Many people believe that if they exercise a specific portion of their body, they will be able to “spot reduce.” This misconception is made worse by products and devices that promise you can “lose your belly,” or shrink and tighten your butt with just one exercise machine or a magic weight loss pill. What the general public fails to notice is that spot reducing is impossible because that goes against the physiology of the body and weight loss. If you want to loose inches you must treat the body as a whole. Use these fitness tips to help you get to your goal.
Cardio: For major results of targeted exercises in your stomach and butt, you must first lose excess fat over your entire body. Engage in cardio exercises for 30 minutes a day at least five times per week to help keep your body in prime fat-burning condition. Powerful cardio workouts burn fat fast; for example, running one mile can burn up to 100 calories. Burning more calories than you put into your body each day is the best way to lose fat and tone your entire body, including your stomach and butt. Some cardio exercises work your buns more than others, such as running and dancing.
Diet: Many diets make claims to cut fat off your stomach and butt, there’s no way to target a specific area with your diet. However, diet is key to losing weight and defining your stomach and butt. Choose a diet that’s healthy for your whole body; you’ll drop pounds over your entire body, including your stomach and butt. A low-calorie diet combined with regular exercise is the best way to lose weight, which helps your muscle tone and new six-pack to show. Eat lean meats, whole grains and high-fiber fruits and vegetables. Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day to keep your body hydrated; especially when exercising.
Workout: Add at least 30 minutes of weight training exercises to your cardio workouts to help shape your body. Muscle helps burn fat, not just your stomach and butt. Alternate upper and lower body workouts each day, with a short ab workout every day.
- To focus specifically on your problem spots, try lunges. You can do these as walking or stationary lunges, stepping forward so the front knee makes a 90-degree angle and the back knee dips as low as is comfortable.
- Do squats with your feet together and push your butt back and down as if you were going to sit in a chair.
- An exercise ball can increase resistance with many exercises. If you hold the ball between your back and the wall, it can change the position of your legs at the top of the squat, forcing them to work more on the way up than in traditional squats.
Hopefully, these fitness tips can help give you a more holistic look at changing the areas of your body that have been plaguing you.
Ready. Set. Get Fit!
Darese, ISSA CFT
Leave a Reply