The general theory is that doing specific exercises will reduce fat in certain specific areas of the body. For example, doing leg lifts will reduce fat around the hips and thighs, or doing ab exercises will lead to flat abs , or doing chest exercises will get rid of the fat under your breasts. There is not enough evidence to support the idea that spot reduction is effective. If you want to lose fat in certain areas of your body, a comprehensive approach that addresses physical activity and nutrition is likely to be more effective.
To lose fat , you have to burn more calories than you eat. When you do that, you create a calorie deficit that causes your body to use energy stored in your cells in the form of fat.
When those cells are used for energy, they start to decrease in size. As a result, the body may get smaller because it holds less stored fat. Here's where things get frustrating. The body doesn't only draw energy from the cells in the area you're working. It gets energy from the body as a whole, which means that leg lifts alone won't do much for removing fat from the thighs. However, exercising your legs can increase strength and endurance in your lower body.
So, while targeting specific body areas during exercise can be effective to build muscle and shape those areas, it won't necessarily help you lose fat in that specific area. Instead, you'll need to address your overall diet to reduce the amount of fat that is stored, and increase your activity level to try to burn the fat that has already been stored throughout the body.
So, what do you do if you want to lose fat from a certain area of the body? The bottom line is that you may not be able to pick and choose where fat is lost on your body.
Spot reducing doesn't work. Instead, your genes, hormones, sex, body type, body composition , diet, and other factors determine where and when the fat comes off.
However, there are some things you can do to make the process less frustrating. Compound exercises involve more than one body part. In fact, some of the best compound exercises involve many muscles throughout the entire body. Examples include a plank or a push-up. Engaging more muscles helps you to burn more calories and burn more fat.
For instance, you'll expend more energy doing a squat than doing a bunch of leg lifts. A squat is a complex exercise that works the glutes, the hips, the thighs, the calves, and even the core. A leg lift, especially if you're lying down , only works the outer thigh of one leg.
You'll also burn more calories by involving the larger muscles of the body: the glutes and thighs in the lower body, and the chest and back in the upper body. You can even go further and do combination exercises like squats with an overhead press. Abdominal crunches—once the most popular exercise for attaining a tight midsection—have been replaced by more effective exercises that work to strengthen your entire core.
Core exercises using balance tools like an exercise ball and even standing ab exercises challenge your stability and force you to work muscles throughout the body. Try to focus on working your entire body and try to involve as many muscle groups as possible for each exercise. During most strength training exercises, you'll be working your core and strengthening the abdominal muscles, as well. When you lose weight, you may want it to come off in certain places, but it may not come off in that area.
Although findings from these studies warrant additional research, both had potential reasons for conflicting results, including measurement techniques and a small number of participants.
Despite these outlier studies, most scientific evidence shows that it is not possible to lose fat in one specific area by exercising that body part alone. Although spot fat reduction is most likely to be ineffective at burning fat in specific body parts, targeting troublesome areas by toning the underlying muscle can have beneficial results. Although spot reduction may not be the best use of your time, many evidenced-based methods can help you lose fat and tone your entire body.
For example, high-intensity workouts and exercises that engage the entire body have been shown to be most effective at shedding pounds High-intensity training, whole-body movements and cardiovascular exercise are very effective for losing weight and toning up. For example, low-impact exercises like swimming and walking have been shown to be extremely effective for weight loss and are easy to do 18 , 19 , While increasing overall activity and adding new exercises to your daily routine is important for weight loss and your overall health, following a healthy meal plan is key when trying to shed body fat.
Studies have shown that exercise alone is not effective for weight loss unless a conscious effort is made to control calorie intake and make healthy food choices 21 , To lose weight and keep it off , combine the following diet tips with an exercise routine:. Following a healthy meal plan that includes lots of fiber, healthy fats and protein in controlled portions is a great way to slim down. Eating healthy, minimally processed foods is the best way to do this.
Although overeating is most often associated with unhealthy foods like cookies, chips and ice cream, it is possible to eat too many healthy foods as well. This is why controlling portion sizes and having a healthy awareness of both your hunger and fullness is important. Many people want a quick and easy way to lose fat, especially in troublesome areas like the hips, belly, arms and thighs.
Spot fat reduction has been shown to be ineffective in many studies. Luckily, there are other proven ways to lose body fat and keep it off. While resistance training may strengthen, build and tone muscle in a targeted area, a healthy diet and calorie-burning activities are necessary to burn fat and get a defined look. Ultimately, focusing on working towards a healthier, more toned body overall may be more beneficial than attempting to lose fat in one particular area.
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Here are 7 scientifically proven ways to lose fat on "autopilot. Over 20 studies have compared low carb and low fat diets. Low carb diets consistently lead to better results, both for weight loss and common risk…. Muscle cells, however, cannot directly use triglycerides as fuel; it would be analogous to trying to run a car on crude oil.
Instead, the fat must be broken down into glycerol and free fatty acids, which then enter the bloodstream. As a result, the fat broken down to be used as fuel during prolonged exercise can come from anywhere in your body, not just the part that is being worked the most.
Another reason is that many of the exercises commonly associated with spot reduction do not actually burn many calories — and if you are not burning enough calories, you are not going to lose much fat from anywhere in your body.
Keep in mind that one pound of fat is equivalent to calories. In fact, you are more likely to shed your love handles by taking up a running program than by doing crunches and sit-ups every day, simply because cardiovascular exercise is a much more efficient calorie-burner.
High-intensity interval training alternating between brief periods of high-intensity and low-intensity exercise can be particularly effective, due to the phenomenon of after-burn — that is, an increase in resting metabolic rate that occurs for up to 24 hours post-exercise. Weight training can also help to achieve optimal results. It is important to maintain your muscle mass because you will not achieve a toned look if you lose lean tissue along with fat.
Finally, good nutrition is essential.
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