Many people subscribe to the idea that they can trim down fat layers in certain areas of their body and sculpt them according to the shape that they desire by doing specific sets of exercise routines.
For this reason, many are tricked into buying abdominal exercise equipment that claims to help them get the six-pack abs they want in a matter of weeks, just because they want to lose weight specifically in the abdominal area. Unfortunately, a thorough study of the process of weight loss suggests that this idea is impossible.
Targeted weight loss or spot reduction is the process of choosing which parts of the body should lose weight, and this concept goes against the science of weight loss.
Debunking the Myth of Targeted Weight Loss
In examining our body, we will naturally find certain parts that we would like to sculpt due to the excessive layers of fats deposited in them. These problem areas are usually the arms, waist, buttocks and thighs. In an effort to remove fats in these areas, we do numerous sets of crunches, sit-ups, and leg lifts every single day. More often than not, we do not see any improvements at all and this indicates that there is already something wrong with our exercise routine.
We want to tone our bodies and sculpt them perfectly but, we forget about the most essential factor in weight loss and that is fats. You see, layers of fats are deposited underneath the skin, covering the muscles. No matter how much effort we exert in toning them, we will not see those muscles until we remove those fatty layers.
Crunches, sit-ups and leg lifts are great toning exercises but they cannot do anything about your fat deposits. Moreover, you cannot force your body to lose weight in just certain areas. Losing weight happens on the entire body and not just on specific parts.
Lose Weight Effectively through Cardio Exercises and Proper Diet
Toning exercises are essential parts of the exercise routine but in order to shed off the fat layers and show off the muscles, you must also incorporate cardio workouts. This type of exercise increases the heart rate and the metabolism, thereby increasing the rate at which you burn fats. Strength training routines can also help you lose weight faster by burning calories and increasing the amount of muscle tissue in your body, which burns a lot of calories itself.
It is recommended to perform at least 30 minutes of cardio exercise three times a week, but if you want to maximize the amount of fats you can burn, you have the choice to extend these routines to 60 minutes a day and do them on alternating days within the week.
Exercise alone cannot give you the healthy body you long to have. Aside from exercise routines, watching your diet will help you achieve weight loss. So if you really want to have a sculpted body, you must lessen your intake of fatty foods and switch to a low fat diet.
Credits: Photo courtesy of Björn Söderqvist.