Spot-reducing fat is a long-debated topic and probably one most people want to believe, especially now New Year’s resolutions are becoming reality.
I’m talking about the abundance of programs and products which all promise tight tummies and shapely thighs, “all in 12 days!”.
Fact is, if we want to truly improve our health, we need to forget the idea of spot-reducing and focus on effective exercises which target the entire body.
The spot-reduction myth.
It’s true that the body “burns” fat to get energy – so the more exercise you do, the more energy is needed, the more fat you’ll burn. But this fat breakdown can happen anywhere across the body – your body won’t just burn fat from one area.
On top of that, isolated exercises – like sit ups – generally don’t need much energy anyway. They may do other things like tighten the core muscles, but they’re not going to reduce the fat around them alone.
Why you might have a “soft spot”.
It’s important to note that some body fat is necessary for biological reasons. But fat centred in the abdomen can be a sign of visceral fat, which collects around the organs and increases risk of metabolic issues.
Excess sugar consumption has been linked to metabolic syndrome in more than 3,000 studies.
So, eating right is the key to minimising this visceral fat and reaching your natural weight (yes, even if you exercise every day). What you put in your body ultimately reflects how it functions, feels and the amount of fat that’s stored.
How to exercise to strengthen your whole body.
There is no one size fits all for exercise and fitness programs. But a combination of a few or all of these exercises will support and tone your body (along with a healthy diet).
- Interval training: This is probably the most effective way to assist weight loss (if that’s a goal for you). Aim for 30-second sprints of cardio followed by one minute of recovery for about a maximum of 15 minutes.
- Compound exercises: Exercises such as squats or bench press are very effective, use multiple muscle groups, burn calories and use your core!
- Functional training: When exercising, think about the movement patterns you use everyday such as push, pull, bend or lift. This should give you an idea of how your training should reflect your everyday movements.
- Circuit training: This is the easiest and most flexible way to structure a workout. I recommend a combination of weights and cardio but circuits can be adapted for all training goals.
- Boxing: Working upper body, lower body and your core, boxing is a flexible and versatile way of training. Boxing also improves your balance, agility and coordination and suits all fitness levels.
- Form and technique: The most important of all! It’s amazing if you can do 50 sit-ups but if you’re straining your neck every time then are you really using your core? If unsure, book a fitness assessment for someone to assess technique.
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