All too often when I’m on the fitness floor a member will come up to me pointing or pinching at an area of their body and inquiring, “How do I get rid of this?” For men, this area is generally in the hips or abdomen; for women, it is usually the back of the upper arm or the abdomen. My simple and short answer is “lift weights”. My more detailed answer is explained here.
Unfortunately what I call “spot reduction” is impossible. You can’t pick one area of your body and improve only it. To lose subcutaneous fat requires a combination of strength training as well as cardio. This combination will decrease fat stores and increase the amount of visible muscle, as well as tone that area and tighten it. Some exercises isolate one muscle group but many exercises activate a series of muscle groups resulting in increased muscle tone in surrounding areas.
Sometimes this decrease in percentage of body fat occurs elsewhere in the body, in areas people don’t want to lose fat. This goes back to my original statement – you can’t spot reduce. A reduction of body fat applies to wherever the body decides to take it from and each person’s body responds to exercise differently. The goal of exercising should essentially be to increase strength, maintain range of motion, and improve quality of life. If you get rid of “this” in the process, well that’s a bonus!
By: Julie Morning, BS, ACSM-HFS, Fitness Specialist/Personal Trainer at Valley Health Wellness & Fitness Center
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