Healthy RGV Issue 107 - October Has Us Thinking Pink

FITNESS & BEAUTY · OCTOBER 2017
Is it true that you can spot
reduce problem areas with
targeted workouts?
That fitness myth has been around for as
long as anyone can remember. Millions of
dollars worth of products have been sold,
claiming to be able to reduce “stubborn
belly fat” or “get rid of your sagging
middle,” but the truth is... it cannot be
done.
Research has proven that spot reduction
is a concept that shows no real results.
While you can build muscle with targeted
exercise, no data has suggested that
fat reduction occurs as a result of spot
reduction exercises.
Fat is an adipose tissue under the skin.
Think the muffin top or spare tire
around your waist. That is adipose tissue
under the skin or a layer of fat. Study
participants who performed targeted
exercises were given MRIs to see if there
was any loss of the fatty tissue and the
results proved that there wasn’t. These
participants spent twelve weeks focusing
on one specific area of their bodies and
found no difference when all was said and
done.
That may sound disappointing, but the
good news is, there are ways to help you
get rid of or reduce problem areas. They
just won’t involve targeting one particular
area of your body. Instead, they will look
at overall fat reduction through diet and
exercise.
First, let’s look at the differences between
men and women and the adipose tissue
in their bodies. Women tend to have
significantly larger fat percentages than
their male counterparts. Sex hormones
are to blame for the fat distribution in
women's' bodies. Sorry, but that is just the
way it goes.
By reducing our fat intake and increasing
our movement exercise output, we can
make significant strides in our war against
fat. By eating right and exercising more,
we are encouraging our fat deposits to
decrease all over our bodies, instead of
one targeted area. By reducing that fat,
we are lowering the subcutaneous fatty
layer of skin that sits just below the
surface of our skin. In getting rid of that
layer, we can concentrate on the muscle
layer underneath.
More muscle increases fat burning in
our bodies. Working our muscles with
cardio, resistance training, and proper
nutrition helps us to tone problem areas,
decrease overall body fat, and helps us to
lose weight all over. So, feel free to grab
some weights, throw on a pair of running
shoes and prepare clean, healthy meals
for the long haul. Weight loss and fat
loss will not happen overnight, but if you
are consistent, honest, and you nourish
and hydrate your body properly; you
can, and you will see significant results.
Eventually, you can finally say goodbye to
your annoying love handles and extra fat
storage that you have longed to get rid of
for so long.
Eat right, move more, concentrate
on the whole body, and just watch
the transformation your body will go
through. A little goes a long way when you
approach fat loss the healthy way.
By reducing our fat
intake and increasing our
movement exercise output,
we can make significant
strides in our war against
fat.
By Lauren Kasis
36 HEALTHY MAGAZINE