce fat in that area. As encouraging as this idea is for people who have problem areas or parts of the body where fat seems to accumulate more easily, most reputable medical professionals and exercise specialists don’t believe it’s possible to reduce fat in “spots.” », although the occasional study suggests otherwise, but it remains unproven.
Many would argue that spot reduction works and the proof of this is in the positive physical results seen when people work on a specific muscle group. It’s true that strength training specific muscles can help you lose weight, which can translate into a more pleasing physical appearance. When muscles are tense, they can pull on a part of the body, such as the stomach. Strong, lean abdominal muscles can minimize the amount of overlying fat, and it may appear that fat has been lost in this area, although this may not be the case. Leaner muscles can also lessen the appearance of cellulite to some degree.
While improving appearance through muscle-tightening blemish reduction exercises is not a bad goal, it can be unfortunate if people don’t realize the true path to fat reduction. The best way to get rid of fat is by doing cardiovascular exercise that helps burn it off. However, even then, the body, and not the person, decides which areas of fat to burn first. Problem areas can remain stubbornly difficult to remove. This is often particularly true for women who tend to store fat on their hips, thighs, and stomach. Until significant fat reduction occurs in other areas, the fat in these areas can be difficult to remove, and exercises aimed at reducing spots begin to look very attractive.
It’s not that muscle-stretching exercises are helpful for blemish reduction, but they can be problematic when people use them instead of cardio workouts or think they’ll target a problem area. Strength and resistance training can be great when combined with aerobic exercise, but many people try spot reduction alone and find they just can’t get the body they want. They may forego exercise when what they really should be doing is combining aerobic exercise with resistance and flexibility training. By addressing the body’s total need for fitness, problem areas can become less of a problem, and this is considered healthier than trying to tame these areas in certain places.
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