Spot Reduction, Does it work?

This is an amazing article from Medimanage

What is spot reduction?

Spot reduction is based on the belief that exercising specific muscles helps to get rid of the fat deposited in the area close to the muscles. For examples –crunches help to tone the abdominal muscles that we wish would lead to flatter abdomen….

More about Fat

Deposition of fat is complex phenomena, lot of factors determine which section our bodies store fat. For example men tend to gain weight near their abdomen while women store fat in their buttocks and thighs. There is genetics also involved in this; you may observe that you inherit the same body shape (apple or pear shaped) as your parents.

However you cannot ignore some of these problem areas as research shows those who have accumulated fat in their abdominal areas are at risk for heart disease- atherosclerosis, inflammation and coronary artery disease. They are also at risk for diabetes and stroke. So all those with apple shaped bodies- start working out!

What does research say?

There have been hundreds of products like abs cruncher, sauna belts that promise to get you flatter abs but the studies state otherwise. In a study, researchers studied the arms of tennis players expecting that the arm that is involved in playing will have lesser fat composition than other. However, there was no difference in skin fold in the arms.

In another study researchers had participants do around 5000 sit ups over 27 days, after comparing the biopsies of arms, buttocks and abs, they found uniform fat loss in all these areas without specific fat loss in just one area. This proves that spot reduction does not happen.

What should you do?

Here are some tips to start living healthy and losing weight throughout:

• Eat foods rich in fiber- Whole grain foods, raw fruits and vegetables, oats, berries, green leafy vegetables and pulses. These contain very little fat, keep us full for long and help reduce blood glucose levels while fighting cholesterol deposition.
• Aerobic Training- Aerobic activity helps boost your heart rate, your breathing rate and helps to burn instant calories while increasing your stamina and relieving your stress levels. These activities include swimming, running, walking and jogging.
• Strength training- Strength training plays an important role in helping you lose weight. Strength training helps your muscles become strong which in turn burn more calories and keep off weight. Lifting weights and working out on the gym equipments help you train your muscles.
• Avoid doing these- Don't stay up late and eat dinners early. Try to squeeze half an hour of exercise every day. Avoid alcohol consumption more than two days a week. Binge on healthy options like unsalted popcorn, bhel, sprouts than biscuits, soft drinks and other high calorie snacks.