Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Spot Reducing

A lot of people believe that if they have a layer of tummy fat that exercises like crunches will flatten their tummy and get rid of that belly fat. Crunches will make your abs stronger just as working any muscle group will make those muscles stronger. But crunches will not get rid of the layer of fat covering your ab muscles.

To get rid of that belly fat you have to do to things eat properly and in the right amounts and getting the big muscles moving to burn the calories. Fat is basically stored calories and you have to convince your body to let you have those calories to use.

A problem that we all share is that just as we tend to store fat in different places, with women it's usually hips, thighs and butts, men it's generally belly. Once we start reducing out fat levels the body decides where it will take it from. For a guy that could mean that your body might hold on to the belly fat and let go of the fat everywhere else before the belly. Ever wonder why that is? So does every body that has ever studied weight loss and exercise. If someone could ever figure out how to control where the fat comes off they would make a fortune in the weight loss industry.

So what do we do. Same as always eat healthy small meals several times a day. Regular exercise with the body's big muscles, the legs. It's the regular part that is the important part. If you keep your body fed but not over fed it will release the stored fat when you need it during your exercise and for a while after you finish exercising since your metabolism stays in calorie burning for a while after you stop.

Now working all the muscles in your body is still important. Even though the legs being the largest muscles burn the most calories, having a good strong balanced body will help you keep your body efficient and healthy. It's muscle that burns calories so the more overall muscle you have the more efficient a calorie burner your body is.

Thanks for reading.

Health Panda

2 comments:

sweetsue said...

Dear Health Panda...Makes sense..Now I need your advice I am signed up for the 3 day walk for breast cancer.
Could you help me with a training
program...Like miles per day speed Most likely will be on treadmill since weather here is still very cold..Our walk is In July...so that is my time frame..

Panda Defiance said...

Yes I'll do the blog tomorrow on that. I finally get a day off tomorrow.

Dave