People exercise for varied reasons, some for health considerations; some to keep fit and have a body-to-die-for. Who doesn’t want to have firm abs and a trim waist? But don’t be swayed by fads and myths. There’s no such thing as spot reduction.
When exercising, you use up energy which are calculated in calories. As you use up enough of your available energy in your body so that it decreases your sugar levels, your body then consumes stored energy. This type of energy comes from fat and adipose tissues.
But that process takes place non-selectively. You don’t get to choose which fat deposits the body converts. That means, you can’t ’spot reduce’ by working on your abs. The effect is still achievable, but doing abdominal exercises alone doesn’t target that fat.
While working on your abs, you develop strength in that part of your body in the form of muscle mass. This is benefits you in a lot of ways. It retains a firm and strong layer of muscle that makes sure that your stomach and other internal organs remain within the area of your hips. This gives your abs a firm look.
Abdominal exercises help in another way, too. Since the abdominals are large muscles, they consume a proportionately larger percentage of energy than, say, your jaw muscles. That means that as you work them, they have to be supplied with more energy to move through the range of the exercise. That burns many calories, resulting in weight loss and fat reduction.
There is no gadget, supplement or drug currently on the market that will do that safely and effectively as a substitute. It can only be done through proper diet and regular, moderate to heavy exercise. There’s no shortcut to a trim waist, at least not yet.
The effect is also limited by genetics and age. Some people store more fat around the middle more readily than others. Gender, obviously, makes a difference as well.
Women in their 40s tend to develop a bulge in the lower abdomen because of hormonal chances. On the other hand, men tend to develop ‘love handles’ on their sides because during their 40s, fat tends to stay in their adipose tissues more often than in their 20s.
In order to keep the abdominal muscles toned, you have to do the proper exercises. Proper exercise does not necessarily mean more repetitions. It is better to do the correct form. You do not have to do 100 crunches; doing 20 the correct way should suffice. While in the office, do pelvic tilts. Realize that you don’t need to go to the gym to have a good body.
Here are some things you can do to achieve the full effect:
Lie on your back. Cross your arms around your chest and raise your knees. Lift your upper body. Hold this position for 30 seconds. You should feel your abs tightening. This is the effect you want to achieve. To increase degree of difficulty, put your hands at the side of your head. But do not use your hands to lift your head. Let the abdominal muscles do the work. For maximum difficulty put your hands above your head and lift your shoulders and upper body, then hold. Feel your abs tighten and contract.
This exercise should help you burn energy. Do this on a daily basis for about 10 minutes or 20 repetitions and you’ll notice changes after only a few weeks.
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